TROUGH COLLECTOR FOR A SOLAR POWER PLANT

• US 20110100355A1
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Airlight Energy IP SA
• Original Assignee: Airlight Energy Holding SA
• Inventors: Pedretti, Andrea
• Application Number:
  US12/991,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20110100355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/607
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2030/14 Movement guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/74 with trough-shaped or cylindro-parabolic reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 30/425 Horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 40/85 Arrangements for protecting solar collectors against adverse weather conditions F24S40/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking

Abstract

The invention relates to a trough collector (1) for a solar power plant, comprising a mount (34) carrying a supporting structure (30), means disposed on the supporting structure (30) for providing heat originating from incident solar radiation, and a pivot device (40) that is fixed to the supporting structure (30) and is used to pivot the supporting structure (30) with respect to the mount (34), wherein the centroidal axis (36) of the supporting structure (30) equipped with the means for providing the heat is located outside the pivot axis of the supporting structure (30), and wherein the pivot device (40) is configured such that the centroidal axis (39) of the fully equipped supporting structure (30) is located in the region of a fixed pivot axis (35). In this way, a cost-effective, and zero-backlash pivot drive for the trough collector is obtained.

Claims

1. A trough collector for a solar power plant comprising:

an arrangement for supplying heat originating from solar radiation, which is tiltable for alignment with respect to a position of the sun;

means for tiltable mounting of the arrangement

wherein a tilt axis of the arrangement is arranged substantially in a fixed position and lies in an area of a line of gravity (39, 89) of the tiltable arrangement;

a circular-arc-shaped section above which the arrangement rests operationally for a rolling motion on stationary pedestals;

wherein a centre of curvature of the circular-arc-shaped section lies in the area of the line of gravity of the trough solar collector; and

wherein the rotation axis of the trough solar collector is arranged in a fixed position and coincides with its line of gravity.

2. The trough collector according to claim 1, wherein:

the means comprise at least one stationary pedestal with respect to a subsurface on which the arrangement rests for a rolling motion;

wherein a single pedestal is located vertically under the line of gravity; and

a plurality of pedestals are arranged under said line and symmetrically to said line.

4. The trough collector according to claim 1, wherein:

the arrangement comprises longitudinal supports between which a concentrator is located; and

wherein at least one bearing rim is connected at one end to respectively one longitudinal support in such a manner that the longitudinal supports and the concentrator are rollable about the rotation axis by means of a movement of the at least one bearing rim.

5. The trough collector according to claim 4, wherein:

the supporting structure of the arrangement for supplying heat in which the concentrator is located has a modular structure; and

wherein the modules have substantially the same structure, comprising two opposed longitudinal supports for receiving the concentrator and a bearing rim which is located perpendicularly to this and wherein each bearing rim is assigned at least one pedestal.

8. The trough collector according to claim 5, wherein the rotation axis lies underneath the operationally spanned concentrator.

11. The trough collector according to claim 1, wherein the means for supplying heat comprise a pressure cell which contains the concentrator and wherein the pressure cell is clamped between longitudinal supports which are components of the arrangement for supplying heat.

12. The trough collector according to claim 1, wherein the line of gravity of the completely equipped arrangement runs at a distance from the rotation axis, at the most so far that the tilting forces of a predetermined wind action acting on the supporting structure hold the arrangement in equilibrium with respect to the tilt axis.

13. The trough collector according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement comprises means to change the forces acting thereon as a result of a wind action.

3. (canceled)

6-7. -7. (canceled)

9-10. -10. (canceled)

14-15. -15. (canceled)