Solar redshift systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9560812-B2
Application number	US-201214232467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2012
Priority date	Jul 29, 2011
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

Solar-redshift systems comprise an integral array of redshift modules, each having at least a focusing device, a target, and a quantum-dot vessel. The quantum-dot vessel contains quantum dots that emit light having an emission wavelength. The focusing device directs incident solar radiation through a focusing gap and toward the quantum-dot vessel, or into a slab waveguide and then toward the quantum-dot vessel, causing the quantum dots to emit redshifted light having the emission wavelength. The redshifted light is directed to the target, examples of which include a photovoltaic material or a living photosynthetic organism. The target has increased sensitivity or response to photons having the wavelength of the redshifted light. A trapping reflector component of the quantum-dot vessel prevents loss of redshifted light to the environment outside the solar-redshift system and allows undesirable infrared light to be removed from the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A redshift system comprising:
a collecting target comprising a target wavelength;
a quantum dot vessel comprising quantum dots disposed therein, the quantum dots emitting redshifted light comprising the target wavelength in response to being irradiated by electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength different than the target wavelength;
a waveguide interposed between the collecting target and the quantum dot vessel; and
a focusing device configured to focus the electromagnetic radiation comprising the wavelength different than the target wavelength on an edge of the waveguide;
wherein the collecting target, the waveguide, and the quantum dot vessel are arranged in a parallel-plate configuration; and
wherein the waveguide comprises a frustrating surface configured to scatter the focused electromagnetic radiation within the waveguide toward the quantum dot vessel and permit redshifted light emitted by the quantum dot vessel to pass through the waveguide toward the collecting target.

2. The redshift system of claim 1 , wherein the quantum dot vessel comprises a first quantum dot vessel and a second quantum dot vessel, the collecting target is positioned between the first quantum dot vessel and the second quantum dot vessel, and the waveguide comprises a first waveguide interposed between the collecting target and the first quantum dot vessel and a second waveguide interposed between the collecting target and the second quantum dot vessel.

3. The redshift system of claim 1 , wherein the quantum dot vessel comprises a sealed cavity defined between a first plate and a second plate.

4. The redshift system of claim 1 , wherein the quantum dot vessel comprises a trapping reflector that reflects a portion of the redshifted light emitted by the quantum dots toward the collecting target and transmits infrared light from the electromagnetic radiation in a direction away from the collecting target.

5. The redshift module of claim 4 , wherein the trapping reflector is configured to transmit in the direction away from the collecting target at least 50% of infrared light comprising a wavelength of from 700 nm to 1 mm.

6. The redshift system of claim 1 , wherein the focusing device comprises a fresnel lens or an array of converging lenses.

7. The redshift system of claim 1 , further comprising an azimuthal focus adjustment mechanism that changes a focal distance of the focusing device from the edge of the waveguide.

8. The redshift system of claim 7 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises incident solar radiation, the edge of the waveguide comprises a sun-facing edge that is aligned from east to west, and changing the focal distance of the focusing device with the azimuthal focus adjustment mechanism over the course of a day maintains focus of the incident solar radiation on the sun-facing edge of the waveguide.

9. The redshift system of claim 1 , further comprising an elevational adjustment mechanism that adjusts an elevational angle of the redshift system over the course of a year.

10. The redshift system of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is configured to trap the focused electromagnetic radiation by total internal reflection, and the frustrating surface of the waveguide comprises scattering features configured to scatter the focused solar radiation within the waveguide toward the quantum dot vessel.

11. The redshift system of claim 1 , further comprising an infrared-radiation absorber, wherein the quantum dot vessel is interposed between the waveguide and the infrared-radiation absorber, and the collecting target, the waveguide, the quantum dot vessel, and the infrared-radiation absorber are arranged in the parallel-plate configuration.

12. The redshift system of claim 11 , wherein the infrared-radiation absorber comprises a photovoltaic plate comprising a photovoltaic material.

13. The redshift module of claim 1 , wherein the collecting target comprises a growth vessel for containing a living photosynthetic organism, and the target wavelength comprises a wavelength of increased photosynthetic response of the living photosynthetic organism.

14. The redshift module of claim 13 , wherein the living photosynthetic organism comprises algae.

15. The redshift system of claim 13 , wherein the living photosynthetic organism is selected from the group consisting of green algae, cyanobacteria, Synechocystis sp., and Chlorella vulgaris.

16. The redshift system of claim 1 , wherein the collecting target comprises a photovoltaic plate.

17. A redshift system comprising:
a collecting target comprising a target wavelength;
an infrared-radiation absorber;
a waveguide interposed between the collecting target and the infrared-radiation absorber;
a focusing device configured to focus electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength different than the target wavelength on an edge of the waveguide; and
a quantum dot vessel interposed between the waveguide and the infrared-radiation absorber and comprising quantum dots disposed therein, the quantum dots emitting redshifted light comprising the target wavelength in response to being irradiated by the electromagnetic radiation comprising the wavelength different than the target wavelength;
wherein the collecting target, the infrared-radiation absorber, the waveguide, and the quantum dot vessel are arranged in a parallel-plate configuration; and
wherein the waveguide comprises a frustrating surface configured to scatter the focused electromagnetic radiation within the waveguide toward the quantum dot vessel and permit redshifted light emitted by the quantum dot vessel to pass through the waveguide toward the collecting target, and the quantum dot vessel comprises a trapping reflector that reflects a portion of the redshifted light emitted by the quantum dots toward the collecting target and transmits infrared light from the electromagnetic radiation toward the infrared-radiation absorber.

18. A redshift module comprising:
a first collecting target and a second collecting target, the first collecting target and the second collecting target comprising a target wavelength;
a quantum dot vessel comprising quantum dots disposed therein, the quantum dots emitting redshifted light comprising the target wavelength in response to being irradiated by electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength different than the target wavelength; and
a focusing device configured to focus the electromagnetic radiation through a focusing gap and toward the quantum-dot vessel, the focusing gap defined between a first edge of the first collecting target and a second edge of the second collecting target;
wherein the first collecting target and the second collecting target are each positioned between the focusing device and the quantum-dot vessel, and the focusing device, the quantum-dot vessel, the first collecting target and the second collecting target are arranged such that the electromagnetic radiation focused through the focusing gap strikes the quantum-dot vessel without first striking the first collecting target and the second collecting target.

19. A redshift module comprising:
a collecting target comprising a target wavelength;
a first quantum-dot vessel and a second quantum-dot vessel comprising quantum dots disposed therein, the quantum dots emitting redshifted light comprising the target wavelength in response to being irradiated by electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength different than the target wavelength; and
a focusing device configured to focus the electromagnetic rad

Assignees

• Orsley Timothy James
• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Orsley Timothy James

Classifications

• A01G33/00

  Cultivation of seaweed {or algae} · CPC title

• C12M31/04

  Mirrors · CPC title

• C12M21/02

  Photobioreactors (culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12) · CPC title

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• G02B5/208

  for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation · CPC title