Solar concentrator with camera alignment and tracking
US8122878B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 15, 2007 |
| Grant date | Feb 28, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 5, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/47
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The invention in the preferred embodiment features a solar concentrator that can align and/or track based on images from a video camera, for example. The concentrator preferably includes one or more optical elements for directing light to a receiver, a camera for capturing an image of the optical elements, and a controller configured to: detect the orientation of the one or more optical elements from the one or more images, determine an orientation error based on the detected orientation, and automatically orient the one or more optical elements to minimize the orientation error. The optical elements generally comprise a plurality of mirrors or lenses arranged in a one or two dimensional array.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.