Liquid-cooled sealed enclosure for concentrator solar cell and secondary lens
First Claim
1. In a solar concentrator wherein there is a cell with a front and a rear and wherein the concentrator has a primary lens spaced away from the front of said solar cell for converging the sun'"'"'s rays toward the front of said solar cell, a cell-holder enclosure comprising:
- a transparent secondary lens having an axis,said secondary lens having a convex front surface concentric with said axis and having a truncated conical rear surface concentric with said axis,said conical rear surface converging rearwardly and terminating in a generally flat bottom surface extending perpendicular to said axis,a base member of heat-resistant electrically insulating material having a forward wall defining an axially concentric socket therein,said base member being externally on said forward wall threaded concentric with said axis,said base member having a bottom surface with an internally threaded mounting hole concentric with said axis,said mounting hole communicating with said socket and with said bottom surface of the base member,a heat sink formed of metal of good thermal conductivity having a forwardly projecting pedestal which is externally threaded concentric with said axis,said pedestal screwing into said mounting hole and said pedestal having a heat-sink seat on its upper end,a photovoltaic cell,an alignment element having an opening therein for receiving said cell,said alignment element fitting freely but precisely into said socket for aligning the cell with said axis,first and second electrical contact members in electrically conductive relation with the cell and having first and second terminals extending generally radially in different directions,said forward wall having first and second clearance notches communicating with said socket for receiving said radially extending terminals,said cell-holder enclosure including a front housing having a lower end which is internally threaded adapted for screwing onto said externally threaded on said forward wall base member, andsaid front housing encircling said secondary lens and having an inturned front lip gripping said secondary lens near the periphery of said convex front surface for aligning the bottom surface of said secondary lens with the cell and for pressing said bottom surface firmly on the cell or pressing the cell downwardly toward said heat sink seat on the upper end of said pedestal for providing good thermal conductivity from said cell to said heat sink seat, andat least a thin heat resistant insulator between said heat sink seat and said cell.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The sealed enclosure for an electrical power generation solar concentrator holds and protects the photovoltaic cell from ambient conditions and thermal shock, while multiple fingers of front and rear electrical contact terminals accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the cell and minimize mechanical stresses on the cell. This sealed enclosure also holds the secondary lens and protects the internally reflective truncated conical rear surface of the lens. A base member has a socket for receiving the cell and its associated front and rear terminal members together with an insulator alignment disc having an opening receiving the cell and for aligning the cell with the axis of the concentrator. A front housing removably screws onto the base member with an inturned front lip gripping a peripheral flange on the secondary lens, thereby aligning it with the cell and firmly pressing it against the cell front for causing thermal mass and inertial of the lens to moderate temperature changes in the cell. The base member screws onto a pedestal of a finned heat sink of good thermal conductivity fitting into a pre-punched hole in a panel of the concentrator, thus aligning the sealed enclosure with the concentrator axis. The pressure of the secondary lens on the cell causes the cell back to press onto its multiple-fingered rear contact member of good electrical and thermal conductivity which in turn is pressing against a thin electrical insulator in good thermal conductivity with the heat sink pedestal.
132 Citations
11 Claims
-
1. In a solar concentrator wherein there is a cell with a front and a rear and wherein the concentrator has a primary lens spaced away from the front of said solar cell for converging the sun'"'"'s rays toward the front of said solar cell, a cell-holder enclosure comprising:
-
a transparent secondary lens having an axis, said secondary lens having a convex front surface concentric with said axis and having a truncated conical rear surface concentric with said axis, said conical rear surface converging rearwardly and terminating in a generally flat bottom surface extending perpendicular to said axis, a base member of heat-resistant electrically insulating material having a forward wall defining an axially concentric socket therein, said base member being externally on said forward wall threaded concentric with said axis, said base member having a bottom surface with an internally threaded mounting hole concentric with said axis, said mounting hole communicating with said socket and with said bottom surface of the base member, a heat sink formed of metal of good thermal conductivity having a forwardly projecting pedestal which is externally threaded concentric with said axis, said pedestal screwing into said mounting hole and said pedestal having a heat-sink seat on its upper end, a photovoltaic cell, an alignment element having an opening therein for receiving said cell, said alignment element fitting freely but precisely into said socket for aligning the cell with said axis, first and second electrical contact members in electrically conductive relation with the cell and having first and second terminals extending generally radially in different directions, said forward wall having first and second clearance notches communicating with said socket for receiving said radially extending terminals, said cell-holder enclosure including a front housing having a lower end which is internally threaded adapted for screwing onto said externally threaded on said forward wall base member, and said front housing encircling said secondary lens and having an inturned front lip gripping said secondary lens near the periphery of said convex front surface for aligning the bottom surface of said secondary lens with the cell and for pressing said bottom surface firmly on the cell or pressing the cell downwardly toward said heat sink seat on the upper end of said pedestal for providing good thermal conductivity from said cell to said heat sink seat, and at least a thin heat resistant insulator between said heat sink seat and said cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A ce11-holder enclosure holding a photovoltaic cell for use in a solar concentrator having a primary lens spaced away from the front of said solar cell for converging the sun'"'"'s rays toward tne front of said solar cell, said cell-holder enclosure comprising:
-
a transparent secondary lens having an axis, said secondary lens having a convex front surface concentric with said axis and having a truncated conical rear surface concentric with said axis, said conical rear surface converging rearwardly and terminating in a generally flat bottom surface extending perpendicular to said axis, a base member of heat-resistant electrically insulating material having a forward wall defining an axially concentric socket therein, said base member forward wall of said being externally threaded concentric with said axis, said base member having a bottom with an internally threaded mounting hole concentric with said axis, said mounting hole communicating with said socket and with said bottom of the base member, a heat sink formed of metal of good thermal conductivity having a forwardly projecting pedestal which is externally threaded concentric with said axis, said pedestal screwing into said mounting hole and said pedestal having a heat-sink on its upper end, an alignment element having an opening therein having a photovoltaic cell therein, said alignment element fitting freely but precisely into said socket for aligning the cell with said axis, first and second electrical contact members in electrically conductive relation with the cell and having first and second terminals extending generally radially in different directions, said forward wall having first and second clearance notches communicating with said socket for receiving said radially extending terminals, at least a thin heat resistant insulator between heat sink seat and said cell, said cell-holder enclosure including a front housing having a lower end which is internally threaded adapted for screwing onto said externally threaded base member, and said front housing encircling said secondary lens and having an inturned front lip gripping said secondary lens near the periphery of said convex front surface for aligning the bottom surface of said secondary lens with the cell and for pressing said bottom surface firmly on the cell for pressing the cell downwardly toward said thin insulator and heat sink seat on the upper end of said pedestal for providing good thermal conductivity from said cell to said heat sink seat.
-
Specification