A solar-based on-site power generation & heating - cooling assembly

Abstract

The present invention discloses solar based power generation & temperature regulating assembly (100) configured to optimise utilisation of the solar energy. The said assembly is capable of utilising the heat energy for power production, which would otherwise go waste. This increases the system efficiency to produce power, reduces wastage energy, and reduces cost of energy production. The system can be extremely efficient even in smaller spaces. The assembly (100) comprises plurality of solar collectors (110), heat exchangers (140, 150, 170), and a vapour chiller (160).

Description

A SOLAR-BASED ON-SITE POWER GENERATION & HEATING - COOLING ASSEMBLYFIELD OF INVENTION:

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a system utilizing solar energy for power generation as well as heating & cooling applications including that of heating & cooling system for a given space. The present invention particularly relates to portable, space efficient, low cost system based on solar collectors that minimize wastage of heat energy by reusing it in certain ways for power generation as well as heating & cooling applications including but not limited to temperature regulation within given space.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

[0002] Traditional on-site solar systems are unable to self-optimize the power demand by utilizing solar waste heat for producing on-site heating & cooling for various applications including heating and cooling of the spaces. Due to the losses involved, traditional renewable energy systems are not able to replace fossil fuel energy sources. Same reasons prevent the traditional energy sources from providing continuous energy.

[0003] The present invention converts up to 100% of the captured solar energy into high-temperature heat storage, unlike other products where the conversion efficiency is typically limited to 60-80%.

[0004] The present invention strives to utilize back the heat energy that would otherwise go waste into the system, such the efficiency of energy production would increase, bringing down the cost and space involved.SUMMARY OF INVENTION:

[0005] It is a primary object of the invention to propose a system based on solar collectors that minimizes wastage of the heat energy by reusing it in certain ways to produce power as well as regulating the temperature within given space.

[0006] It is another object of the invention to portable, space efficient, low cost power generation & temperature regulating system.

[0007] Accordingly, the present invention discloses a solar based assembly for optimizing utilisation of heat energy.

[0008] In an embodiment, the solar based temperature regulating assembly comprises of plurality of solar collectors configured to receive cold heat transfer fluid from a cold HTF tank through an inlet pipe, and configured to transfer hot heat transfer fluid to a hot HTF tank through an outlet pipe. The assembly further comprises a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with the heat transfer fluid in the hot HTF tank, a prime mover, a second heat exchanger assembly and the cold HTF tank.

[0009] The assembly further comprises a vapour chiller configured to exchange heat with the second heat exchanger assembly & a third heat exchanger, and reuse heat wasted by the prime mover.

[0010] In an embodiment, the prime mover may be a steam turbine that uses heat energy from hot heat transfer fluid in the HTF tank as well as the first heat exchanger.[Oi l] The present invention further discloses a solar collector for efficiently collecting the solar energy with minimal losses.

[0012] In an embodiment, the solar collector comprises a thermally insulated outermost surface, and a hollow area having walls covered with a reflective material, wherein an area between the outer surface & the hollow area defines a jacketed area carrying a heat transfer fluid;

[0013] The solar collector further includes an inlet to admit a lower temperature heat transfer fluid into the solar collector from the cold HTF tank;and an outlet to output a higher temperature heat transfer fluid into the hot HTF tank.

[0014] The solar collector is provided with a heat shield glass situated at a specified area on the outermost surface. Above the heat shield glass, a spherical lens is mounted on a lens mounting structure. The lens mounting structure enables the spherical lens to be adjusted at a distance from the reflector equivalent to a focal length of the spherical lens. A reflector is situated in line with the heat shield glass and the spherical lens.

[0015] To circulate the heat transfer liquid through the jacketed area, a common pump assembly is provided.

[0016] The solar collector is provided with a solar tracker assembly for orienting the solar collector towards the direction of the Sun.

[0017] In another embodiment, the solar collector comprises of a thermally insulated outermost surface, and a hollow area having walls covered with a reflective material; an internal heat exchanger situated in the hollow area; an inlet to admit a lower temperature heat transfer fluid into the solar collector; an outlet to output a higher temperature heat transfer fluid; a heat shield glass situated at a specified area on the outermost surface; a spherical lens mounted on a lens mounting structure above the heat shield glass; a reflector situated in line with the heat shield glass & the spherical lens; a pump assembly to circulate heat transfer fluid; and a solar tracker assembly.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:

[0018] Following figures illustrate the main embodiment as well as alternate embodiments of the present invention:Figure 1 illustrates the solar based power generation & temperature regulating assembly (100).Figure 2 illustrates the solar collector (1).Figure 3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the solar collector (1).DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

[0019] Accordingly, the present invention discloses solar based power generation & temperature regulating assembly configured to optimise utilisation of the solar energy. The said assembly is capable of utilising the heat energy for heating & cooling applications, which would otherwise go waste. This increases the system efficiency to produce power, reduces wastage energy, reduces energy wastage & power demand, thereby reducing size of the power generation system and space required for power generation as well as cost of energy production. The system can be extremely efficient even in smaller spaces.

[0020] The primary advantage of the utilisation of waste heat energy is that the system can simultaneously contribute to the temperature regulating mechanism in a given space.

[0021] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

[0022] As used herein, the term “plurality" refers to the presence of more than one of the referenced items, and the terms “a”, “an”, and “at least” do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

[0023] The invention is described herein in detail with the help of figures appended at the end of the specification. The figures illustrate the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments that define the scope of the present invention. However, it may be understood that the figures presented herein are intended to exemplify the scope of the invention only. The person skilled in art may note that by no means the figures limit the scope of the invention. Any variation in the drawings by any other person will be falling in the scope of the present invention.

[0024] As illustrated in Figure 1, solar based power generation & temperature regulating assembly comprises plurality of solar collectors (110) configured to receive cold heat transfer fluid from a cold HTF tank (120) through an inlet pipe (111) and configured to transfer hot heat transfer fluid to a hot HTF tank (130) through an outlet pipe (112); a first heat exchanger (140) configured to exchange heat with the heat transfer fluid in the hot HTF tank (130), a prime mover (G), a second heat exchanger assembly (150) and the cold HTF tank (120); and a vapour chiller (160) configured to exchange heat with the second heat exchanger assembly (150) & a third heat exchanger (170), and reuse heat wasted by the prime mover (G). The third heat exchanger (170) dissipates the residual heat from the vapour chiller (160) to the atmosphere.

[0025] As seen in Figure 1, a series of solar collectors (110) receive a heat transfer fluid, referred as HTF hereinafter, through the common inlet pipe (111). This HTF has temperature around room temperature or less, and is stored in the cold HTF tank (120). The HTF is then gets heated sufficiently by the solar collectors (110) and transferred to the hot HTF tank (130). The mechanism of heating of HTF is discussed in the description of Figure 2 below. The hot HTF tank (130) ultimately serves as an energy storage tank for the purpose of the present invention. The heat energy from the HTF stored in the hot HTF tank (130) gets transferred to the first heat exchanger (140) which is utilized by the prime mover (G) to produce electricity. In an exemplary embodiment, the prime mover (G) may be a steam turbine that uses heat energy from the first heat exchanger (140) to produce the electricity.

[0026] For all practical purposes, the prime mover (G) looses some of the heat to the environment. In the present invention, the prime mover rotates the electric generator to product electricity. The electricity could be produced on demand. The electricity produced is fed to the power systems in the building, including a battery bank, typically used for smoothening the electric supply or some times to store the electricity.

[0027] The heat is absorbed by the second heat exchanger assembly (150), which in turn is exchanged with the vapour chiller (160), and may also be utilized for heating or cooling of the space or the enclosure. The vapour chiller (160) may be a vapour absorption or vapour adsorption based unit. The heat, which is eventually cooled down by the vapor chiller (160) and the third heat exchanger (170), is stored in the cold HTF tank (120).

[0028] In an embodiment, the heat exchanger assembly (150) includes at least two heat exchangers. For all practical purposes, one heat exchanger may be utilised for cooling application and the other for heating application. Both could operate independently or together depending on the heating and cooling demand in the building. The operation of both the heat exchangers is controlled with the help of the three way valves.

[0029] The construction and utilization of solar energy by of each of the solar collectors may be understood by referring to Figure 2 that illustrates the solar collector (110). The solar collector (110) is provided with a thermally insulated outermost surface (10), and a hollow area (20) having walls (21) covered with a reflective material. An area between the outer surface (10) & the hollow area (20) defines a jacketed area (30) carrying the HTF received from the cold HTF tank via the inlet (111). The solar collector has a heat shield glass (60) situated at a specified area on the outermost surface (10), and a spherical lens (70) mounted on a lens mounting structure (71) above the heat shield glass (60). The lens mounting structure (71) enables the spherical lens to be adjusted at a distance from the reflector (22) equivalent to the focal length of the spherical lens (70). The said arrangement puts in concentrated solar energy onto the reflector (22), which in turn reflects the concentrated solar energy inside the hollow area, and which gets reflected internally multiple times. Due to multiple reflections, the HTF in the jacketed area gets heated up and is output through the outlet (50).

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the spherical lens (70) is a biconvex lens.

[0031] An alternative embodiment of the solar collector is demonstrated in Figure 3, wherein the HTF is circulated through an internal heat exchanger (25), and wherein the jacketed area in not present.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, the HTF may be molten salt. However, HTF may be selected from, but may not be limited to, nitrates, nitrites, carbonates, chlorides, and fluorides.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, solar collector (1) comprises a thermally insulated outermost surface (10), and a hollow area (20) having walls (21) covered with a reflective material, wherein an area between the outer surface (10) & the hollow area (20) defines a jacketed area (30) carrying a heat transfer fluid; an inlet (40) to admit a lower temperature heat transfer fluid into the solar collector from a cold HTF tank (120); an outlet (50) to output a higher temperature heat transfer fluid into a hot HTF tank (130); a heat shield glass (60) situated at a specified area on the outermost surface (10); a spherical lens (70) mounted on a lens mounting structure (71) above the heat shield glass (60); a reflector (22) situated in line with the heat shield glass (60) & the spherical lens (70); a pump assembly to circulate heat transfer fluid; and a solar tracker assembly (80).

[0034] In an alternate embodiment, the solar collector (1) comprises a thermally insulated outermost surface (10), and a hollow area (20) having walls (21) covered with a reflective material, an internal heat exchanger (25) situated in the hollow area (20); an inlet (40) to admit a lower temperature heat transfer fluid into the solar collector; an outlet (50) to output a higher temperature heat transfer fluid; a heat shield glass lens (60) situated at a specified area on the outermost surface (10); a spherical lens (70) mounted on a lens mounting structure (71) above the heat shield glass (60); a reflector (22) situated in line with the heat shield glass (60) & the spherical lens (70); a pump assembly to circulate heat transfer fluid; and a solar tracker assembly (80).

[0035] The said assembly is capable of utilising the heat energy for power production as well as heating-cooling application, which would otherwise go waste. This increases the system efficiency to produce power, reduces wastage energy, and reduces cost of energy production. The system can be extremely efficient even in smaller spaces.

[0036] The advantages of the present invention are outlined herein:• Maximum Efficiency up to 99%, compared to 15-25% for conventional solar systems.• The typical 15-20% transmission losses seen in centralized power plants are entirely avoided.• Installation space for solar collectors is reduced by 60-70%, making it feasible to generate enough electricity on-site to cover 100% of demand.• It is easy to adopt the innovation since it can be fully productized.

Claims

aim,1. A solar based power generation & heating-cooling assembly (100) for optimizing utilisation of solar energy comprising plurality of solar collectors (110) configured to receive cold heat transfer fluid from a cold HTF tank (120) through an inlet pipe (111) and configured to transfer hot heat transfer fluid to a hot HTF tank (130) through an outlet pipe (112); a first heat exchanger (140) configured to exchange heat with the heat transfer fluid in the hot HTF tank (130), a prime mover (G), a second heat exchanger assembly (150) and the cold HTF tank (120); and a vapour chiller (160) configured to exchange heat with the second heat exchanger assembly (150) & a third heat exchanger (170), and reuse heat wasted by the prime mover (G).

2. The assembly (100) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the prime mover (G) comprises of a steam turbine or any other heat utilizing device and an electric generator3. A solar collector (1) comprises a thermally insulated outermost surface (10), and a hollow area (20) having walls (21) covered with a reflective material, wherein an area between the outer surface (10) & the hollow area (20) defines a jacketed area (30) carrying a heat transfer fluid; an inlet (40) to admit a lower temperature heat transfer fluid into the solar collector from a cold HTF tank (120); an outlet (50) to output a higher temperature heat transfer fluid into a hot HTF tank (130); a heat shield glass (60) situated at a specified area on the outermost surface (10); a spherical lens (70) mounted on a lens mounting structure (71) above the heat shield glass (60);a reflector (22) situated in line with the heat shield glass (60) & the spherical lens (70); a pump assembly to circulate heat transfer fluid; and a solar tracker assembly (80).

4. The solar collector as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the reflective material is selected from metals having high melting point.

5. The solar collector as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the lens mounting structure is configured to arrange the spherical lens (70) at a distance from the reflector (22) equivalent to a focal length of the spherical lens (70).

6. The solar collector as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the spherical lens (70) is selected from biconvex lens, Fresnel lens or such.

7. The solar collector as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the heat shield glass (60) is selected from toughened high temperature glass.

8. A solar collector (1) comprises a thermally insulated outermost surface (10), and a hollow area (20) having walls (21) covered with a reflective material, an internal heat exchanger (25) situated in the hollow area (20); an inlet (40) to admit a lower temperature heat transfer fluid into the solar collector; an outlet (50) to output a higher temperature heat transfer fluid; a heat shield glass (60) situated at a specified area on the outermost surface (10); a spherical lens (70) mounted on a lens mounting structure (71) above the heat shield glass (60); a reflector (22) situated in line with the heat shield glass (60) & the spherical lens (70); a pump assembly to circulate heat transfer fluid; and a solar tracker assembly (80).

9. The solar collector as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the reflective material is selected from metals having high melting point.

10. The solar collector as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the lens mounting structure is configured to arrange the spherical lens (70) at a distance from the reflector (22) equivalent to a focal length of the spherical lens (70).

11. The solar collector as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the spherical lens (70) is selected from biconvex lens, fresnel lens and such.

12. The solar collector as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the heat shield glass (60) is selected from toughened high temperature glass

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