638 results about "Solar power system" patented technology

An electronic system which includes a power delivery surface that delivers electrical power to an electrical or electronic device. The power delivery surface may be powered by any electrical power source, including, but not limited to: wall electrical outlet, solar power system, battery, vehicle cigarette lighter system, direct connection to electrical generator device, and any other electrical power source. The power delivery surface delivers power to the electronic device wirelessly. The power delivery surface may deliver power via a plurality of contacts on the electrical device conducting electricity from the power delivery surface, conductively coupling the electronic device to the power delivery surface, inductively coupling the electronic device to the power delivery surface, optically coupling the electronic device to the power delivery surface, and acoustically coupling the electronic device to the power delivery surface as well as any other electrical power delivery mechanism.

Solar power systems and structures are mountable to a power distribution structure, e.g. a power pole or tower, which supports alternating current (AC) power transmission lines. An exemplary power generation structure is fixedly attached to and extends from the power distribution structure, and comprises a mounting rack. A solar array, comprising at least one solar panel, is affixed to the mounting rack. A DC to AC invertor is connected between the DC outputs of the solar array and the AC power transmission lines. The length of the solar array is generally in alignment with the power distribution structure, and the width of the solar array is greater than half the is circumference of the power distribution structure. The mounting rack and solar array may preferably be rotatable, such as based on any of location, time of day, or available light.

A tracking solar power system is disclosed. The tracking solar power system includes: a solar power substructure and a platform having a first degree of freedom. The solar power substructure is mounted on the platform in a manner such that it has a second degree of freedom relative to the platform. The solar power substructure may include a solar collector and a receiver arranged to receive energy from the solar collector. The receiver may be mounted in a manner that avoids shading of the solar collector during operation. The solar collector may have an area focus at the receiver. The solar power substructure may include a non-concentrating solar power substructure.

A solar-powered power generation system and an associated method are provided. The system includes at least one trough solar absorption device for heating a heat transfer fluid to a first temperature, and at least one tower solar absorption device for further heating the transfer fluid to a second temperature. Thus, the generation system can efficiently heat the transfer fluid to high temperatures. Subsequently, the heated fluid can be used, e.g., to generate steam and/or electricity.

Methods and apparatus may provide for the adaptive operation of a solar power system (3). Solar energy sources (1) and photovoltaic DC-DC power converters (2) may be interconnected in serial, parallel, or combined arrangements. DC photo-voltaic power conversion may be accomplished utilizing dynamically adjustable voltage output limits (8) of photovoltaic DC-DC power converters (2). A photovoltaic DC-DC power converter (2) may include at least one external state data interface (7) receptive to at least one external state parameter of a solar power system (3). A dynamically adjustable voltage output limit control (12) may be used to relationally set a dynamically adjustable voltage output limit (8) of a photovoltaic DC-DC power converter (2). Dynamically adjusting voltage output limits (8) may be done in relation to external state parameter information to achieve desired system results.

An integrated solar power system that provides electricity to external electrical devices has a trafficable surface formed from a plurality of roadway panels arranged with respect to each other. Each roadway panel has a solar energy collector, a layer of translucent and protective material covering the solar energy collector, the material being sufficiently translucent to allow passage of light therethrough for absorption of light by said solar energy collector and sufficiently protective to withstand the loads and the impact of pedestrian and vehicular traffic and having a sufficient coefficient of friction to allow passage thereon of pedestrians and vehicles without slippage, and an electrical conductor for extracting electrical power from the solar energy collector. Each roadway panel may be modularly connected to others. The roadway panel provides solar energy to at least one external electrical device or solar power storage member.

A system for generating electrical power from solar radiation utilizing a III-V compound multijunction semiconductor solar cell; a concentrator for focusing sunlight on the solar cell, including a concave trough-shaped reflector; and a heat spreader connected to the solar cell for cooling the cell.

A solar power system capable of storing heat energy and converting sun light to electrical power. The solar power system includes a solar collection system which gathers and transmits concentrated solar energy to an absorber/cavity. The thermal energy is extracted from the absorber/cavity via a fluid and transported to a heat conversion system. The heat conversion system uses the thermal energy to create electricity.

A method of providing reactive power support is proposed. The method includes detecting at least one of a plurality of network parameters in a distributed solar power generation system. The generation system includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules coupled to a grid via inverters. The method further includes sensing a state of the photovoltaic modules coupled to the distributed solar power generation system and determining a reactive power measure based upon the sensed state and the detected network parameters. The reactive power measure is used to generate a reactive power command. The reactive power command is further used to compensate reactive power in the distributed solar power generation system.

An outdoor shading device includes a supporting frame, a shading awning supported by the supporting frame to define a shading area underneath the shading awning, and a solar power system. The solar power system includes a solar collecting unit having a solar collecting surface overlapped on the shading awning for solar energy collection, and a power storage supported at the supporting frame to electrically connect to the solar collecting unit, wherein when the shading awning is orientated for providing shade from the sun, the solar collecting surface of the solar collecting unit is aligned with the direction of the sun to maximize the solar energy collection, such that after the solar energy is collected, the solar collecting unit converts the solar energy into electrical energy and stored in the power storage.

The invention provides systems and methods for integrating central receiver solar power systems with existing infrastructure to form multi-purpose structures. The invention also provides arranging heliostats to accommodate shadowing effects. Additionally, improved systems and methods for solar tracking are provided. Such improved solar tracking may enable the heliostats to more accurately reflect sunlight to a central receiver.

A thermal collection system has a first tank for storing relatively hot working fluid and a second tank for storing relatively cold working fluid. A heat exchanger is connected for receiving the relatively hot working fluid from the first tank for providing heat to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger discharges the working fluid at a lower temperature than a temperature of the relatively hot working fluid of the first tank. A solar panel collector is connected for receiving the lower temperature working fluid from the heat exchanger and for heating the lower temperature working fluid and feeding same to a first control valve. The first control valve is operative for feeding working fluid from the solar collector selectively to one of the first tank and the second tank. The second tank has a second control valve selectively operative for permitting working fluid from the second tank to flow to the solar collector. Improved collection efficiencies in the solar collector may be obtained using the two tank structure for passing working fluid through the solar collector.

A solar power system can include a rail and a solar module disposed on the rail. A clamp assembly can couple the solar module to the rail. The clamp assembly can have a clamped configuration in which the solar module is secured to the rail and an unclamped configuration. The clamp assembly can comprise an upper clamp member, a lower clamp member coupled to the rail, and a stabilization member mechanically engaging the upper clamp member and the lower clamp member. The stabilization member can prevent rotation of the lower clamp member relative to the rail when the clamp assembly is in the clamped and unclamped configurations. In the unclamped configuration, the stabilization member can be biased such that the upper clamp member is disposed at a sufficient clearance above the rail to permit the insertion of the solar module between the upper clamp member and the rail.

A maximum power point tracking system, named flash supercapacitor-solar power device, and method for a solar power system, which mainly adds a pulse-power supercapacitor for being operated in a dynamic equilibrium are disclosed. The duty ratio D is changed and the voltage variance of the supercapacitor is observed to determine the next adjusting direction of the duty ratio D of the DC/DC converter. In the present invention, only a voltage value of the supercapacitor is needed to be monitored and no current-detection is needed. The output power of the solar power system can be actually estimated. The maximum power is traced in an oscillatory way. Therefore, the operation process of the perturbation and observation method, which is generally implemented currently, is simplified. By utilizing the steady-state equilibrium of the supercapacitor, only the voltage of the supercapacitor needs to be detected, and there is no need to measure and calculate the voltage and current values. The system is simple and easily accessible, which is a maximum power point tracking system and method with high efficiency for a solar power system.

A transportable, self-contained, solar power system comprised of a plurality of individual solar power arrays, each array being contained within a transportable frame. Each array is folded into a frame during transportation. Upon reaching a desired location, the frame is positioned at a desired location. The frame then acts as a base while its solar power array is activated and deployed. The array has the capability of tracking the position of the sun during deployment. Each frame has a global positioning system (GPS) and a controller containing a chart of sun locations for a given location. The controller positions a frame's solar array to maximize the array's exposure to the sun. Each frame has a battery system, enabling a frame's solar array to self-start after a period of darkness.

This invention relates to a low temperature solar thermal power system, which combines the solar hot water collectors with the organic Rankine cycle system using the low critical temperature hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) or hydrocarbons (HC) working fluid for converting solar energy to electrical energy. This invention also relates to systems and methodology for conversion of low temperature thermal energy, wherever obtained, to electrical energy using the low critical temperature hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) or hydrocarbons (HC) working fluid for organic Rankine cycle system to drive an electrical generator or do other work in a cost effective way.

A portable solar power system, comprises a plurality of photovoltaic solar panels; storage batteries for storing energy generated by the photovoltaic solar panels; a charger operably connected to the photovoltaic solar panels for charging the storage batteries; a plurality of inverters operably connected to the respective photovoltaic solar panels for generating an AC output for connection to an outlet for feeding into an electric grid; and a switching circuit for automatically disconnecting the photovoltaic solar panels from the inverters and connecting the photovoltaic solar panels to the charger when power in the electric grid is down.

A solar power system is disclosed. The solar power system includes: a solar energy receiving solar collector; a reflective secondary optical element comprising one or more sheets, wherein the one or more sheets are arranged to form a hollow structure having an interior surface, an exterior surface, an entry aperture, and an exit aperture, such that at least a portion of the interior of the hollow structure is reflective and wherein the hollow structure is positioned to receive energy from the solar collector through the entry aperture, reflect the energy from the interior surface of the hollow structure, and output the reflected energy through the exit aperture; and a receiver positioned to receive the reflected energy from the exit aperture. The energy from the solar collector is reflected and thereby directed through the exit aperture to the receiver by the reflective secondary optical element.

The invention discloses a maximum power tracking method for a solar energy power supply system and the solar energy power supply unit thereof, relating to solar power generation technical field. And the method tracks the maximum power of the solar energy system by dynamic balancing. According to the method, it adds in intelligent charging-discharing mechanism to form an intelligent coordination solar energy device, comprising at least a solar panel, super capacitor, DC/DC buck-boost converter, pulse width modulation driver, storage battery, logic controller and load; and the method is characterized in that an instant power type super capacitor is connected between the solar panel and the DC/DC buck-boost converter to act as an energy dynamic balancer; it converts the electric energy produced by the solar panel into capacitor type electric energy to make the maximum power calculation, able to largely simplify calculation program, improving tracking calculation real-timeness and reliability and raising solar energy system efficiency. And the invention can be widely applied to solar LED lamps, and solar energy lamps, especially solar energy street lamps, solar traffic signal lamps, solar energy engineering lamps, etc.

The invention provides a system and method for analyzing and classifying the losses of a photovoltaic array. The system and method compares expected power output and to actual power output and can determine a photovoltaic string, combiner, or inverter is generating less power than expected due to at least one of snow cover, soiling, and inverter clipping. The system and method can then determine an amount of power lost during a period of time the photovoltaic string, combiner, or inverter is experiencing snow cover, soiling, or inverter clipping and determine a value of the amount of power lost during the period of time. Various user interfaces enable a user to view one or more reasons why a PV string, combiner or inverter is generating less power than expected and the value of the amount of power lost.

A solar power system for supplying concentrated solar energy. The system includes a cylindrical absorber tube carrying the working fluid and a concentrator assembly, which includes an array of linear lenses such as Fresnel lenses. The concentrator assembly includes a planar optical wafer paired with each of the linear lenses to direct light, which the lenses focus on a first edge of the wafers, onto the collector via a second or output edge of the wafers. Each of the optical wafers is formed from a light transmissive material and acts as a light “pipe.” The lens array is spaced apart a distance from the first edges of the optical wafers. This distance or lens array height is periodically adjusted to account for seasonal changes in the Sun's position, such that the focal point of each linear lens remains upon the first edge of one of the optical wafers yearlong.

The invention discloses a multipurpose solar energy power generating system. Solar energy battery board assemblies are mutually connected in series or in parallel to form a photovoltaic array; the multipurpose solar energy power generating system is connected to a power grid by a grid-connected inverter module; the grid-connected inverter module comprises a grid-connected inverter unit, a maximumpower point tracking control unit and a power grid state detecting unit, wherein the power grid state detecting unit can detect power grid operation state in real time and cuts off the connection of the grid-connected inverter module and the power grid when the power grid operation state is abnormal so as to prevent islanding; the grid-connected inverter module is also connected with an intelligent charger in parallel on the connection end with the power grid and is connected to a storage battery by the intelligent charger so as to charge the storage battery; the intelligent charger is also connected with an off-grid inverter in parallel on the connection end with the storage battery; and the off-grid inverter is used for supplying electricity for AC load. The solar energy power generatingsystem can be suitable for grid-connected power generation of various normal and abnormal situations on the power grid and has strong system robustness and fault tolerance.