3 in 1 Solar Power Unit
Frank John Holmquist, Artist/Inventor (23 January 2009)
NASA has 3 layered solar cells that capture different portions of the light spectrum for increased energy capture/conversion. The University of Australia added silver ions to the silicon for increased electron capture, allowing for less silicon needed thereby reducing overall costs. Also in Australia there is a man who uses the 3 level solar cells with water jacket cooling since he uses many square yards of focused and tracked sunlight on a collector of 6-8 inches square. Multiple layers trap light, but this also produces heat that must be carried away. You can boil water in a paper cup, but the paper above the water line can burn off. There are other ways to trap light using optical wedges of narrow angles so that any reflected light bounces onto an adjacent collecting surface or active photovoltaic device. Solar cells have a low melting point solder since they are fragile and subject to heat stress. The conductive surfaces are not friendly to wet environments and need to be protected. However if they are thermally bonded to a fluid channel you can remove the heat effectively.
I propose to make a device that has multiple wedge cavities with narrow strips of solar cell ribbons on both sides of the cavity. The shape shall be of tubular extruded aluminum with a top cap for return and a bottom manifold that has air, water and electrical channels in one extrusion. There shall be a narrow window to allow for light to enter but it is curved inward so that internal reflections are kept inside. This multi-channel tube shall be mounted as vertically as possible and placed in the focus of a “Crab’s Eye” non tracking concentrator. With circulated air in front and water jacket behind you can get hot air, hot water and electricity all from one unit. I propose calling this device a Solar Musketeer famous for it’s all for one and one for all pledge. It may be necessary to use a closed loop of anti-freeze as a coolant in colder climates to avoid the night time drain down requirement.
With modular collectors designed to fit together and mounted on outside walls or fences. Roof mountings add to costs and often cause leaks around mounting brackets and pipe penetrations. When you concentrate sunlight, why not also concentrate the solar cells by turning them almost on edge? This is only logical as it is the concentration of photons of light per square unit of surface. The normal accepted model requires that all solar cells be mounted normal or at right angles to the sun and tracked across the sky for maximum electrical production. Moving parts exposed to the elements do not last long and require extra costs and extra maintenance. This is not the problem with crab’s eye concentrators which is a non-critical focusing device. Another way to design the unit is by using a low pressure heat pipe with a heat exchanger on the bottom. In the long run this might be more practical and cost effective.
The goal is to make a reliable (3 in 1) solar heat exchanger power unit that produces hot air, hot water and electricity from a single unit of modular design that can be mass produced with minimum of specially made parts. It should have extreme reliability in all climates and have at a minimum 20-30 operational life that has a quick payback for the end user of 5 years or less in energy dollar savings. It should have ease of assembly so minimal training is required and most homeowners need no special tools. If the unit allowed for some light to pass thru the backside it could be placed where you might want some natural lighting.
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