Apparatus and method for harnessing heat energy

• US 7,718,887 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tara Investments, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tara Investments, LLC
• Inventors: Hulen, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michener; Jennifer K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mowla; Golam
• Application Number:
  US11/010,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20060054209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 136/205, 136/206, 136/210, 136/253, 136/290, 136/246, 180/2.1, 180/2.2, 180/167, 521/731, 310/300, 310303-306, 606/411, 606/418, 606/411.5
• US Class Current: 136/206
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/00 Electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/00 Power lines or rails specially adapted for electrically-propelled vehicles of special types, e.g. suspension tramway, ropeway, underground railway
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/043 the engine being operated by expansion and contraction of a mass of working gas which is heated and cooled in one of a plurality of constantly communicating expansible chambers, e.g. Stirling cycle type engines
• 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 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/29 Testing, calibrating, treating, e.g. aging

Abstract

Apparatus and method for harnessing heat energy uses at least one thermally conductive material in communication with a heat collecting material in order to conduct heat from a first region of the heat collecting material to a second region of the heat collecting material. The thermally conductive material can be interspersed within the heat collecting material and/or applied externally to the heat collecting material. Heat drawn from the second portion can be stored and/or converted into another form of energy for providing power to a structure or vehicle. Conversion can use the differential between the temperature of the second region and the temperature of a cold sink. Additional heat can be added to the heat collecting material.

Claims

1. A system for harnessing incident solar heat energy for use by a heat receptor that transfers or converts the heat energy for a structure or vehicle, the system comprising:

a roadway or parking lot surfaced with a heat collecting paving material that collects incident solar heat energy;

a heat conductive conduit, in communication with the heat collecting paving material, for conveying heat energy from the roadway or parking lot to the heat receptor; and

at least one thermally conductive material interspersed through at least a portion of the heat collecting paving material for conducting heat from the relatively lower thermal conductivity heat collecting paving material to the heat conductive conduit.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermally conductive material includes at least one of:

thermally conductive rods;

thermally conductive wires;

thermally conductive shavings;

thermally conductive particles;

thermally conductive pipes;

thermally conductive film or tape;

thermally conductive wire mesh or screen;

pipes carrying thermally conductive liquid; and

pipes carrying thermally conductive gas.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive material is interspersed within the heat collecting material.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the thermally conductive material is interspersed substantially throughout the heat collecting material.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein the thermally conductive material is interspersed through a portion of the heat collecting material.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the thermally conductive material forms a layer within the heat collecting material.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the heat collecting material forms a first layer and wherein the thermally conductive material forms a second layer adjacent to the heat collecting material layer.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the thermally conductive layer sits atop the heat collecting material layer.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the thermally conductive layer transmits visible light but substantially prevents heat from escaping through the thermally conductive layer.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein the thermally conductive layer sits below the heat collecting material layer.

11. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for increasing thermal flow near the conduit.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the density and combination of thermally conductive materials is increased near the conduit in order to increase thermal flow near the conduit.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the heat collecting material forms a first layer and a second layer and wherein the thermally conductive material forms a third layer between the first and second layers.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the heat collecting material layers further includes at least one thermally conductive material.

15. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a thermal insulating material for reducing heat loss from the heat collecting material.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit includes a busbar.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein the heat receptor is adapted to convert the heat to another form of energy for providing power to a structure or vehicle.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the structure includes a power supply to feed into a main power grid.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein the heat receptor derives power from a temperature differential.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the heat receptor includes one of a Stirling cycle engine and a Brayton cycle engine.

21. A system according to claim 19, further comprising a cold sink to aid in establishing the temperature differential.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the cold sink includes at least one of relatively constant temperature subterranean earth, a radiator system, a water system, ice, and liquid phases of a gas.

23. A system according to claim 21, wherein the cold sink includes at least one of:

subterranean pipes that circulate a fluid;

wires;

rods; and

pipes.

24. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for adding heat to the heat collecting material.

25. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing heat obtained from the paving material.

26. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a top layer, covering at least a portion of the roadway or parking lot, that transmits visible light to the paving material but substantially prevents heat from escaping from the top layer.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein the top layer comprises one of glass and silica.

28. A system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit includes a pipe carrying a thermally conductive fluid.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein the fluid is one of a liquid and a gas.

30. A system according to claim 28, wherein the pipe carries a recirculating flow of fluid.

31. A system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is near the side of the roadway or parking lot.

32. A system according to claim 1, wherein the paving material comprises asphalt.

33. A method for harnessing incident solar heat energy for use by a heat receptor that transfers or converts the heat energy for a structure or vehicle, the method comprising:

surfacing a roadway or parking lot with a heat collecting paving material that collects incident solar heat energy, the heat collecting paving material including at least one thermally conductive material interspersed through at least a portion of the heat collecting paving material; and

placing a heat conductive conduit in communication with the heat collecting paving material for conveying heat energy from the roadway or parking lot to the heat receptor, wherein the at least one thermally conductive material conducts heat from the relatively lower thermal conductivity heat collecting paving material to the heat conductive conduit.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the at least one thermally conductive material includes at least one of:

thermally conductive rods;

thermally conductive wires;

thermally conductive shavings;

thermally conductive particles;

thermally conductive pipes;

thermally conductive film or tape;

thermally conductive wire mesh or screen;

pipes carrying thermally conductive liquid; and

pipes carrying thermally conductive gas.

35. A method according to claim 33, wherein at least one thermally conductive material is interspersed within the heat collecting material.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein the thermally conductive material is interspersed substantially throughout the heat collecting material.

37. A method according to claim 35, wherein the thermally conductive material is interspersed through a portion of the heat collecting material.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein the thermally conductive material forms a layer within the heat collecting material.

39. A method according to claim 33, wherein the heat collecting material forms a first layer and wherein the thermally conductive material forms a second layer adjacent to the heat collecting material layer.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the thermally conductive layer sits atop the heat collecting material layer.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the thermally conductive layer transmits visible light but substantially prevents heat from escaping through the thermally conductive layer.

42. A method according to claim 39, wherein the thermally conductive layer sits below the heat collecting material layer.

43. A method according to claim 33, wherein the at least one thermally conductive material is arranged to increase thermal flow near the conduit.

44. A method according to claim 33, wherein at least one of the density and combination of thermally conductive materials is increased near the conduit in order to increase thermal flow near the conduit.

45. A method according to claim 33, wherein the heat collecting material forms a first layer and a second layer and wherein the thermally conductive material forms a third layer between the first and second layers.

46. A method according to claim 45, wherein at least one of the heat collecting material layers further includes at least one thermally conductive material.

47. A method according to claim 33, further comprising:

applying a thermal insulating material for reducing heat loss from the heat collecting material.

48. A method according to claim 33, wherein the conduit includes a busbar.

49. A method according to claim 33,

wherein the heat receptor is adapted to convert the heat to another form of energy for providing power to a structure or vehicle.

50. A method according to claim 49, wherein the structure includes a power supply to feed into a main power grid.

51. A method according to claim 49, wherein

the heat receptor derives power from a temperature differential.

52. A method according to claim 51, wherein the heat receptor includes one of a Stirling cycle engine and a Brayton cycle engine.

53. A method according to claim 51, further comprising:

using a cold sink to aid in establishing the temperature differential.

54. A method according to claim 53, wherein the cold sink includes at least one of relatively constant temperature subterranean earth, a radiator system, a water system, ice, and liquid phases of a gas.

55. A method according to claim 53, wherein the cold sink includes at least one of:

subterranean pipes that circulate a fluid;

wires;

rods; and

pipes.

56. A method according to claim 33, further comprising:

adding heat to the heat collecting material.

57. A method according to claim 33, further comprising:

storing heat obtained from the paving material.

58. A method according to claim 33, further comprising covering at least a portion of the roadway or parking lot with a top layer that transmits visible light to the paving material but substantially prevents heat from escaping through the top layer.

59. A method according to claim 58, wherein the top layer comprises one of glass and silica.

60. A method according to claim 33, wherein the conduit includes a pipe carrying a thermally conductive fluid.

61. A method according to claim 60, wherein the fluid is one of a liquid and a gas.

62. A method according to claim 60, wherein the pipe carries a recirculating flow of fluid.

63. A method according to claim 33, wherein the conduit is near the side of the roadway or parking lot.

64. A method according to claim 33, wherein the paving material comprises asphalt.