IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0622764
(2009-11-20)
|
등록번호 |
US-8304644
(2012-11-06)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Wares, Brian
- Barsun, Stephan
- Dinwoodie, Tom
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
41 |
초록
▼
A photovoltaic device comprising an array of elongate reflector elements mounted substantially parallel to one another and transversely spaced in series, at least one of the reflector elements having an elongate concave reflective surface to reflect incident solar radiation towards a forward adjacen
A photovoltaic device comprising an array of elongate reflector elements mounted substantially parallel to one another and transversely spaced in series, at least one of the reflector elements having an elongate concave reflective surface to reflect incident solar radiation towards a forward adjacent reflector element in the array. The at least one reflector element includes a photovoltaic assembly which is removably and replaceably mounted on the reflector element. The photovoltaic assembly includes a photovoltaic receptor to receive reflected solar radiation from a rearward adjacent reflector element. The photovoltaic assembly also includes a heat sink in heat transfer relationship with the photovoltaic receptor, thermally isolating the photovoltaic receptor, at least partially, from the reflector element.
대표청구항
▼
1. A photovoltaic device comprising: an array of elongate reflector elements mounted substantially parallel to one another and transversely spaced in series, at least one of the reflector elements having an elongate concave reflective surface disposed towards a forward adjacent reflector element in
1. A photovoltaic device comprising: an array of elongate reflector elements mounted substantially parallel to one another and transversely spaced in series, at least one of the reflector elements having an elongate concave reflective surface disposed towards a forward adjacent reflector element in the array; anda photovoltaic assembly mounted on an associated one of the reflector elements, the photovoltaic assembly comprising: a mounting arrangement in engagement with the associated reflector element such that the photovoltaic assembly is removably and replaceably mounted on the associated reflector element;a photovoltaic receptor connected to the mounting arrangement to receive reflected solar radiation from a rearward adjacent reflector element; anda heat sink in heat transfer relationship with the photovoltaic receptor, thermally isolating the photovoltaic receptor, at least partially, from the associated reflector element. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic receptor is spaced from the associated reflector element, providing a convection gap between the associated reflector element and the photovoltaic receptor, the heat sink being located, at least partially, in the convection gap. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the photovoltaic receptor is mounted adjacent an operatively upper edge of the associated reflector element. 4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the heat sink comprises a set of cooling fins which are substantially parallel to one another and are transversely spaced in series along a length of the reflector element, the cooling fins lying in respective planes transverse to the length of the reflector element. 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the photovoltaic receptor is an elongate photovoltaic strip, the photovoltaic assembly including an elongate holder engaged with the photovoltaic strip, the photovoltaic assembly further including a thermal expansion arrangement. 6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the holder comprises a series of holder sections longitudinally aligned and arranged end-to-end in series along the length of the photovoltaic strip, adjacent ends of neighboring holder sections spaced by an expansion gap. 7. The device according to claim 6, wherein two or more of the holder sections are fast with a plurality of the cooling fins, the cooling fins being anchored at their proximal ends to a base and the two or more holder sections respectively connected to distal ends of the associated cooling fins. 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reflector element comprises a plate member of plate metal, an operatively upper face of the plate member providing the reflective surface and an operatively lower face of the plate member, the reflector element further comprising a mounting bracket connected to an operatively lower face of the plate member, the photovoltaic assembly being mounted on the mounting bracket. 9. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the reflector elements has a secondary optic device directing solar radiation reflected from a rearward adjacent reflector element to the associated photovoltaic receptor. 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the secondary optic device comprises at least one secondary reflector fast with the associated reflector element. 11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the photovoltaic receptor extends longitudinally along the associated reflector element, the secondary optic device including secondary reflectors bordering the photovoltaic receptor and extending along opposite sides of the photovoltaic receptor. 12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the secondary optic device forms part of the removable and replaceable photovoltaic assembly. 13. An assembly comprising: a mounting arrangement to removably and replaceably mount the assembly on a reflector element forming part of an array of elongate reflector elements mounted substantially parallel to one another and transversely spaced in series, at least one of the reflector elements having an elongate concave reflective surface to reflect solar radiation on to a photovoltaic receptor mounted on an adjacent reflector element in the array;a photovoltaic receptor fast with the mounting arrangement; anda heat sink in heat transfer relationship with the photovoltaic receptor, thermally isolating the photovoltaic receptor, at least partially, from the mounting arrangement. 14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the mounting arrangement includes a snapfit formation engageable with a complementary snapfit formation on the reflector element. 15. The assembly according to claim 13, further comprising a secondary optic device oriented to direct solar radiation to the photovoltaic receptor. 16. A method of converting solar radiation to electrical power, the method comprising: removably and replaceably mounting a photovoltaic assembly on a reflector element in an array of substantially parallel transversely spaced reflector elements, the photovoltaic assembly comprising: a mounting arrangement engageable with the reflector element to mount the photovoltaic assembly thereon;a photovoltaic receptor; anda heat sink in heat transfer relationship with the photovoltaic receptor;reflecting sunlight on to the photovoltaic receptor by use of an elongate concave reflective surface forming part of an adjacent reflector element in the array; andcooling the photovoltaic receptor by use of the heat sink forming part of the photovoltaic assembly, the heat sink at least partially isolating the photovoltaic receptor thermally from the reflector element. 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising removing the photovoltaic assembly from the reflector element and mounting a replacement photovoltaic assembly on the reflector element. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the photovoltaic assembly includes a photovoltaic receptor holder which holds the photovoltaic receptor, the method further comprising, after removing the photovoltaic assembly from the reflector element, removing the photovoltaic receptor from the photovoltaic receptor holder, and engaging a replacement photovoltaic receptor with the photovoltaic receptor holder. 19. A photovoltaic device comprising: an array of elongate reflector elements mounted substantially parallel to one another and transversely spaced in series, at least one of the reflector elements having an elongate concave reflective surface disposed towards a concentrating zone located above the reflective surface; anda photovoltaic assembly mounted on a supporting member, the photovoltaic assembly including a photovoltaic receptor held by the supporting member in the concentrating zone, and a heat sink in heat transfer relationship with the photovoltaic receptor, at least partially isolating the photovoltaic receptor thermally from the supporting member.
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