Aerodynamic solar pods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9705021-B2
Application number	US-201414527878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A solar pod system, comprising of an oval transparent enclosure. The oval transparent enclosure encapsulates a circular paraboloidal reflector mounted on solar cell. The solar cell extends over the circular parabolic reflector to place the focus of the paraboloidal reflector on the solar cell, whereby the solar cell receives light reflected by the circular parabolic reflector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar pod system, comprising:
a tower having a first elevation layer at a first height and a second elevation layer at a second height;
a plurality of solar pods coupled to the tower, the solar pods comprising:
an oval transparent enclosure, the oval transparent enclosure having one symmetrical latitudinal axis with a transparent surface with rounded edges and having a first end having a first end circumference and second end with a second end circumference, the first end circumference having a larger size than the second end circumference;
one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors coupled to and encapsulated by the oval transparent enclosure, the one or more paraboloidal reflectors contained within an interior chamber of the oval transparent enclosure;
one or more solar cells coupled to the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors, the one or more solar cells extending over at least a portion of the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors to place the focus of the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors on the one or more solar cells, the one or more solar cells receiving light reflected by the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors;

wherein a size characteristic associated with the first end circumference and the second end circumference of each of the plurality of solar pods is inversely related to the height of the elevation layer to which each of the plurality of solar pods is coupled.

2. The solar pod system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fan;
metallic leads coupled to the fan and further coupled to the one or more solar cells, the metallic leads operable to conduct electric current generated by the one or more solar cells to the fan;
one or more swivel assemblies coupled to the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors; and
one or more mounting assemblies coupled to the bottom of the one or more swivel assemblies.

3. The solar pod system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more of solar cell comprises one or more;
a high concentration photovoltaic cell;
a concentrated photovoltaic cell; and
wherein the cell is a III-V multijunction solar cell.

4. The solar pod system of claim 2 , wherein the fan exhausts the air from within the interior chamber of the oval transparent enclosure for cooling the solar cell.

5. The solar pod system of claim 2 , wherein the fan pressurizes the interior chamber of the oval transparent enclosure by blowing air from the outside into the oval transparent enclosure.

6. The solar pod system of claim 2 , wherein the swivel assembly rotates on a latitudinal axis.

7. The solar pod system of claim 1 , wherein the paraboloidal reflector comprises a Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector.

8. The solar pod system of claim 1 , wherein the fan comprises:
a first blower fan contained within the interior chamber of the oval transparent enclosure; and
a second exhaust fan contained within the interior chamber of the oval transparent enclosure.

9. The solar pod system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat sink thermally coupled to the solar cell to cool the solar cell, wherein the heat sink is in direct physical and thermal contact to a thermally conductive substrate of the solar cell.

10. The solar pod system of claim 1 , wherein the oval transparent enclosure further comprises a fused silica material coated with a transparent low-emissivity interference filter.

11. The solar pod system of claim 1 , wherein the swivel assembly further comprises an electrical solar tracking system for aligning said paraboloidal reflector with solar movements.

12. A solar pod system, comprising:
a tower having a first elevation layer at a first height and a second elevation layer at a second height;
a plurality of solar pods coupled to the tower, the solar pods comprising:
an oval transparent enclosure, the oval transparent enclosure having one symmetrical latitudinal axis with a transparent surface with rounded edges and having a first end having a first end circumference and second end with a second end circumference, the first end circumference having a larger size than the second end circumference;
one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors coupled to and encapsulated by the oval transparent enclosure, the one or more paraboloidal reflectors contained within an interior chamber of the oval transparent enclosure;
one or more solar cells coupled to the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors, the one or more solar cells extending over at least a portion of the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors to place the focus of the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors on the one or more solar cells, the one or more solar cells receiving light reflected by the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors;
metallic leads coupled to the one or more solar cells operable to conduct electric current generated by the one or more solar cells;
a fan coupled to the metallic leads, the fan further coupled to the oval transparent enclosure;
one or more swivel assemblies coupled to the one or more circular paraboloidal reflectors; and
one or more mounting assemblies coupled to the one or more swivel assemblies, the one or more mounting assemblies further coupled to the oval transparent enclosure;

wherein a size characteristic associated with the first end circumference and the second end circumference of each of the plurality of solar pods is inversely related to the height of the elevation layer to which each of the plurality of solar pods is coupled.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chatterjee Aveek N
• Murali Kota V R M
• Sathaye Ninad D
• Sathiyanarayanan Rajesh

Classifications

• H02S20/10

  Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground (H02S20/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E10/40

  Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers · CPC title

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• H02S20/30

  Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment · CPC title

• H02S20/20

  Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object (H02S20/30 takes precedence) · CPC title