High efficiency solar power generator for offshore applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9863404-B2
Application number	US-201414288520-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2014
Priority date	May 29, 2013
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A dual-type solar power generator comprising a dual capture panel. The dual capture panel comprises a reflective surface configured to reflect solar radiation having a reflecting wavelength and an absorbent surface configured to absorb solar radiation having an absorbent wavelength to create a released electron stream. A thermal transfer unit comprising a receiving zone configured to absorb heat energy, a heat engine that converts the heat energy to mechanical work energy, and a generator configured to convert the mechanical work energy to an electric current, an electric conditioning system comprising an electrical buffer configured to prevent a cross flow of the released electron stream and the electric current, a power converter configured to equalize a released electron stream voltage with an electric current voltage, an electrical connector configured to combine the released stream voltage with the electric current voltage to create a power source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual-type solar power generator, the dual-type solar power generator comprising:
a dual capture panel, wherein the dual capture panel comprises:
a reflective surface, wherein the reflective surface is configured to reflect solar radiation having a reflecting wavelength to create a reflected stream; and
an absorbent surface, wherein the absorbent surface is configured to absorb solar radiation having an absorbent wavelength to create a released electron stream;

a thermal transfer unit, the thermal transfer unit comprising:
a receiving zone being configured to receive the reflected stream and to absorb heat energy from the reflected stream;
a heat engine, the heat engine being in thermal communication with the receiving zone, wherein the heat engine converts the heat energy absorbed by the receiving zone and converts the heat energy to mechanical work energy; and
a generator, the generator in mechanical communication with the heat engine, wherein the generator is configured to convert the mechanical work energy to an electric current;

an electric conditioning system, the electric conditioning system in electrical communication with the released electron stream and the electric current, the electric conditioning system comprising:
an electrical buffer, the electrical buffer configured to prevent a cross flow of the released electron stream and the electric current;
a power converter, the power converter configured to equalize a released electron stream voltage with an electric current voltage;
an electrical connector, the electrical connector configured to combine the released stream voltage with the electric current voltage to create a power source,

wherein the absorbent surface forms a layer contacting the reflective surface and positioned between the reflective surface and the thermal transfer unit.

2. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the dual capture panel has a parabolic shape with a focus point.

3. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 2 , wherein the receiving zone is positioned at the focus point.

4. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the reflecting wavelength reflected by the reflective surface is greater than 1000 nm.

5. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent wavelength absorbed by the absorbent surface is less than 1000 nm.

6. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent surface comprises a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic cell is selected from the group consisting of mesh filter, interference filter, diffraction grating, and combinations thereof.

7. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the receiving zone includes a fluid tank,
wherein a fluid receives the heat energy to create heated fluid, the fluid tank being fluidly connected to the heat engine.

8. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the heat engine is a Stirling Engine.

9. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the electrical buffer comprises a first diode in the released electron stream and a second diode in the electric current.

10. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 further comprising a tracking system, the tracking system configured to orient the dual capture panel toward a source of the solar radiation.

11. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the dual-type solar power generator is operable to power a plurality of sensors.

12. The dual-type solar power generator of claim 1 , wherein the solar power generator is used on an offshore platform, where there is limited space.

13. A method of generating dual-type solar power, the method comprising the steps of:
capturing solar radiation with a dual capture panel, wherein the dual capture panel comprises a reflecting surface and an absorbent surface;
reflecting solar radiation having a reflecting wavelength with the reflecting surface to create a reflected stream;
absorbing solar radiation having an absorbent wavelength with the absorbent surface to create a released electron stream;
converting a solar energy of the reflected stream to an electric current in a thermal transfer unit, wherein the absorbent surface forms a layer contacting the reflective surface and positioned between the reflective surface and the thermal transfer unit, the thermal transfer unit comprising a receiving zone, a heat engine, and a generator, wherein converting the solar energy to an electric current in the thermal transfer unit comprises the steps of:
heating a fluid in the receiving zone with the reflected stream to create a heated fluid having a heat energy;
converting the heat energy of the heated fluid to mechanical work energy in the heat engine, the heat engine being fluidly connected to the receiving zone; and
converting the mechanical work energy to the electric current in a generator, the generator being mechanically connected to the heat engine;

combining the electric current and the released electron stream in an electric conditioning system, the electric conditioning system comprising:
an electrical buffer configured to prevent a cross flow of the released electron stream and the electric current;
a dc-to-dc converter, the dc-to-dc converter configured to equalize a released electron stream voltage with an electric current voltage; and

an electrical connector, the electrical connector configured to combine the released stream voltage with the electric current voltage to create a power supply.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Black Michael John
• Saeed Abubaker

Classifications

• F24S20/20

  Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants · CPC title

• F24S23/82

  characterised by the material or the construction of the reflector · CPC title

• F03G6/001 Primary

  having photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H02S10/00

  PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power · CPC title

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title