CONCENTRATING SOLAR PANEL WITH INTEGRATED TRACKER

摘要

The present invention is an integrated sun tracking and concentrating solar panel that uses compact optical elements to track the sun and concentrate its sunlight to one or more energy conversion devices that are collocated on the solar panel. The invention eliminates the need for large mechanical solar trackers while also substantially increasing the efficiency of land use for arrays of solar panels.

主权项

1. A device for collecting optical radiation, comprising:
(a) at least one receiver; (b) at least one aggregator, said aggregator comprising a volume; (c) at least one impedor, said at least one impedor comprising a region of low refractive index compared to the refractive index of said aggregator, wherein said at least one impedor surrounds said at least one aggregator; (d) a plurality of injectors; (e) a plurality of deflectors; and (f) a tracker in combination with tracking control signals, said tracking control signals provided either from the sun or from an external electronic controller, so that said deflectors obtain optical radiation that is correctly oriented for optical processing, whereby optical radiation from a remote moving source of optical radiation is tracked by said tracker and subsequently focused by said plurality of deflectors onto said plurality of injectors, which redirect, as needed, said optical radiation into said volume of said at least one aggregator so that the output of optical radiation from each of said injectors propagates, adds and concentrates within said at least one aggregator towards said at least one receivor.