SUN POSITION TRACKING

• US 20100000517A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MH Solar Company Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Greenfield Solar Corp.
• Inventors: Zalusky, James Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/495,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20100000517A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/600
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 50/20 for tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7861 Solar tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/32 specially adapted for solar tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Tracking the position of the sun is provided where light from sources other than direct sunlight can be ignored. In particular, lights from various sources can be passed through differently angled polarizers to determine radiation energies from the polarizers. This can indicate whether the original light is polarized or substantially non-polarized, like the sun. Additionally, the light can be passed through a spectral filter to reject light not falling within a spectrum of wavelengths or having weak intensity with respect to direct sunlight. Subsequently, the light can pass through a ball lens and quadrant cell configuration to optimally align a device or apparatus to receive the direct sunlight. Additionally, the size of a focus point of the light through the ball lens and onto the quadrant cell can determine a collimation of the light, which can indicate direct sunlight as well.

Claims

1. A system for tracking the position of the sun to determine optimal positioning for direct sunlight, comprising:

a sunlight tracking component that distinguishes at least one light source as direct sunlight based at least in part on determining a collimation of the light source; and

a positioning component that modifies a position of a device associated with the sunlight tracking component based at least in part on a position of the light source distinguished as direct sunlight.

2. The system of claim 1, the sunlight tracking component comprises a ball lens that receives the light source and reflects the light source onto one or more quadrant cells, the collimation of the light source is determined at least in part by measuring a size of a focus point of the light source reflected on the one or more quadrant cells.

3. The system of claim 2, the positioning component modifies the position of the device based at least in part on a location of the focus point on the one or more quadrant cells.

4. The system of claim 1, the sunlight tracking component further distinguishes the light source as direct sunlight at least in part by measuring a wavelength and a level of polarization of the light source.

5. The system of claim 4, the sunlight tracking component comprises at least one filter that determines an intensity and/or spectrum of the wavelength of the light source based at least in part on rejecting passing of light outside of a range utilized by direct sunlight.

6. The system of claim 4, the sunlight tracking component comprises a plurality of differently angled polarizers that determine the level of polarization of the light source based at least in part on measuring a radiation level of the light source after passing through the each of the plurality of polarizers.

7. The system of claim 6, the measured radiation levels of the light source at each of the plurality of polarizers are similar indicating the level of polarization to distinguish the light source as direct sunlight.

8. The system of claim 4, the sunlight tracking component further distinguishes the light source as direct sunlight based at least in part on determining a lack of substantial modulation.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a clock component from which the position of a device associated with the sunlight tracking component is initially set according to a predicted position of the direct sunlight.

10. A method for determining an optimal position of direct sunlight, comprising:

determining a collimation of a light source at least in part by measuring a focus point of a reflection of the light source through a ball lens;

distinguishing the light source as direct sunlight based at least in part on a size of the focus point; and

determining an optimal position for receiving the direct sunlight based at least in part on a position of the focus point on a quadrant cell.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising aligning one or more solar cells or solar cell panels based at least in part on the determined optimal position for receiving direct sunlight.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining polarization level of the light source to further distinguish the light source as direct sunlight at least in part by measuring radiation levels of the light source through a plurality of differently angled polarizers.

13. The method of claim 12, the polarization level is low where the radiation levels from the plurality of differently angled polarizers are similar.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising allowing passage of light from the light source having a similar wavelength in a range utilized by sunlight through the spectral filter while rejecting passage of light from the light source having a wavelength outside of the range.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising measuring an intensity and/or spectrum of the light from the light source passing through the spectral filter to further distinguish the light source as direct sunlight.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a collimation of a disparate light source at least in part by measuring a disparate focus point of a reflection of the disparate light source through the ball lens.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the disparate light source as diffuse where the size of the disparate focus point is greater than a threshold size.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising and rejecting the disparate light source based at least in part on determining the light source as diffuse.

19. A system for tracking position of the sun, comprising:

means for detecting direct sunlight from one or more light sources based at least in part on a measured collimation of the one or more light sources determined from a size of a focus point of the light source received through a lens; and

means for determining an optimal axial position for receiving the detected direct sunlight based at least on part on a position of the focus point on one or more quadrant cells.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for positioning one or more solar cells or solar cell panels on one or more optimum axes based at least in part on the determined optimal axial position for receiving the detected direct sunlight.