Solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications

Abstract

A solar blackbody waveguide that captures and uses sunlight to heat a thermal heat transfer fluid. One or more systems of optical mirrors provided on each tower captures and concentrates the sunlight. Each system of optical mirrors is movably mounted on its tower to track the daily movement of the sun and to maintain the proper angle with the horizon throughout the year. Each system of optical mirrors directs the light into an associated short light pipe which delivers the light into a curved solar coil contained within an enclosure. Energy from the light rays is absorbed by the solar coil and transferred to thermal working fluid or heat transfer fluid flowing between the solar coil and the enclosure. The energy laden thermal heat transfer fluid is gathered from a plurality of towers for use with existing technologies, such as with a combined cycle gas turbine, boiler, or steam generator.

1 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications comprising:
 a means for collecting and concentrating ambient solar flux,   a hollow lossy solar coil surrounded by an insulated enclosure,   a means for directing the concentrated flux from the means for collecting and concentrating ambient solar flux into an interior of the hollow lossy solar coil in a manner that the concentrated solar flux makes repeated reflections off interior surfaces on the solar coil causing the energy from the concentrated solar flux to be absorbed as heat energy into the solar coil, the solar coil being formed into a varying alignment configuration and located within the insulated enclosure,   said insulated enclosure spaced apart from walls of the enclosure so that an enclosed space is formed between the solar coil and walls of the enclosure; and   a thermal fluid moving within the enclosed space of the enclosure in a manner that the thermal fluid receives heat energy from the solar coil which can be used as a source of energy inside the enclosure or can be used as a source of energy outside the enclosure upon removal of heated thermal fluid from the enclosure.   
     
     
         2 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a dual-axis tracking means attached to the means for collecting and concentrating ambient solar flux in order to maintain the means for collection and concentrating ambient solar flux in proper angular alignment with the sun by constantly and automatically tracking the apparent movement of the azimuth angle and altitude angle of the sun with respect to the location of the solar blackbody on earth as the earth rotates daily and progresses through its annual orbit about the sun.   
     
     
         3 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 1  wherein the means for collecting and concentrating solar flux further comprises:
 a system of optical mirrors.   
     
     
         4 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 1  wherein the means for collecting and concentrating solar flux further comprises:
 a system of optical lenses.   
     
     
         5 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 1  wherein the means for directing the concentrated flux into the interior of a hollow, lossy solar coil further comprises:
 a lossless optical waveguide.   
     
     
         6 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 5  wherein the lossless optical waveguide may be mirrored, reflective surfaces or light pipes utilizing the physical property of total internal reflection, including optical tees, optical reducers, or solar horns. 
     
     
         7 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 1  wherein the hollow, lossy solar coil further comprises:
 a hollow lossy waveguide for electromagnetic radiation;   said hollow lossy waveguide being constructed of metallic or other electrically and thermally conductive materials so that concentrated solar flux introduced into the lossy waveguide at a series of acute angles to the longitudinal axis of the waveguide will tend to propagate along the longitudinal axis making numerous reflections on interior walls of the waveguide with a loss of energy upon each successive reflection and causing energy contained in the solar flux to be converted into heat energy which is conducted through the solar coil to exterior walls of the lossy waveguide.   
     
     
         8 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 said solar coil provided externally with appurtenances to enhance thermodynamic heat transfer processes between the coil and the thermal fluid.   
     
     
         9 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 1  wherein said insulated enclosure is provided with a suitable insulation system to mitigate loss of heat from the enclosure to the environment. 
     
     
         10 . A solar blackbody waveguide for high pressure and high temperature applications according to  claim 1  wherein said means for collecting and concentrating ambient solar flux and said hollow lossy solar coil and associated enclosure are co-located with other facilities in areas suitable for dual land use in order to reducing the overall environmental impact on Visual Resources by minimizing development of new, large land areas for energy production using solar technologies. 
     
     
         11 . A method for converting solar flux to heat energy employing a one or more solar blackbody waveguides for high pressure and temperature applications comprising:
 capturing and concentrating light rays from the sun using a system of optical mirrors or a system of optical lenses,   guiding the concentrated light rays through a lossless waveguide into the interior of a hollow continuous solar coil contained within an insulated enclosure,   converting the concentrated light rays into heat energy by multiple reflections of the concentrated light rays against the walls of the solar coil,   transferring the heat energy from the walls of the solar coil into a thermal fluid contained in a space provided between the enclosure and the solar coil, and   using the heat energy contained within the thermal fluid for any process requiring heat.   
     
     
         12 . A method for converting solar flux to heat energy employing a one or more solar blackbody waveguides for high pressure and temperature applications according to  claim 11  further comprising the following step that is performed continuously:
 moving the system of optical mirrors or optical lenses so that optical mirrors of the system of optical mirrors are constantly facing the sun and track the sun through its daily and seasonal apparent movement across the sky.