Collimating solar radiation collector

摘要

This invention describes an improved solar energy collector which passively concentrates the rays of the sun. The collector comprises a transparent cover which collimates incident rays of light and directs such collimated sunlight towards an absorbing target wherein the radiation's energy is received and utilized. The transparent collector cover consists of a lamination of transparent plastic or glass elements. Sunlight incident on the cover over a range of angles is reflected internally between the sides of the elements. These elements are so shaped that internal reflections result in the sunlight becoming collimated. Specifically, the elements are curved so that the horizontal distance between the sides of adjacent elements remains constant whereas the length of a normal between the sides increases along the path of incident light. The effect of these apparently diverging surfaces is to cause each subsequent internal reflection at a particular internal surface to occur at a successively lower angle of incidence, thus tending to collimate the light's rays. The resulting collimated rays are then reflected upon leaving the bottom of the collector cover in such a way that they are directed towards the absorbing target.