- Email: [email protected]
Sequential solar generator panels
PATENTS orientation of the array is biaxially kept essentially perpendicular to rays of the sun by an optical control such that sunlight is reflected and concentrated along a focal line of each elongated reflector. In this way water in a tube disposed at the focal line is heated by reflected line focused sunlight impinged on it and/or line focused reflected sunlight is optically transformed into point focused reflected sun light using Fresnel lenses, from which electricity is generated using solar cells on which point focused reflected sunlight impinges. Patent number: US 6498290 Publication date: December 24, 2002 Inventor: P. Lawheed
Manufacture method of a PV device Assignee: Canon, Japan This provides a PV device capable of generating a large amount of current even with thin joined semiconductor layers. This has a high photoelectric conversion efficiency and can be manufactured inexpensively, at low temperatures with a manufacturing method giving a PV device integrated with a building material and a powergenerating apparatus. The device is formed by depositing joined semiconductor layers on a substrate. A ratio of projected areas of regions on a surface of the joined semiconductor layers have heights not smaller than a center value of concavities and convexities to a projected area of the entire surface of the joined semiconductor layers is higher than a ratio of projected areas of regions on the surface of the substrate. These have heights not smaller than a center value of concavities and convexities on a surface of the substrate to a projected area of the entire surface of the substrate. Patent number: US 6506622 Publication date: January 14, 2003 Inventor: A. Shiozaki
Space PV power generation system Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Japan This space PV power generation system includes many power satellites arranged in space, each converting electrical energy, into which sunlight has been photoelectric-converted, into a microwave, and transmiting the microwave to an electric power base. The system can thus transmit a microwave of high power to the electric power base. As each of the power satellites changes its attitude in space, and its relative location changes, each of the power satellites can adjust an amount of phase adjustment to be made to the microwave which each transmits. A control satellite measures the location of each satellite for the phase adjustment, and calculates the phase adjustment
14
Photovoltaics Bulletin
for each. The control satellite then transmits the that amount to the satellites. Patent number: US6492586 Publication date: December 10, 2002 Inventors: I. Mikami, H. Sato, T. Ishikawa
Cleaning photovoltaic modules Assignee: Kaneka Corporation, Japan A method for cleaning a PV module, which has a first electrode layer formed on an insulating substrate, a PV layer, and a second electrode layer. The laminate is electrically divided by grooves between a power generating region and peripheral regions. The power generating region is divided into many PV cells by means of laserscribed grooves. At least some of the PV cells are connected electrically in series with one another. Cleaning includes transporting the PV module immersed in a cleaning fluid, being kept in a horizontal position with the laminate upward as it is transported, and applying ultrasonic vibration to the fluid, removing particles in the scribed grooves. Patent number: US 6506260 Publication date: January 14, 2003 Inventors: M. Hiraishi, M. Kondo, H. Yamagishi, K. Hayashi, T. Okatsu
Hybrid roof covering element Assignee: Akzo Nobel NV, The Netherlands A hybrid roof covering element, which suitable for simultaneously heating a medium and generating electricity, and which comprises a single or multiple transparent layer, a flexible thin film solar cell sheet with a heat capacity of less than 3.5 kJ/m2 K and a thermally insulating material, and a medium to be heated. The flexible thin film solar cell sheet comprises a carrier, a back electrode, a PV layer, and a transparent conductive front electrode and has a heat capacity of less than 3.5 kJ/m2 K. This hybrid roof covering element has a response speed of more than 5.7 × 10–4 K/J if the medium to be heated is air and a response speed of more than 10–4 K/J if the medium to be heated is water. Patent number: US 6472593 Publication date: October 29, 2002 Inventors: Erik Middelman, Eleonoor Van Andel
Matrix solar dish Assignee: Plug Power Inc, USA A matrix solar dish concentrator with flexed glass mirrors is patterned from orthogonal planes parallel to the axis of symmetry of a paraboloid and intersecting the paraboloid, this pattern making all parabolic trusses uniform. Parabolic trusses are made by flexing linear truss members with lateral forces creating accurate parabolic member curves, restraining the flexed members with rigid webbing to form an orthogonal paraboloid frame. Parabolic glass mirrors are
made by flexing slender flat glass mirrors with lateral forces creating accurate parabolic mirror curves, restraining the flexed mirrors with tension buttons connected to the orthogonal paraboloid frame to form a solar dish. Glass mirror structural substrates are not used. The solar dish tracks the solar azimuth with a bicycle wheel and tracks the solar zenith with a tv satellite dish actuator. A solar receiver is supported with a low shade structure outside a cone of concentrated sunlight. Uniform flux is greater than 1000 suns suitable for highintensity PV cells and district heating systems. Patent number: US 6510369 Publication date: January 21, 2003 Inventor: Robert A. Lacy
Sequential solar generator panels Assignee: Alcatel, France At least three stacked panels are articulated by means of adjacent members so they can pivot toward a deployed configuration. A mechanism includes an immobiliser on a first member, cooperating with a second member to lock the two panels in the deployed configuration, constrained to rotate with a lug which can rotate on the first member, abutted against a surface of a member constrained to rotate with the second member. When the deployed configuration is reached, the lug escapes and brings the immobiliser into contact with the second member bringing about locking. A first finger of the mechanism, constrained to rotate with the lug, cooperates with a second finger of the third panel to hold it stacked until the two panels reach the deployed configuration, at which time rotation of the lug releases the second finger. Patent number: US 6484972 Publication date: November 26, 2002 Inventor: Daniel Viale
PV module framing system with integral electrical raceways Assignee: BP Solar International, USA This multi-purpose PV module framing system combines and integrates the framing system with the PV electrical system. The framing system is easy to install and can be directly mounted to a roof without auxiliary brackets and beams. The economical framing system has aesthetically pleasing frames to mechanically hold and support PV modules. The multi-purpose frames desirably have integral electrical raceways which conceal and protect most electrical components and wires. The frames are specially constructed and arranged to permit easy access to output wires, without junction boxes. Ground clips can be directly connected to the framing system. Patent number: US 6465724 Publication date: October 15, 2002 Inventors: P. Garvison, D.B. Warfield
February 2003
Manufacture method of a PV device Assignee: Canon, Japan This provides a PV device capable of generating a large amount of current even with thin joined semiconductor layers. This has a high photoelectric conversion efficiency and can be manufactured inexpensively, at low temperatures with a manufacturing method giving a PV device integrated with a building material and a powergenerating apparatus. The device is formed by depositing joined semiconductor layers on a substrate. A ratio of projected areas of regions on a surface of the joined semiconductor layers have heights not smaller than a center value of concavities and convexities to a projected area of the entire surface of the joined semiconductor layers is higher than a ratio of projected areas of regions on the surface of the substrate. These have heights not smaller than a center value of concavities and convexities on a surface of the substrate to a projected area of the entire surface of the substrate. Patent number: US 6506622 Publication date: January 14, 2003 Inventor: A. Shiozaki
Space PV power generation system Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Japan This space PV power generation system includes many power satellites arranged in space, each converting electrical energy, into which sunlight has been photoelectric-converted, into a microwave, and transmiting the microwave to an electric power base. The system can thus transmit a microwave of high power to the electric power base. As each of the power satellites changes its attitude in space, and its relative location changes, each of the power satellites can adjust an amount of phase adjustment to be made to the microwave which each transmits. A control satellite measures the location of each satellite for the phase adjustment, and calculates the phase adjustment
14
Photovoltaics Bulletin
for each. The control satellite then transmits the that amount to the satellites. Patent number: US6492586 Publication date: December 10, 2002 Inventors: I. Mikami, H. Sato, T. Ishikawa
Cleaning photovoltaic modules Assignee: Kaneka Corporation, Japan A method for cleaning a PV module, which has a first electrode layer formed on an insulating substrate, a PV layer, and a second electrode layer. The laminate is electrically divided by grooves between a power generating region and peripheral regions. The power generating region is divided into many PV cells by means of laserscribed grooves. At least some of the PV cells are connected electrically in series with one another. Cleaning includes transporting the PV module immersed in a cleaning fluid, being kept in a horizontal position with the laminate upward as it is transported, and applying ultrasonic vibration to the fluid, removing particles in the scribed grooves. Patent number: US 6506260 Publication date: January 14, 2003 Inventors: M. Hiraishi, M. Kondo, H. Yamagishi, K. Hayashi, T. Okatsu
Hybrid roof covering element Assignee: Akzo Nobel NV, The Netherlands A hybrid roof covering element, which suitable for simultaneously heating a medium and generating electricity, and which comprises a single or multiple transparent layer, a flexible thin film solar cell sheet with a heat capacity of less than 3.5 kJ/m2 K and a thermally insulating material, and a medium to be heated. The flexible thin film solar cell sheet comprises a carrier, a back electrode, a PV layer, and a transparent conductive front electrode and has a heat capacity of less than 3.5 kJ/m2 K. This hybrid roof covering element has a response speed of more than 5.7 × 10–4 K/J if the medium to be heated is air and a response speed of more than 10–4 K/J if the medium to be heated is water. Patent number: US 6472593 Publication date: October 29, 2002 Inventors: Erik Middelman, Eleonoor Van Andel
Matrix solar dish Assignee: Plug Power Inc, USA A matrix solar dish concentrator with flexed glass mirrors is patterned from orthogonal planes parallel to the axis of symmetry of a paraboloid and intersecting the paraboloid, this pattern making all parabolic trusses uniform. Parabolic trusses are made by flexing linear truss members with lateral forces creating accurate parabolic member curves, restraining the flexed members with rigid webbing to form an orthogonal paraboloid frame. Parabolic glass mirrors are
made by flexing slender flat glass mirrors with lateral forces creating accurate parabolic mirror curves, restraining the flexed mirrors with tension buttons connected to the orthogonal paraboloid frame to form a solar dish. Glass mirror structural substrates are not used. The solar dish tracks the solar azimuth with a bicycle wheel and tracks the solar zenith with a tv satellite dish actuator. A solar receiver is supported with a low shade structure outside a cone of concentrated sunlight. Uniform flux is greater than 1000 suns suitable for highintensity PV cells and district heating systems. Patent number: US 6510369 Publication date: January 21, 2003 Inventor: Robert A. Lacy
Sequential solar generator panels Assignee: Alcatel, France At least three stacked panels are articulated by means of adjacent members so they can pivot toward a deployed configuration. A mechanism includes an immobiliser on a first member, cooperating with a second member to lock the two panels in the deployed configuration, constrained to rotate with a lug which can rotate on the first member, abutted against a surface of a member constrained to rotate with the second member. When the deployed configuration is reached, the lug escapes and brings the immobiliser into contact with the second member bringing about locking. A first finger of the mechanism, constrained to rotate with the lug, cooperates with a second finger of the third panel to hold it stacked until the two panels reach the deployed configuration, at which time rotation of the lug releases the second finger. Patent number: US 6484972 Publication date: November 26, 2002 Inventor: Daniel Viale
PV module framing system with integral electrical raceways Assignee: BP Solar International, USA This multi-purpose PV module framing system combines and integrates the framing system with the PV electrical system. The framing system is easy to install and can be directly mounted to a roof without auxiliary brackets and beams. The economical framing system has aesthetically pleasing frames to mechanically hold and support PV modules. The multi-purpose frames desirably have integral electrical raceways which conceal and protect most electrical components and wires. The frames are specially constructed and arranged to permit easy access to output wires, without junction boxes. Ground clips can be directly connected to the framing system. Patent number: US 6465724 Publication date: October 15, 2002 Inventors: P. Garvison, D.B. Warfield
February 2003