Solar dish concentrator with a molten salt receiver incorporating thermal energy storage

• US 7,299,633 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SolarReserve Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frye, Patrick E, Murphy, Terrence H, Otting, William D
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG M
• Application Number:
  US11/396,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 606/418, 606/411.1, 606/411.5
• US Class Current: 60/641.8
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/20 Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 60/30 storing heat in liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 80/20 Working fluids specially adapted for solar heat collectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

A solar power system capable of storing heat energy and converting sun light to electrical power. The solar power system includes a solar collection system which gathers and transmits concentrated solar energy to an absorber/cavity. The thermal energy is extracted from the absorber/cavity via a fluid and transported to a heat conversion system. The heat conversion system uses the thermal energy to create electricity.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining and storing heat energy from solar energy, comprising:

using a light concentrator to receive and reflect sun light;

using a heat absorber to receive reflected sun light from said light concentrator to heat a cold fluid circulating through said heat absorber;

using a cold fluid storage reservoir to supply said cold fluid to said heat absorber during times that a solar generation condition exists, so that said cold fluid can be heated within said heat absorber to become a hot fluid;

using a hot fluid storage reservoir to store said hot fluid after same has been heated by said heat absorber; and

using a conversion engine to generate electricity from said hot fluid supplied from said hot fluid reservoir during times that a high power demand exist.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a solar sensor in communication with said controller to sense changing solar activity in a vicinity of said light concentrator.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising using said controller to control a pump, wherein the pump is in fluid communication with said cold fluid storage reservoir and operates to pump said cold fluid unidirectionally from said cold fluid storage reservoir to said heat absorber in response to said sensor sensing changing solar conditions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving said light concentrator to track said sun light.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising feeding fluid from said conversion engine to said cold fluid storage reservoir.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a molten salt as said cold fluid.

7. A method for obtaining and storing heat energy from solar energy, comprising:

using a heat absorber to receive reflected and focused sun light to heat a cold fluid circulating through said heat absorber;

using a cold fluid storage reservoir to supply said cold fluid to said heat absorber during times that a solar power generation condition exists, so that said cold fluid can be heated within said heat absorber to become a hot fluid;

using a hot fluid storage reservoir to store said hot fluid after same has been heated by said heat absorber;

using a conversion engine to generate electricity from said hot fluid supplied from said hot fluid storage reservoir, irrespective of whether said cold fluid is being supplied to said heat absorber; and

using a controller to control the application of said cold fluid to said heat absorber in accordance with changing solar conditions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using a light concentrator to reflect and focus said sun light on said heat absorber.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising using said controller to control a pump in fluid communication with said cold fluid storage reservoir to pump said cold fluid unidirectionally into said heat absorber during times of solar activity.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising using said controller to control a pump in fluid communication with said hot fluid storage reservoir to pump said hot fluid unidirectionally into said conversion engine when a predetermined energy demand condition arises.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising using a solar sensor to sense solar activity in a vicinity of said light concentrator.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising using a cooling water system in connection with said conversion engine to remove waste heat from said conversion engine.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising using a plurality of light concentrators arranged in a grid to receive and reflect sun light to said heat absorber.

14. A method for obtaining and storing heat energy from solar energy, comprising:

(A) concentrating solar energy into a heat absorber;

(B) receiving the solar energy at said heat absorber to heat a cold fluid circulating through said heat absorber;

(C) supplying cold fluid to said heat absorber during times of solar activity to heat said cold fluid within said heat absorber to become a hot fluid;

(D) storing said hot fluid after same has been heated by said heat absorber; and

(E) controlling said cold fluid to said heat absorber in response to changing solar conditions, and controlling the flow of said hot fluid to an energy conversion device in response to changing solar conditions.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising using a light concentrator to reflect and focus said solar energy onto said heat absorber.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising feeding fluid from said energy conversion device back to a cold fluid storage reservoir.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising using a plurality of light concentrators arranged in a predetermined pattern to concentrate solar energy onto said heat absorber.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising using a solar activity sensor to sense said changing solar conditions.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (E) further comprises:

(a) selectively communicating cold fluid to said heat absorber from a cold fluid storage reservoir in response to an existing solar power generation condition.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (E) further comprises:

(b) selectively communicating said hot fluid from a hot fluid storage reservoir to said energy conversion device in response to an existing high power demand condition.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (E) further comprises:

(a) selectively communicating cold fluid to said heat absorber from a cold fluid storage reservoir in response to an existing solar power generation condition; and

(b) selectively communicating said hot fluid from a hot fluid storage reservoir to said energy conversion device in response to an existing high power demand condition.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (E) further comprises:

(a) selectively communicating cold fluid to said heat absorber from a cold fluid storage reservoir in response to an existing solar power generation condition, said cold fluid being communicated in only a unidirectional manner; and

(b) selectively communicating said hot fluid from a hot fluid storage reservoir to said energy conversion device in response to an existing high power demand condition, said hot fluid being communicated in only a unidirectional manner.