SUNLIGHT COLLECTION SYSTEM WITH LIGHTGUIDE HAVING SOLID AND FLUID COMPONENTS

摘要

The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses and opposing concave focusing mirrors and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The transparent sheet contains small angled mirrors, where each angled mirror corresponds to a particular set of the lenses/focusing mirrors and is in the focal plane. The lightguide also includes a fluid surrounding the transparent sheet, and lower index cladding layers sandwich the fluid. The sheet is translated within the fluid by an actuator to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an edge of the lightguide for extraction to a light transmission system or to a PV system. A position sensor on the sheet provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.

主权项

1. An optical system comprising:
an array of refractive lenses for receiving external light; an array of focusing mirrors, wherein each mirror is paired with one of the lenses, and wherein the light entering the lenses is focused by the associated mirrors on a focal plane between the lenses and the mirrors; a lightguide between the lenses and mirrors, the lightguide comprising a movable transparent solid sheet containing reflective elements having a tilted reflective surface, the reflective elements being in a focal plane of the light focused by the mirrors, wherein light from the focusing mirrors reflecting off the reflective elements is redirected to at least a first light extraction edge of the lightguide; and a transparent fluid substantially surrounding the sheet within a cavity, wherein the sheet is movable within the fluid, and with respect to the fluid, to position the reflective elements in a desired alignment with focal spots of light within the focal plane to control an amount of light emitted through the first light extraction edge of the lightguide.