Concentrating photovoltaic solar panel

• US 8,242,350 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suncore Photovoltaics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Suncore Photovoltaics, Inc.
• Inventors: Cashion, Steven A., Bowser, Michael R., Farrelly, Mark B., Hines, Braden E., Holmes, Howard C., Johnson, Richard L. Jr., Russell, Richard J., Turk, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ridley, Basia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pillay, Devina
• Application Number:
  US12/454,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20100018570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 136/246, 136/251, 136/259, 126/600, 126/684
• US Class Current: 136/246
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/30 with lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 30/455 Horizontal primary axis
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/052 Cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. integrated Peltier elements for active cooling or heat sinks directly associated with the PV cells cooling means in combination with the PV module H02S40/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0543 comprising light concentrating means of the refractive type, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0547 comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators

Abstract

The present invention relates to photovoltaic power systems, photovoltaic concentrator modules, and related methods. In particular, the present invention features concentrator modules having interior points of attachment for an articulating mechanism and/or an articulating mechanism that has a unique arrangement of chassis members so as to isolate bending, etc. from being transferred among the chassis members. The present invention also features adjustable solar panel mounting features and/or mounting features with two or more degrees of freedom. The present invention also features a mechanical fastener for secondary optics in a concentrator module.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic power system optimized for more power and less area comprising:

a plurality of photovoltaic concentrator modules packed tightly in a two dimensional array in a manner to maximize reception of incident sunlight for each photovoltaic concentrator module with minimum shadow cast from other photovoltaic concentrator modules, and wherein each photovoltaic concentrator module comprises a main body portion having;

a base,

a plurality of side walls connected to the base, wherein the base and the plurality of side walls define an interior region of the main body portion,

two cavities on the side walls that extend into the interior region, wherein each cavity has an attachment point,

a tip articulating mechanism including one or more gooseneck members coupled to the attachment point in each cavity such that the tip articulating mechanism can articulate the photovoltaic concentrator module about a first axis that is substantially parallel to longest dimension of the photovoltaic concentrator module, wherein the tip articulating mechanism, the cavities and the attachment points are configured to minimize shadows cast from the incident sunlight on the other photovoltaic concentrator modules, and

one or more apertures located opposite the base, each aperture comprising a plurality of lenses positioned in said each aperture in a manner such that each lens is capable of directing incident light to a focus on a solar cell within the interior region of the main body portion; and

a tilt articulating mechanism configured to articulate the plurality of photovoltaic concentrator modules about a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis, so that the plurality of photovoltaic concentrator modules are aligned with the sun and track the sun during the course of a day so that the incident sunlight is directly focused on a respective solar cell by a respective lens, wherein the tilt articulating mechanism comprises a chassis, and a mounting plate coupled to the chassis via a movable joint configured to permit the mounting plate to move relative to the chassis in a manner to accommodate a plurality of mounting locations, wherein the one or more gooseneck members mate to the mounting plate at a pivot via the movable joint, and wherein the movable joint allows for a desirable range of articulation around the first axis with respect to the mounting plate to minimize shadows cast from the incident sunlight on the other photovoltaic concentrator modules.

2. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the main body portion comprises an integrated molded plastic material.

3. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the main body portion comprises one or more material selected from the group consisting of epoxy, sheet molding compound (SMC), and bulk molding compound (BMC).

4. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein each photovoltaic concentrator module further comprises a heat sink assembly on an exterior surface of the main body portion, the heat sink assembly comprising a heat sink and one or more structural braces positioned over the one or more apertures such that the one or more structural braces allow incident light to pass to the one or more apertures, and wherein the one or more structural braces contact outer surface of the main body portion in a structurally supporting manner.

5. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the tip articulating mechanism comprises at least three chassis members positioned adjacent to the base, wherein a first chassis member is physically coupled to one of the attachment points in a first cavity, a second chassis member is physically coupled to the other attachment point in a second cavity, and at least a third chassis member is physically coupled to the first and second chassis members in a manner to minimize shadows cast from the incident sunlight on the other photovoltaic concentrator modules.

6. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the tilt articulating mechanism further comprises a cylindrical member positioned between the chassis and the mounting plate and having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is rigidly coupled to the chassis and the second end is movably coupled to the mounting plate via the movable joint.

7. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the movable joint is a spherical bearing.

8. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the main body portion further comprises one or more vent ports located in the interior region, and wherein at least one of the vent ports comprises a semi-permeable membrane that is permeable to gas such that the interior region can stabilize with the surrounding atmosphere.

9. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the one or more side walls of the main body portion of at least one photovoltaic concentrator module further comprises one or more mounting features for mounting a sun sensor.

10. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of photovoltaic concentrator modules is six photovoltaic concentrator modules.

11. The photovoltaic power system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lenses comprise an “

m”

by “

n”

array of lenses, wherein m and n are integers, m>

1, n>

1, and m is not equal to n.