Solar energy collection and retrieval employing reversible photochemical isomerization
US4004572A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 1975 |
| Grant date | Jan 25, 1977 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 30, 1995 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC09K5/16
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process for photochemical collection, storage, and retrieval of solar energy, including solar energy in the visible and near-infrared light spectrum, comprising: exposing to solar radiation of a trans-isomer of particular geometrically isomerizable compounds, while dissolved in a predominantly (greater than 50 percent by volume) aqueous liquid medium, to isomerize the trans-isomer to a thermodynamically less stable, but kinetically stable, cis-isomer of higher energy content, heating the produced cis-isomer to an activation temperature triggering exothermal conversion (or return) of the cis-isomer to the trans-isomer with release of thermal energy; and continuing exothermal conversion of cis-isomer to trans-isomer through use of a portion of the exothermically released thermal energy and transferring of another portion of the released thermal energy from the region of exothermal conversion for availability of this other portion for useful thermal energy applications; with the therein employed geometrical isomerizable compound being possessed of defined properties including the properties of both the trans-isomer and cis-isomer having light absorbance maxima lying between the wave…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.