Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric – Photoelectric – Panel or array
Patent
1997-04-04
2000-05-02
Goodrow, John
Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric
Photoelectric
Panel or array
136248, H01L 27142
Patent
active
060575042
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar collector for generating electricity and heat, and more particularly to a hybrid solar collector for converting solar energy of short wavelength into electric energy and converting solar energy of long wavelength into heat. The solar rays are separated into short wavelength and long wavelength. Separated short wavelength ray is focused on a solar cell for converting the energy of the short wavelength into electric energy, and separated long wavelength ray is focused on a pipe for heating a liquid inside the pipe by the energy of the long wavelength ray.
2. Description of Related Art
As a solar energy collector for generating electric energy, a solar panel is well known. The solar panel is constituted of solar cells arranged in planar form. Further, a large-scale solar collector is also known. Such a solar collector is constituted of a large number of reflector mirrors distributed on the ground for converging solar rays at a converging point, and a solar cell arranged at the converging point.
On the other hand, a solar collector for generating heat is well known. Such a solar collector is constituted of reflector mirrors for converging solar rays, and a heat absorbing tube arranged at a converging point.
Moreover, another solar collector for generating electricity and heat has been proposed. The hybrid solar collector utilizes a solar cell arranged at a solar rays converging point and a heat absorbing tube located on a rear surface of the solar cell.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the conventional hybrid solar collector for generating electricity and heat, a heat absorbing tube having a function of cooling a solar cell cannot be heated up to high temperatures. This is because efficiency of the solar cell drastically decreases when the solar cell is heated up to high temperatures. Thus, the hybrid solar collector may produce only warm water having temperatures from 40 to 50.degree. C. at the highest. Also, the efficiency of the solar cell cannot be sufficiently increased.
The present invention realizes a new hybrid collector for generating electricity and heat at high efficiency. In the hybrid collector of the invention, solar rays are separated into two portions, one of which has a wavelength suitable for generating electricity by the solar cell (mainly the visible and shorter wavelength, or preferably, a wavelength not greater than 9000 angstrom; which is referred to as "short ray" hereinafter) and the other of which has a wavelength suitable for heating (mainly the infrared ray; which is referred to as "long ray" hereinafter).
The hybrid collector of the invention comprises a separating device for separating solar rays into short ray and long ray. The separating device is incorporated in an optical system for converging solar rays. Further, the solar cell is arranged at a converging point of the short ray, and the heat absorbing tube is arranged at a converging point of the long ray.
Preferably, a semi-transparent mirror which reflects the short ray and which transmits the long ray is suitably used as the separating device. The semi-transparent mirror is, for example, constituted of a glass plate on which a thin film of silicone is deposited. Additionally, it is preferable that the separating device also has a function for converging the short ray on the solar cell.
The present invention will be more fully understood form the following embodiments and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a transverse sectional view of a hybrid solar collector according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows a partial plan view of a solar energy converting system utilizing the hybrid solar collector according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 schematically shows a circulation system of a heat-transfer medium.
FIG. 4 shows a transverse sectional view of a hybrid solar collector according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 5 shows a transverse sectional view of a hybrid solar collector according to a third embod
REFERENCES:
patent: 4700013 (1987-10-01), Soule
patent: 4771764 (1988-09-01), Clutt
patent: 5269851 (1993-12-01), Horne
patent: 5658448 (1997-08-01), Lasich
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Vo. 012, No. 255, p. 732, Ju.l 19, 1988, & JP 63 044612 A, Feb. 25, 1988.
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