Concave Mirror Solar Collector With PV-Thermal Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solar concentration technologies face challenges such as high land usage, mechanical stress, manufacturing costs, shading zones, and inefficiencies in converting solar flux into usable energy, particularly in solar point collectors, which require a quantum leap in performance rather than marginal improvements.
Innovation Solution
A solar collector system combining a thermal collector with a photovoltaic panel, using non-flat, concave mirrors to focus solar radiation onto a manifold, allowing for synergistic energy conversion and efficient heat transfer, with the photovoltaic panel's active surface located at the focal point to maximize energy capture and reduce land usage and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional solar point collectors use flat mirrors to concentrate solar radiation, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the energy conversion efficiency remains insufficient and shading zones are created
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curved mirrors with specific radii of curvature (R1 and R2) to focus solar radiation more effectively onto the photovoltaic panel. The curved surface geometry enables better concentration of sunlight compared to flat mirrors, increasing energy conversion efficiency while avoiding the creation of shading zones through optimized focal point positioning.
2Productivity
If solar collectors use large surface areas to capture sufficient solar radiation, then energy production increases, but land usage and mechanical stress on structures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters by using curved mirrors with specific radii (R1 for the first mirror, R2 for the second mirror) to achieve higher concentration ratios. This allows the system to produce the same or greater energy output with a smaller collector area, thereby reducing land usage and mechanical stress on supporting structures.
3Power
If photovoltaic panels are exposed directly to high intensity solar radiation to maximize electrical energy production, then electrical energy output increases, but thermal management becomes problematic and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a curved mirror system as an intermediary optical element that controls and distributes solar radiation onto the photovoltaic panel. The mirrors focus sunlight from a larger area onto the panel surface, maximizing electrical energy capture while the distributed focal pattern prevents excessive localized heating, thereby improving thermal management.
4Device complexity
If conventional collectors use simple flat mirror configurations, then device complexity is reduced, but shading zones are created and energy concentration is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical concentration function into two stages using two separate curved mirrors. The first mirror (with radius R1) performs initial concentration, and the second mirror (with radius R2) performs secondary concentration. This segmented approach achieves high energy concentration ratios while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure that can be easily installed and maintained.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly enhances energy efficiency, reduces land and manufacturing costs, eliminates shading issues, and achieves a quantum leap in energy conversion by focusing solar radiation on a small, thermally insulated surface, optimizing both thermal and electrical energy production.
Implementation Method 1
a first solar concentration means (2) of the type set of mirrors, said to be 'solar point' which concentrates the solar radiation (R) on a 'collector' (C)
Implementation Method 2
non-flat, concave mirrors to focus solar radiation onto a manifold
Implementation Method 3
a means (5) for recovering solar energy in the form electrical energy or electric collector (totally preferably, one or more photovoltaic panels)
Implementation Method 4
a 'thermal collector' (3) where a heat transfer fluid (4) circulates
Implementation Method 5
the heat (TH) of solar origin and greatly increased by 'intrinsic' heating of the photovoltaic material in the electric collector (5) is dissipated to the maximum (arrows TH --→) in the thermal collector (3)
Implementation Method 6
focusing solar radiation on a small, thermally insulated surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4a~4
AI summary
The collector has concave mirrors (6) oriented to focus thermal radiation towards a solar collector (C). The solar collector includes a thermal collector in synergistic combination with an electrical collector (5) formed from a photovoltaic panel, where a heat transfer fluid circulates in the thermal collector, and heat resulting from direct exposure to the sun and from the intrinsic heating of the panel is dissipated to the thermal collector. An active surface of the solar collector is located at a focal point of concentration of the solar radiation. An independent claim is also included for a solar collector.