Linear solar energy concentrator

Abstract

A linear solar energy concentrator includes a fastening rack, a concentrating lens, and a line-shaped solar panel. The concentrating lens is fastened on the fastening rack. When sunlight irradiates on and penetrates through the concentrating lens, the light is concentrated onto a focal line parallel to a direction of the linear geometric structure of the concentrating lens. The solar panel is installed under the concentrating lens and located at the focal line, wherein when an incident angle of sunlight constantly changes, the light irradiating on and penetrating through the concentrating lens still is able to be concentrated onto a same location or onto locations slightly shifted each other along the focal line on the solar panel, so as to perform an energy conversion from solar energy to electricity at a substantially same amount of light without being affected by the incident angle of sunlight.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A linear solar energy concentrator, comprising:
 a fastening rack;   a concentrating lens fastened on the fastening rack and having a linear geometric structure, in which when sunlight irradiates on and penetrates through the concentrating lens, the light is concentrated onto a focal line parallel to a direction of the linear geometric structure of the concentrating lens;   a line-shaped solar panel installed under the concentrating lens and located at the focal line, wherein when an incident angle of sunlight constantly changes, the light irradiating on and penetrating through the concentrating lens still is able to be concentrated onto a same location or onto locations slightly shifted each other along the focal line on the line-shaped solar panel, so as to perform an energy conversion from solar energy to electricity at a substantially same amount of light without being affected by the incident angle of sunlight.   
     
     
         2 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentrating lens has an end light reflector located at both ends of the concentrating lens to reflect the light back to the solar panel. 
     
     
         3 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 1 , wherein the linear geometric structure of the concentrating lens is of a tubular shape. 
     
     
         4 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 1 , wherein the linear geometric structure of the concentrating lens is of an arc sheet shape. 
     
     
         5 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentrating lens is a toroidal lens or a toroidal Fresnel lens. 
     
     
         6 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 1 , wherein the line-shaped solar panel is of an elongated shape parallel to the focal line and allowing the concentrated light to irradiate there onto. 
     
     
         7 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of concentrating lens arranged to form a concentrating lens array. 
     
     
         8 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 3 , wherein the concentrating lens comprises an outer ring member and an inner core surrounded by and being concentric with the outer ring member, the outer ring member and the inner core each have a different refractive index from each other, for refracting, internally reflecting and concentrating the incident light to the focal line. 
     
     
         9 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 8 , wherein the inner core of the tubular-shaped concentrating lens is a liquid or a gas, which is capable of absorbing the infrared of the sunlight for achieving a cooling purpose, the heated liquid or gas by the sunlight is capable of being recycled and used for other purposes, so as to save energy. 
     
     
         10 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentrating lens comprises multiple ring members and multiple cores each surrounded between two adjacent ring members, the ring members and the cores each have a different refractive index from each other, for refracting, internally reflecting and concentrating the incident light to the focal line. 
     
     
         11 . The linear solar energy concentrator according to  claim 10 , wherein the cores of the concentrating lens between two adjacent ring members are a liquid or a gas, which is capable of absorbing the infrared of the sunlight for achieving a cooling purpose, the heated liquid or gas by the sunlight is capable of being recycled and used for other purposes, so as to save energy.