COMBINED EDGE SEALING AND EDGE PROTECTION OF MULTI-LAYERED REFLECTORS
Granted: October 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130255870
The area of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) and Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV) require reliable, robust and durable reflectors capable of withstanding different environments, weather and transportation conditions. It is therefore important to use a method for fabricating a reflector which seals a reflector edge against moisture, corrosion and contaminants and protects the edge from cracks and damage. Embodiments of this method include depositing a clear sealant over the reflector…
ELECTRONIC COMPONENT HOUSING WITH HEAT SINK
Granted: October 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130255749
A photovoltaic assembly for converting solar radiation to electrical energy is described. The photovoltaic assembly includes a photovoltaic module and an electronic component housing. The photovoltaic module has a frame, a laminate, a plurality of solar cells and a backsheet. The electronic component housing has an upper section to couple to the backsheet, a middle section and a lower section for enclosing electronic components. The electronic components can include a microinverter or…
ACTIVE FIRE-BLOCKING WIND DEFLECTOR
Granted: October 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130255167
A rooftop photovoltaic solar system is disclosed. The solar system comprises a plurality of photovoltaic modules forming a rooftop array, the rooftop array having at least one edge and a wind deflector positioned along the edge of the rooftop array, the wind deflector constrained in a first configuration by a fuse. In the first configuration the wind deflector comprises a deflecting portion adapted to deflect wind blowing on the rooftop above the rooftop array and a ventilation portion…
COMBINED GRAPHITE TUBE AND GRAPHITE CRUCIBLE CONSTITUTED THEREBY
Granted: July 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130189637
A combined graphite tube is combined by stacking a plurality of graphite short-tubes together, where each graphite short-tube includes a upper coupling portion and a lower coupling portion, the upper coupling portion is positioned on a top face of a upper side of the graphite short-tube; and the lower coupling portion is positioned on a bottom face of a lower side of the graphite short-tube, and corresponds to the upper coupling portion, allowing the upper coupling portion of each…
GRAPHITE NOZZLE FOR POLYSILICON REFINING CYCLIC VACUUM EQUIPMENT
Granted: July 25, 2013
Application Number:
20130186987
A graphite nozzle is combined by stacking a plurality of graphite tubes together, applied in polysilicon refining cyclic vacuum equipment or used as a lining of fireproof or refractory material, where each graphite tube includes a upper coupling portion and a lower coupling portion, the upper coupling portion is positioned on a top face of a upper side of the graphite tube; and the lower coupling portion is positioned on a bottom face of a lower side of the graphite tube, and corresponds…
Two Piston, Concentric Cylinder, Alpha Free Piston Stirling Machine
Granted: July 18, 2013
Application Number:
20130180239
A two piston, free piston, alpha Stirling cycle machine has a compression piston with a cylindrical bore that is coaxial with the cylinders in which the pistons reciprocate. An expansion piston sealingly extends into both an expansion cylinder and into the cylindrical bore in the compression piston. The expansion piston has the same diameter within both the expansion cylinder and the cylindrical bore. A spring, preferably a gas spring, drivingly connects the pistons. The reciprocation of…
Beta Free Piston Stirling Engine In Free Casing Configuration Having Power Output Controlled By Controlling Casing Amplitude Of Reciprocation
Granted: July 18, 2013
Application Number:
20130180238
The power output of a free piston Stirling engine mounted in a free casing configuration is controlled by having a spring drivingly linking the displacer to the casing and controllably varying the amplitude of reciprocation of the casing. A variable casing reciprocation restraint is linked to the casing for applying a variable restraining force to the casing. The restraining force is increased for decreasing the displacer amplitude of reciprocation and thereby decreasing the power output…
SUPPORT FOR SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTORS
Granted: June 27, 2013
Application Number:
20130160816
A solar energy collection system can include support devices made with bearings formed from sheet material. These bearings can be optionally formed so as to provide tool-less connections to their associated bearing housings. The bearings can be formed with an open configuration allowing a shaft to be inserted into an open bite of the bearing. Optionally, the bearing can be made from an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene plastic material. Additionally, two open-type bearing…
HEAT-REGULATING GLASS BENDING APPARATUS AND METHOD
Granted: June 27, 2013
Application Number:
20130160495
A sag-bending system is disclosed. The sag-bending system comprises a sag-bending glass support mold and a perimeter thermal manager. The support mold comprises a plurality of rib members extending in a first direction, each of the plurality of rib members having a curved upper surface shaped to form the collective upper surface having a position and shape to support a quadrilateral-shaped sag-bent glass sheet into a desired contour, each of the rib members further having a lower…
AUTOMATED SOLAR COLLECTOR INSTALLATION DESIGN INCLUDING ABILITY TO DEFINE HETEROGENEOUS DESIGN PREFERENCES
Granted: May 23, 2013
Application Number:
20130132043
Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined “features” with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described…
MASTER-SLAVE ARCHITECTURE FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number:
20130106196
A photovoltaic power plant with master-slave control architecture. The photovoltaic power plant includes slave plant controllers, with each slave plant controller controlling operation of photovoltaic inverters that convert direct current generated by solar cells to alternating current suitable for delivery to a utility power grid at a point of interconnection (POI). A master plant controller controls and coordinates the operation of the slave plant controllers. The master plant…
OPPOSING ROW LINEAR CONCENTRATOR ARCHITECTURE
Granted: April 4, 2013
Application Number:
20130083413
A solar concentrator assembly is disclosed. The solar concentrator assembly comprises a first reflective device having a first reflective front side and a first rear side, a second reflective device having a second reflective front side and a second rear side, the second reflective device positioned such that the first reflective front side faces the second rear side, and a support assembly coupled to and supporting the first and second reflective devices, the second reflective device…
ARCHED PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE
Granted: April 4, 2013
Application Number:
20130081673
A photovoltaic module can include an outer surface with an outwardly bulged convex shape. The outer surface can be curved about its longitudinal axis and/or transverse axis. Optionally, the outer surface can be bulged in a generally spherical shape. The convex shape of the outer surface of the PV module can provide the outer surface with additional stiffness, and/or cause water to flow away from the center of the panel toward its edges, thereby reducing soiling caused by accumulated…
SOLAR CELL CONTACT FORMATION USING LASER ABLATION
Granted: March 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130065357
The formation of solar cell contacts using a laser is described. A method of fabricating a back-contact solar cell includes forming a poly-crystalline material layer above a single-crystalline substrate. The method also includes forming a dielectric material stack above the poly-crystalline material layer. The method also includes forming, by laser ablation, a plurality of contacts holes in the dielectric material stack, each of the contact holes exposing a portion of the…
FIRE RESISTANT PV SHINGLE ASSEMBLY
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130019922
A fire resistant PV shingle assembly includes a PV assembly, including PV body, a fire shield and a connection member connecting the fire shield below the PV body, and a support and inter-engagement assembly. The support and inter-engagement assembly is mounted to the PV assembly and comprises a vertical support element, supporting the PV assembly above a support surface, an upper interlock element, positioned towards the upper PV edge, and a lower interlock element, positioned towards…
ROOFTOP MODULE INTERLOCK SYSTEM
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130000229
An interlocking system for photovoltaic and other roof-mounted panels is disclosed. One use is for a photovoltaic module which comprises a photovoltaic laminate. The laminate has an upper side which faces the sun during normal operation, and a lower side. The module also comprises a base coupled to the lower side of the photovoltaic laminate. The base also has an outer perimeter and comprises a first engagement site and a second engagement site. The first engagement site comprises a…
GLASS-BENDING APPARATUS AND METHOD
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130000357
A sag-bending glass sheet mold is disclosed. The sheet mold comprises a plurality of lateral support members, a plurality of longitudinal support members arranged perpendicular to the lateral support members, each of the plurality of lateral support members extending between two of the plurality of longitudinal support members, each of the plurality of longitudinal support members having an upper surface, and the upper surfaces of each of the plurality of longitudinal support members…
GLASS BENDING METHOD AND APPARATUS
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130000356
A sag-bending glass mold for creating a partial parabolic-curved glass sheet is disclosed. The glass mold comprises a glass-support surface having a cross-sectional profile of varying height. The cross-sectional profile has a first portion with profile of a non-parabolic, linear-square root composite shape. A method for forming a partial parabolic glass sheet is also disclosed. The method comprises positioning a planar glass sheet on a sag-bending mold having a linear-square root…
DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SOLAR POWER GENERATION
Granted: October 11, 2012
Application Number:
20120255595
A photovoltaic device comprising an array of elongate reflector elements mounted substantially parallel to one another and transversely spaced in series, at least one of the reflector elements having an elongate concave reflective surface to reflect incident solar radiation towards a forward adjacent reflector element in the array. The at least one reflector element includes a photovoltaic receptor mounted on the reflector element by a mounting arrangement to receive reflected solar…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DATA COMMUNICATION IN AN ENERGY DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
Granted: September 27, 2012
Application Number:
20120243416
A system for communicating information on an energy distribution network is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a local supervisor on a communication network, wherein the local supervisor can collect data from one or more energy generation/monitoring devices. The system also includes a command center on the communication network, wherein the command center can generate one or more commands for controlling the one or more energy generation devices. The local supervisor can…
