U.S. patent application number 11/500797 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-15 for solar parabolic trough, receiver, tracker and drive system.
Invention is credited to Phillip Charles Watts.
Application Number | 20070034205 11/500797 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37741462 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070034205 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Watts; Phillip Charles |
February 15, 2007 |
Solar parabolic trough, receiver, tracker and drive system
Abstract
This invention integrates the receiver as a support with
improved performance and rigidity and eliminates moving fluidic
components that increase the units overall reliability and lowers
construction costs. The cable drive mount system provides foul
weather operation coupled with a slip clutch for un anticipated
loads. Integrating the sun tracker into the parabolic trough body
eliminates the need for timing and calibration.
Inventors: |
Watts; Phillip Charles;
(Longmont, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Phillip Charles Watts
1404 Kay St #1
Longmont
CO
80501
US
|
Family ID: |
37741462 |
Appl. No.: |
11/500797 |
Filed: |
August 8, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60708172 |
Aug 15, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/573 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24S 2030/133 20180501;
Y02E 10/40 20130101; F24S 30/422 20180501; Y02E 10/47 20130101;
F24S 20/20 20180501 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/573 |
International
Class: |
F24J 2/38 20060101
F24J002/38 |
Claims
1. Heat transfer is increased to the fixed receiver tube with it's
stationary fluid connections by sweeping the trough's concentrated
line of light focus around the exterior of the receiver tube every
1/3 of a second with a rocking-chair action, which effectively
increases the cross-sectional area for heat transfer;
2. The receiver tube with a spiral fluid path increases the length
of travel through the bifurcated receiver tube which increases the
dwell time for the fluid to absorb heat and the short center tube
rushes the heated fluid in as shortest time out of the receiver
tube;
3. By attaching the motor or the motor drive system to the receiver
tube, the motor can be heated for cold weather operation and
isolated for extremely hot fluid operation via an insulating ring,
and where by the apparatus with integrated drive cable, capstan or
motor eliminates timing and calibration issues as the unit is self
recovering and has a slip clutch mechanism to protect against
unexpected loads.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Provisional Patent 60/708172 Aug. 15, 2005
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Cost Reduced total System through Component Integration and
Stationary Fluidic Hoses
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The apparatus as depicted in FIG. 1.0 integrates the
receiver tube as a support for the parabolic trough and by
bifurcating the fluid path in the receiver tube, the fluidic hoses
remain fixed with no movement which reduces cost. Maintenance is
minimized by stationary hoses. The drive mechanism is weight
reduced by drum and cable integrated around the receiver which
gives the unit freeze protection and/or high temperature protection
at low cost. The sun tracking electronics split the sun's radiation
with a fixed nose between the optical sensors just as the human
nose between the eyes does. This feature removes calibration and
maintenance. The parabolic mirror is of silver on Mylar which
reduces initial cost and is repaired via a band-aid concept
reducing initial cost and maintenance costs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0006] FIG. 1. Solar Trough Assembly with integrated receiver mount
and motor drive. FIG. 1. depicts a view of the trough built of a
parabolic shaped aluminum with reflective silver membrane bonded to
metal or plastic. The low cost and light weight Parabolic trough
body rotates around the outside of the receiver tube tracking the
sun and focusing the suns rays on to a selective coating on the
receiver tube. This implementation supports polar mounting or
east-west or north-south mountings. In the polar mount the receiver
tube will receive 20 percent more solar insolation than in the
conventional east-west or north-south mountings during the spring
and summer months.
[0007] FIG. 2. Depicts the motor, drum and cable that drive the
Parabolic Trough around the receiver tube. The cable is wrapped
around the drum, which is attached to the trough body. The motor is
attached to the receiver tube.
[0008] FIG. 3. Depicts the receiver tube construction details.
Incoming fluids are routed around the center tube in a spiral
motion to lengthen the fluids time to transverse the length of the
bifurcated receiver tube where the fluid is returned inside the
center tube and exits the stationary end of the receiver tube.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] This application integrates multiple components; tracker,
motor drive, receiver and trough body that makeup the mirror and
its support of a Solar Parabolic Trough into one entity to reduce
costs and increase performance. Performance is increased by
configuring the fluid path with a helix spiral that effectively
triples the receiver tubes length of time to receive energy while
reducing the actual receiver length by two thirds.
[0010] Refer to FIG. 1 for the following description. Incoming heat
transfer medium enters at number 1 to be heated. As the heated
fluid is guided by number 3, the spiral looping path around the
exit tube labeled as number 2, effectively increases the length of
travel for the heat transfer medium which increases time to absorb
more energy than a straight pipe. At the end of the receiver tube
labeled as 4, the heat transfer medium is channeled into the center
of the pipe for a direct and shorter time to exit once the heat
transfer medium is heated. The bifurcated channel that has a longer
time to transverse and a shorter time to return is the major
performance improvement of the receiver tube. The construction of
an inner tube number 2 with a rigid standoff number 3 and finally
encased with an outer tube number 5 makes for a more rigid receiver
tube that can be used as its own support and less sag so as to
maintain optical alignment with the trough body that rotates around
the receiver tube. The outer tube number 5 is mounted rigidly so no
fluid path tubes require movement and eliminates swivel fluid
joints.
[0011] Refer to FIG. 2 for the following description. The motor
drive assembly is mounted to the parabolic trough body by attaching
to the receiver tube number 1. The drum number Sis bolted to the
body of the trough frame by number 6 holes in the drum number 5. A
bearing surface number 7 is dimensioned to fit the receiver tube
number 1. For high temperature operation an insert can be fitted at
number 7. The motor mount block 4 is securely mounted to the
receiver tube number 1. When the tracker provides bi-directional
movement to the motor, the motor's drum number3 imparts motion to
the cable number2 that is wrapped around the drum number 5. The
drum number 5 floats of a bearing surface around the receiver tube
number 1. Motion to the trough body that is bolted to the drum
number 5, via the two bolts number 6. This embodiment of the
apparatus allows for slippage on the motor drum number 3 when
overloading should occur. No timing or alignment is required as the
system is self recovering. Heating for the motor for cold weather
conditions is accomplished by scaling number 5 to conduct via
cross-sectional area of number 5. High temperature operation is
accommodated by using an insulating material for number 5. By
mounting the sun tracker to the trough body alignment is maintained
on the receiver tube number 1.
* * * * *