11500 results about "Sunlight" patented technology

A solar energy-operated street-lamp device is disclosed. The solar energy-operated street-lamp device is characterized in that the solar energy-operated device includes a solar energy-operated absorption board, a circuit board and a storage battery that is mounted within a post seat of the lamp-post. The power stored in the storage battery will be delivered to an LED via circuit board to provide illumination. The solar energy absorption board and the transparent protective hood are of arc-shape so that the sunlight can be converged onto the solar energy absorption board and at the same time, dust particles and birds' excrement or fallen leaves will not be collected on the surface of the hood surface.

An ECU executes a program including a step of detecting a present location using a GPS system (S1000); a step of reading out data of a geographical map proximate to the present location (S1010) and presenting in the geographical map charging installations including a charging installation employing solar light, together with the location of its vehicle (S1020); a step of, if a presentation switching request is made (YES in S1030) and a real-time solar radiation correction request is made (YES in S1050), detecting a solar radiation amount (S1060) and correcting a charge amount per unit time provided by the power generation installation employing solar light, based on the detected solar radiation amount (S1070); and a step of detecting an SOC in the battery to calculate an amount of discharge done until arrival at the charging installation (S1080, S1090), calculating time required for charging up to a fully charged state (S1100), and presenting the time required for charging in the geographical map (S1200).

The invention is an energy efficient, thermochromic device for windows that allows sunlight or solar radiation into a building or structure when the ambient temperature is low and substantially blocks solar radiation when the ambient temperature is high, especially when sunlight is directly on the window. Additionally, the invention is a thermochromic device useful as variable transmission shutters for use in lenses or filters.

A high transmission and low iron glass is provided for use in a solar cell. The glass substrate may be patterned on at least one surface thereof. Antimony (Sb) is used in the glass to improve stability of the solar performance of the glass upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and/or sunlight. The combination of low iron content, antimony, and/or the patterning of the glass substrate results in a substrate with high visible transmission and excellent light refracting characteristics.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device which has a wide viewing angle and less color-shift depending on an angle at which a display screen is seen and can display an image favorably recognized both outdoors in sunlight and dark indoors (or outdoors at night). The liquid crystal display device includes a first portion where display is performed by transmission of light and a second portion where display is performed by reflection of light. Further, a liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal molecule which rotates parallel to an electrode plane when a potential difference is generated between two electrodes of a liquid crystal element provided below the liquid crystal layer.

Solar panels and assembled arrays thereof include a collection of relatively compact, high-capacity power units. Optical components of each power unit include a front window or surface glazing, a primary mirror, secondary mirror and receiver assembly. Primary and secondary mirrors are defined by respective perimeters, at least a portion of which may be substantially coplanar and in contact with the front window. Some primary mirrors are configured with a perimeter of alternating full and truncated sections, and are curved to a base portion forming a pilot hole therein. Receiver assembly mechanical components include an alignment tube for mating with the primary mirror's pilot hole and for housing a photovoltaic solar cell. A base plate provided adjacent to the alignment tube serves to radiate heat emitted by the solar cell, and in some embodiments an additional heat sink provides further passive cooling. A tapered optical rod also provided within the receiver assembly directs received sunlight to the solar cell where electrical current is generated.

A photovoltaic (PV) module 10 assembled by automated processes. PV module 10 comprises solar cells electrically connected in a linear string 24. Encapsulant 26 surrounds solar cell string 24. Dielectric 30 is positioned between solar cell string 24 and a layer of encapsulant 26′. A glass layer is placed atop encapsulant 26. A terminal bar 19 is in electrical continuity with the electrical output of the solar cell at each end of solar cell string 24. Circuit connector 20 is in electrical continuity with terminal bar 19 and is used for electrical connection of one module to another in the field. Solar cell string 24 is mounted in a box-like structure comprised of an upper pan 14 and lower pan 16. Lower pan 16 defines a conduit for the flow of air beneath solar cell string 24. Module 10 is rotatably mountable in sunlight tracking array 100.

The invention provides low solar reflectance, low-emissivity coatings. The invention also provides a pane bearing a low solar reflectance, low-emissivity coating. Further, the invention provides an insulating glass unit comprising first and second panes held in a spaced-apart configuration, wherein the panes have confronting inner surfaces oriented toward a between-pane space and opposed outer surfaces oriented away from the between-pane space, and wherein one of these inner surfaces bears a low solar reflectance, low-emissivity coating. Also provided are methods of producing coated substrates.

A solar energy collector suitable for use in a solar energy collection system that tracks movements of the sun along at least one axis may have a plurality of reflector panels, a support structure that supports the reflector panels in a manner that defines a pair of adjacent reflector troughs, each trough having a base, a pair of reflective side walls and a trough aperture suitable for receiving incident sunlight during operation of the solar energy collection system, a frame that is coupled to the support structure near the bases of the troughs to define a closed reflector support truss framework in cooperation with the support structure, wherein the reflector support truss framework is positioned behind the reflector troughs such that the reflector support truss framework does not shadow the reflector panels during normal operation of the solar energy collector, and a plurality of solar receivers.

An automatic daylighting method adjusts a window covering to block direct sunlight from entering the room through a window when the exterior sky condition is a sunny sky state and, subject to blocking direct sunlight, provides a desired daylighting interior light illuminance level and, if possible, a desired interior solar heat gain through the window. To prevent window covering oscillation, a delay may be used when the sky condition changes from a sunny to overcast state. The covering control may be based on various factors including interior light illuminance entering the window, a room heating or to cooling mode, whether the room is occupied by people, whether occupants have manually operated an adjustable window covering, and the exterior sky condition. The method may also detect an interior temperature level, e.g., to determine a heating or cooling mode of the room.

A tandem cell or photoelectrochemical system for the cleavage of water to hydrogen and oxygen by visible light has two superimposed photocells, both cells being connected electrically. The photoactive material in the top cell is a semiconducting oxide placed in contact with an aqueous solution. This semiconducting oxide absorbs the blue and green part of the solar emission spectrum of a light source or light sources and generates with the energy collected oxygen and protons from water. The not absorbed yellow and red light transmits the top cell and enters a second photocell, the bottom cell, which is mounted, in the direction of the light behind, preferably directly behind the top cell. The bottom cell includes a dye-sensitized mesoporous photovoltaic film. The bottom cell converts the yellow, red and near infrared portion of the sunlight to drive the reduction of the protons, which are produced in the top cell during the photo catalytic water oxidation process, to hydrogen.

A method is provided to produce biodiesel from algae using a two-stage, autotrophic and heterotrophic cultivations of chlorella for biodiesel production. This method includes a sequence of procedures: cultivating photoautotrophic algae, concentrating cells and then transferring them to a fermentor for heterotrophic cultivation. During the photoautotrophic cultivation stage, the culture is exposed to a light source, such as sunlight with carbon dioxide obtained from a carbon dioxide source or from air. antibacterial agents may be added to prevent contamination from undesired microorganisms. Organic carbons are added during heterotrophic cultivation stage. Fermentation conditions are optimized for maximizing lipid synthesis. High biomass is achieved to about 108 g/L with lipid content reaching about 52% of dry cell weight. After cultivation, biodiesel is made through extraction and transesterification of algae lipids.

A tandem sun visor and display are combined for providing shading and transparent driving prompt image in a vehicle to the operator in control. The sun visor comprises an opaque and elongated sun visor member horizontally mounted about two pivot axes above the operator in the vehicle to block the direct sunlight from the upper front or upper side of the operator, a transparent LCD display that doubles as an electronic sun visor and a swivel mount for pivotally positioning the LCD display in front of the vehicle driver. The shade can be tuned so that the operator can see the environment as well as GPS map, messages or vehicle operational data.

An array of solar powered photovoltaic modules is optimally oriented and operated to provide more electrical energy for uses such as powering an electrolyzer system for hydrogen production. The array is positioned with its light receiving surface at an optimal angle, preferably a continually changing angle determined by two-axis solar tracking, when continually measured solar irradiance indicates suitable sunlight, and at a horizontal position when measured solar irradiance indicates excessive atmospheric cloudiness.

This invention provides an infrared illuminator and camera system for imaging of auto vehicle license plates. The system works in ambient light conditions, ranging from bright sunlight, to dim light, to dark, to zero ambient light. It yields high-contrast imaging of the letters and numbers on retro-reflective license plates. The images of the license letter and number combinations can be read manually by a remote operator. They can be converted to text format with optical character recognition computer hardware and software. The text data can then be compared to data files listing license numbers to provide further data about the owner of a licensed vehicle. A decision can be made quickly about whether to allow a vehicle to proceed through a gate, or whether to take other action. The system uses a mono camera that is enhanced for infrared sensitivity and combined with a high power infrared illuminator to maximize range at night, and with shutter speeds set up to capture clear license plate pictures even with fast moving vehicles and even with their headlights on and interfering with human observation of the license plates. Optical filtering to pass infrared in the range of the illuminator and to reduce light outside this range, combines with a lens set up, to avoid vertical smear and sensor overload caused by headlights at night and by highlight reflected glare from the sun in daytime.

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 suntracking system for a central receiver solar power plant includes a heliostat field for reflecting sunlight to a receiver, cameras directed toward at least a subset of the heliostats, and a controller. The cameras are configured to produce images of sunlight reflected from multiple heliostats. The heliostats include a mirrored surface having a settable orientation and have a geometry modeled by a set of parameters. A method of estimating heliostat parameters for open-loop suntracking includes acquiring pointing samples by setting the direction of reflection of the heliostats and detecting concurrent sunlight reflections into the cameras. The method uses the acquired pointing samples and surveyed locations of the cameras to estimate the heliostat parameters. The method accurately maintains the sun's reflection directed toward the receiver open-loop utilizing the estimated tracking parameters.

To eliminate the drawbacks of false alarm problems due to mimic flame features of sunlight or moonlight reflecting on wave or mimic flame features of fabrics, animals or stage flames and alarm failures of methanol or ethanol burning flames or flames under a high illumination background condition, a multi-wavelength video image fire detecting system is disclosed consisting of a multi-wavelength video image fire detector, which is comprised of a color and near IR dual-mode camera, a color and B/W dual-mode camera, an image capture module, a processor and controller, an I/O module, a housing and a visible light and near IR view window, an alarm and indicate equipment, a setting and debugging system, a communication equipment, an area alarm and monitor system, and a pan & title and control system.

The invention relates to A-D-A conjugated molecules by taking hepta-condensed ring units as cores and oligomerized five-membered aromatic rings as bridging units, wherein the tail ends are electron withdrawing units, a preparation method for the A-D-A conjugated molecules and an application of the molecules as active layer electron donors or electron acceptor materials in organic solar batteries (OPV). The A-D-A conjugated molecules based on hepta-condensed ring units can be processed by a solution method, have a proper energy level and have a relatively good sunlight capturing ability and heat stability, so that the molecules are an ideal material for the electron donors or electron acceptors in the organic solar batteries. The molecules have the structure as shown in the formula.

The invention relates to an A-D-A conjugated molecule with dithiophene indacene as a core, and oligomerizing pentatomic aromatic heterocyclic rings as a bridging unit and electron withdrawing unit at the end, a preparation method thereof and an application of the molecule, as an active-layer electron donor or electron receptor material, in an organic solar battery. The A-D-A conjugated molecule can be processed by a solution method, has proper energy level, strong sunlight trapping capability and thermal stability, is an ideal material of the electron donor or the electron receptor in the organic solar battery, and has the following general-formula structure shown in the specification.

The invention discloses a photovoltaic power generator capable of obtaining electric power from a solar cell at the maximum efficiency all the time, even under an uneven sunshine condition. The photovoltaic power generator 10 includes: a plurality of solar cell bodies SC1, SC2, ... formed by connecting the solar cells in series or in series-parallel connection; and a plurality of charge transfer circuits T1, T2, ... which are set for each solar cell body one by one and whose input terminals are connected with the anode and cathode of each solar cell body and output terminals are connected with a loading side in parallel. Each charge transfer circuit comprises: a plurality of capacitors C2-C8 which cumulate the output of the solar cell bodies in a form of charges; a plurality of semiconductor switching member SW1a~, SW2a~, SW3a~, SW4a~, SW5a~, SW6, SW7; a tracking control member M1 for a maximal power of the solar cell bodies; and an output controlling member M2 for transferring the charges cumulated in the capacitors to the loading side, so as to enable the output voltage Vox to be tracked approximately equal to a terminal voltage Vo of the loading side.

A two-axis solar tracker is capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions. The solar tracker includes a solar array, a frame, a base, a pivot frame, and a first and second actuator. The solar array is mounted to the frame and captures sunlight. The base is pivotally connected to the frame and defines a pivot axis for elevational movement of the solar array. The pivot frame is also pivotally connected to the frame and defines a pivot axis for azimuthal movement of the solar array. The first actuator controls elevational movement of the solar array and the second actuator controls azimuthal movement of the solar array. The solar tracker is pivotable between a raised position and a stowed position.

Exemplary optical communication devices are described which, in certain embodiments, derive power optically from and communicate optically to a reading device. The communication devices may also receive data from modulated light from the reading device to achieve a bi-directional optical communication link between the self-powered optical communication device and the reading device. In some embodiments, the communication device is powered by ambient light, such as sunlight, captures data from a sensor, and communicates the stored data some time later to a reading device. In some embodiments, the communication device is powered locally and communicates through air, optical fiber, or other medium with another communication device.

A load control system for a building having a heating and cooling system and a window located in a space of the building is operable to control a motorized window treatment in response to a demand response command in order to attempt to reduce the power consumption of the heating and cooling system. When the window may be receiving direct sunlight, the motorized window treatment closes a fabric covering the window when the heating and cooling system is cooling the building, and opens the fabric when the heating and cooling system is heating the building. In addition, when the space is unoccupied and the heating and cooling system is heating the building, the motorized window treatment may open the fabric if the window may be receiving direct sunlight, and may close the fabric if the window may not be receiving direct sunlight.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for improving the performance of a luminescent concentrator. Performance may be enhanced by incorporating a reflector capable of blocking re-emitted photons from the luminescent material used to make frequency down conversion with a narrow reflection band, while allowing broad transmission of incident sunlight. The reflection band of the reflector that spectrally matches to the bandwidth of re-emission from the luminescent material acts as a luminescence cavity to prevent the outgoing re-emission that cannot be waveguided by total internal reflection to the photovoltaic device(s) located at the side edges of the concentrator. Further embodiments include using inorganic phosphors specifically as luminescent materials

A concentrator solar photovoltaic power generating apparatus including a primary optics for concentrating sunlight, a solar cell, a columnar optical member which is vertically disposed above the solar cell so that a bottom end surface of the columnar optical member is opposed to the solar cell, and which is used for guiding the sunlight which is concentrated by the primary optics to the solar cell, a transparent resin member which is interposed between the bottom end surface of the columnar optical member and the solar cell, comprises a shielding member for shielding the transparent resin member from sunlight.

This process is unique in photosynthetic carbon sequestration. An on-site biological sequestration system directly decreases the concentration of carbon-containing compounds in the emissions of fossil generation units. In this process, photosynthetic microbes are attached to a growth surface arranged in a containment chamber that is lit by solar photons. A harvesting system ensures maximum organism growth and rate of CO2 uptake. Soluble carbon and nitrogen concentrations delivered to the cyanobacteria are enhanced, further increasing growth rate and carbon utilization.

A flat-plate lighting device comprising a lamp body and a lamp post; the lamp body related to a flat-plate frame having on its top disposed with a sheet matrix-like arrangement of a solar moudle, and on its inner-bottom connected to a light emitting area and a accommodation area with the lighting emitting area comprised of one or a plurality of lighting unit of LED and the accommodation area being related to a thicker box; the box contains a solar cell and a circuit board, the circuit board converts the sunlight energy from the solar moudle into electric energy and stored in the solar cell; the power is supplied to the lighting unit once a electro-optical sensor detects insufficient ambient luminance; and a power monitor circuit is added to the circuit board.

A beam radiator that radiates visible light beams having a predetermined wavelength onto a road surface to inform drivers of other vehicles of the existence of a self-owned vehicle or to let a driver of the self-owned vehicle confirm a traveling path thereof is disposed in a front portion of a body of the self-owned vehicle. An optical filter is disposed substantially all over a windshield in front of a driver seat. The filter is designed to have a characteristic of being more permeable to light having wavelengths close to a wavelength of visible light beams radiated from the beam radiator 24 than to light having a wavelength different from those wavelengths. In this construction, the driver is prevented from finding it difficult to visually recognize a visible light pattern resulting from visible light beams radiated from the self-owned vehicle or another vehicle owing to sunlight or the like, and visual recognizability of the visible light pattern is enhanced.

A compact solar concentrator photovoltaic module assembly includes a plurality of rear contact solar cells configured in a matrix array on a substrate. The substrate is comprised of conductors laminated to an insulator sheet to form a receiver sheet. A lens sheet on which many lenses have been formed is disposed in a fixed spaced relation to the substrate and operates to focus sunlight onto the active surfaces of the PV cells. The overall thickness of the concentrator module is less than four inches thick. The receiver sheet may be assembled using standard, surface mount printed circuit board assembly techniques. The receiver sheet may have a secondary optical element and may also serve as part of the encapsulant for environmental protection.