Power Beam Splitting for PV Receiver Heat and Energy Loss
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote power beaming systems suffer from inefficiencies due to high-flux power beams being wasted on non-PV cell structures, leading to reduced electrical power generation and increased waste heat.
Innovation Solution
The use of optical structures, such as lenslets and reflective surfaces, to split and redirect high-intensity power beams directly onto PV cells, minimizing energy loss on non-PV components and enhancing energy conversion efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a high-flux power beam is delivered to the receiver without beam splitting, then the structural materials and non-PV components absorb significant energy, but this results in reduced electrical power generation and increased waste heat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the incoming high-flux power beam into multiple separate beams using an optical structure composed of multiple lenslets or reflective surfaces. Each segmented beam is directed onto a separate PV cell, ensuring that energy is distributed to active conversion elements rather than being wasted on non-PV components. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by improving energy conversion efficiency while managing the optical structure complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical structure is designed with different local properties - certain regions contain lenslets or reflective surfaces optimized for beam splitting, while other regions are configured for direct illumination. This local quality differentiation allows the system to direct energy precisely where it is needed (on PV cells) while minimizing waste heat generation on non-PV components, thereby improving overall energy conversion efficiency without requiring uniformly complex structures throughout.
2Temperature
If the power beam is concentrated on a single PV cell array, then energy conversion is simplified, but this causes thermal management issues and reduced efficiency due to heat accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the concentrated power beam into multiple separate beams that illuminate multiple PV cells distributed across the receiver. This segmentation distributes the thermal load across multiple cells rather than concentrating it on a single array, effectively managing temperature and preventing heat accumulation while maintaining or improving overall electrical power generation through the combined output of multiple cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical structure spreads the power beam across a two-dimensional array of PV cells rather than concentrating it on a single location. This dimensional distribution transforms the thermal management problem from a localized hot spot issue into a distributed thermal load that can be more effectively managed across the receiver surface, improving both temperature control and overall productivity.
3Loss of energy
If lenslets are used to shape and homogenize the beam, then beam uniformity is improved, but this approach does not effectively direct energy onto PV cells and results in energy waste on structural materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an array of lenslets to segment the incoming power beam into multiple sub-beams, each directed onto a separate PV cell. This segmentation simultaneously achieves beam shaping and energy direction - the lenslets create uniform beamlets while precisely directing them onto active PV components. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating energy waste on structural materials while maintaining beam shaping capability through the modular lenslet array design.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical structure performs multiple functions simultaneously: it shapes the beam for uniformity, segments it into directed beamlets, and positions them onto PV cells. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate beam shaping and energy directing systems, reducing energy waste on non-PV components while maintaining operational simplicity through an integrated design.
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 approach significantly increases the fraction of energy converted to electrical power by the PV cells while reducing waste heat, improving overall system efficiency and thermal management.
Implementation Method 1
lenslets are arranged to shape light from the high-energy beam
Implementation Method 2
The use of optical structures, such as lenslets and reflective surfaces, to split and redirect high-intensity power beams
Implementation Method 3
converting a high-intensity power beam into electricity
Data Source
AI summary
A remote power system includes a remote power transmitter arranged to output a high-flux power beam and a remote power receiver arranged to receive the high-flux power beam. The receiver has a plurality of photo-voltaic (PV) cells mounted to generate electrical power from energy in the high-flux power beam, at least one non-PV structure adjacent to each PV cell, and a plurality of structures to steer flux toward selected ones of the plurality of PV cells and away from selected ones of the at least one non-PV structure.