Solar heating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151512-B1
Application number	US-201715786458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2017
Priority date	Oct 17, 2017
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

The solar heating apparatus has a base box and a main axle mounted on the base box. At least one mirror support arm is mounted orthogonal to the main axle and supports a plurality of mirrors. In a first embodiment, a circular plate on the side of the base box rotates the main axle to bank the mirrors to track azimuth and a belt or chain drive rotates the mirror support arms to track elevation. In a second embodiment, the main axle is a beam mounted on a rotating circular plate on top of the base box to track azimuth and bevel gears drive a belt or chain drive that rotates the mirror support arms to track elevation. In a third embodiment, the mirror support arms are driven to rotate by bevel gears and the main axle through belt or chain drives.

First claim

We claim:

1. A solar heating apparatus, comprising at least one column of solar reflectors having:
a U-shaped base frame having opposing end uprights and a partition wall between the end uprights dividing the base frame into an azimuth drive compartment and an elevation drive compartment;
at least one stanchion;
a two rotational axis coupler mounted on the stanchion, the coupler being elongated and supporting rotation both axially and laterally, orthogonal to the axial rotation;
an elongated main axle supported above and parallel to the ground by the base frame and the stanchion, the main axle having a first end rotationally supported in the azimuth drive compartment by both one of the end uprights and the partition wall, the main axle extending axially into the coupler and being supported for axial rotation thereby, wherein the main axle further comprises a bevel gear support arm extending from the main axle in the azimuth drive compartment;
at least one mirror support arm extending laterally from the coupler and supported for lateral rotation orthogonal to the main axle, the mirror support arm having a plurality of mirrors mounted thereon;
an azimuthal drive mechanism mounted in the azimuth drive compartment and coupled to the main axle, the azimuthal drive mechanism selectively rotating the main axle to bank the mirrors for tracking changes in the sun's azimuth, wherein the azimuthal drive mechanism comprises an azimuth gear box and an endless loop drive mechanism connecting the azimuth gear box and the main axle to drive rotation of the main axle; and
an elevation drive mechanism at least partially mounted in the elevation drive compartment and coupled to the at least one mirror support arm, the elevation drive mechanism selectively rotating the at least one mirror support arm to tilt the mirrors for tracking changes in the sun's elevation, wherein the elevation drive mechanism includes:
an elevation gear box disposed in the elevation drive compartment;
a double drive wheel rotationally disposed above the elevation gear box in the elevation drive compartment; and
a bevel gear assembly for rotating the at least one mirror support arm and tilting the mirrors to track changes in the sun's elevation.

2. The solar heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bevel gear assembly includes:
a spindle having an upper end and a lower end, the spindle being journaled through the bevel gear support arm for rotation therein;
a drive wheel mounted on the lower end of the spindle;
a drive bevel gear mounted on the upper end of the spindle; and
a driven bevel gear meshing with the drive bevel gear;
a driven wheel mounted on said at least one mirror support arm; and
a plurality of endless loop drives, including:
a first loop extending between the elevation gear box and the double drive wheel;
a second loop extending between the double drive wheel and the drive wheel of the bevel gear assembly; and
a third loop extending between the driven bevel gear and the driven wheel mounted on said at least one first mirror support arm;
whereby rotation of the first endless loop by the elevation gear box rotates said at least one mirror support arm, tilting said mirrors to track changes in the sun's elevation.

3. The solar heating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each said endless loop drive comprises a chain drive, each said drive wheel comprising a sprocket wheel.

4. The solar heating apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising: an azimuth tracking motor; an azimuth power transmission shaft extending from the azimuth tracking motor through the azimuth gear box, the azimuth tracking motor selectively activating the azimuth gear box to rotate said main axle and bank said mirrors; an elevation tracking motor; and an elevation power transmission shaft extending through said elevation gear box, the elevation tracking motor selectively activating said elevation gear box to rotate said at least one mirror support arm to tilt said mirrors.

5. The solar heating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one column comprises a plurality of columns, said azimuth power transmission shaft and said elevation power shaft extending through the azimuth gear box and the elevation gear box, respectively, of each said base frame to simultaneously bank and tilt the mirrors in each said column to track changes in the sun's azimuth and elevation.

6. The solar heating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one stanchion comprises a plurality of stanchions, each of the stanchions having a corresponding said two rotational axis coupler, a corresponding said elongated main axle, and a corresponding said at least one mirror support arm mounted thereon on order to define a plurality of rows of mirrors, the apparatus further comprising a series of endless loop drive mechanisms connecting said mirror support arms for tilting the rows of mirrors simultaneously.

Assignees

• Univ King Saud
• Qudra Energy Company

Inventors

• Almotlaq Yousef Abdullah
• Baabbad Mazen Abdullah
• Alansary Hany Abdulrahman
• Al Ammar Essam Abdulaziz

Classifications

• F24S23/70

  with reflectors · CPC title

• F24S50/20

  for tracking · CPC title

• F24S30/452 Primary

  Vertical primary axis · CPC title

• F24S2030/135

  in the form of threaded elements · CPC title

• F24S2030/134

  in the form of gearings or rack-and-pinion transmissions · CPC title