HYBRID ELECTRICAL POWER SOURCE COMBINING STIRLING ENGINE DRIVEN ALTERNATOR WITH SUPPLEMENTING ELECTRICAL ENERGY STORAGE
Granted: August 20, 2009
Application Number:
20090206667
An electrical power source including a free-piston Stirling engine driving an alternator to supply power through a bus to a user load and controlled by an engine/alternator controller. A bidirectional DC/DC converter is connected between a battery and the bus. The stroke of the engine piston is modulated between a maximum and a minimum stroke to maintain the bus voltage at a design nominal bus voltage (V1), and charge the battery if it is not charged, when and so long as the bus voltage…
Rolling Motion Tracking Solar Assembly
Granted: January 29, 2009
Application Number:
20090025708
A tracking solar assembly includes a base, a first support and a second support. A solar panel is mountable the base. The first support may comprise a first curved, rolling surface fixed relative to the base. The first and second supports are engageable with the support surface. The first curved surface can be rolled along the support surface to move the base between first and second orientations. The base and any solar panel may have sufficient weight to be inherently stable and resist…
PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE MOUNTING CLIP WITH INTEGRAL GROUNDING
Granted: January 1, 2009
Application Number:
20090000220
An electrically conductive mounting/grounding clip, usable with a photovoltaic (PV) assembly of the type having an electrically conductive frame, comprises an electrically conductive body. The body has a central portion and first and second spaced-apart arms extending from the central portion. Each arm has first and second outer portions with frame surface-disrupting element at the outer portions.
Electronic Controller Matching Engine Power To Alternator Power And Maintaining Engine Frequency For A Free-Piston Stirling Engine Driving A Linear Alternator
Granted: December 18, 2008
Application Number:
20080309095
A feedback control method and circuit for inclusion in a control system of an electrical power generating source that comprises a free piston Stirling engine driving a linear alternator. An instantaneous value of a variable, Vinternal, is continuously derived from other sensed and computed parameters and used in a negative feedback control loop of the control system to control engine piston stroke in order to maintain the power produced by the engine equal to the power transferred from…
CONTROLLER COMPUTING A VIRTUAL TUNING CAPACITOR FOR CONTROLLING A FREE-PISTON STIRLING ENGINE DRIVING A LINEAR ALTERNATOR
Granted: December 11, 2008
Application Number:
20080303289
A feedback control circuit and method for a control system used to control an electrical power generating source that comprises a free piston Stirling engine driving a linear alternator. A switching mode rectifier connects the alternator winding to an output circuit that includes an electrical energy storage means and is controlled by a pulse width modulator that controls the rectifier switching duty cycle and phase. The control system controls the pulse width modulator. The improvement…
Connection Of A Free-Piston Stirling Machine And A Load Or Prime Mover Permitting Differing Amplitudes Of Reciprocation
Granted: December 4, 2008
Application Number:
20080295511
The reciprocatable power piston of a free-piston Stirling machine is drivingly linked to a reciprocatable component body of an associated apparatus by at least one spring with no rigid connection linking the piston to the component body. The spring drive linkage allows the power piston and the reciprocatable component body of the associated apparatus to reciprocate at different amplitudes of oscillation. Therefore, the Stirling machine and the associated apparatus can be optimized at…
MULTI-PIECE PISTON FOR A FREE PISTON MACHINE
Granted: October 16, 2008
Application Number:
20080250784
The concentricity and coaxiality of a central bore through a piston for a free piston Stirling machine is improved with a piston that has a sleeve with a core constructed from at least two, separate, axially-engaging core components sealed within the sleeve. During fabrication, a central bore is machined through each of the core components. The piston is assembled by heating the sleeve and cooling the core components, inserting the core components into the sleeve and then allowing the…
Tilt Assembly for Tracking Solar Collector Assembly
Granted: October 9, 2008
Application Number:
20080245360
A tilt assembly is used with a solar collector assembly of the type comprising a frame, supporting a solar collector, for movement about a tilt axis by pivoting a drive element between first and second orientations. The tilt assembly comprises a drive element coupler connected to the drive element and a driver, the driver comprising a drive frame, a drive arm and a drive arm driver. The drive arm is mounted to the drive frame for pivotal movement about a drive arm axis. Movement on the…
Stackable Tracking Solar Collector Assembly
Granted: September 25, 2008
Application Number:
20080230047
A solar collector assembly may include a frame supporting a solar collector and a frame member defining a tilted pivot axis. Support struts may be used to elevate one end of the frame and may be pivoted between an orientation generally parallel to the frame member and to an orientation generally away from the frame. Anchorless, ballast type bases may be used to support the solar collector assembly. Several assemblies may be stacked on top of one another in a storage or transportation…
METAL CONTACT STRUCTURE FOR SOLAR CELL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE
Granted: September 4, 2008
Application Number:
20080210301
In a solar cell having p doped regions and n doped regions alternately formed in a surface of a semiconductor wafer in offset levels through use of masking and etching techniques, metal contacts are made to the p regions and n regions by first forming a base layer contacting the p doped regions and n doped regions which functions as an antireflection layer, and then forming a barrier layer, such as titanium tungsten or chromium, and a conductive layer such as copper over the barrier…
Jointed head with temporary clamp for stirling machine allowing head access during testing and facilitating subsequent close-out welding
Granted: August 28, 2008
Application Number:
20080203678
A clamping apparatus for allowing pre-close-out access to the head of a Stirling machine and facilitating subsequent close-out welding of the head. The head is axially separable into removable and fixed portions, each portion having an end that engages the other. Each portion has an annular flange extending radially outwardly at its engaging end, and each flange has an annular groove. O-rings are seated in the grooves. A temporary sealing ring surrounds and engages the O-rings. Clamping…
SOLAR CELL HAVING SILICON NANO-PARTICLE EMITTER
Granted: May 29, 2008
Application Number:
20080121279
A silicon solar cell having a silicon substrate includes p-type and n-type emitters on a surface of the substrate, the emitters being doped nano-particles of silicon. To reduce high interface recombination at the substrate surface, the nano-particle emitters are preferably formed over a thin interfacial tunnel oxide layer on the surface of the substrate.
PV Module Mounting Method and Mounting Assembly
Granted: January 3, 2008
Application Number:
20080000173
A method for mounting PV modules to a deck includes selecting PV module layout pattern so that adjacent PV module edges are spaced apart. PV mounting and support assemblies are secured to the deck according to the layout pattern using fasteners extending into the deck. The PV modules are placed on the PV mounting and support assemblies. Retaining elements are located over and secured against the upper peripheral edge surfaces of the PV modules so to secure them to the deck with the…
PV Module Mounting and Support Assembly and Installation
Granted: December 27, 2007
Application Number:
20070295391
In some examples a PV module mounting and support assembly includes a base mountable to the deck, a deck-penetrating fastener for securing the base to the deck, and PV module mounting hardware. The PV module mounting hardware is used to secure an edge of a PV module on a PV module-support surface of the base with the edge of the PV module spaced apart from the deck. Flashing may be used between the lower surface and the deck. In some examples an internal PV mounting and support assembly…
SOLAR CELL HAVING DOPED SEMICONDUCTOR HETEROJUNCTION CONTACTS
Granted: November 8, 2007
Application Number:
20070256728
A silicon solar cell has doped amorphous silicon contacts formed on a tunnel silicon oxide layer on a surface of a silicon substrate. High temperature processing is unnecessary in fabricating the solar cell.
SOLAR CELL HAVING POLYMER HETEROJUNCTION CONTACTS
Granted: July 5, 2007
Application Number:
20070151599
A solar cell having backside contacts is economically fabricated through use of acceptor and donor polymers which are inkjet printed in interleaved patterns on the back surface as the carrier accepting electrodes of the solar cell. The polymers can be placed on a tunnel oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, or the polymers can be in direct contact with the semiconductor substrate. Electrical patterns interconnecting the acceptor and donor polymer patterns can also be formed…
Substrate carrier for electroplating solar cells
Granted: March 24, 2005
Application Number:
20050061665
A carrier for use in processing of a plurality of wafers or other substrates includes a support frame on which the wafers are mounted and in one embodiment at least one auxiliary frame for holding the substrates on the support frame. A plurality of clips extend from the auxiliary frame and engage the substrates in pressure engagement, and fasteners retain the auxiliary frame in position with respect to the support frame. In one embodiment two auxiliary frames can be employed for holding…
SPRING STANDOFF FOR A RECIPROCATING DEVICE
Granted: February 3, 2005
Application Number:
20050022662
A spring standoff for a reciprocating device, the standoff having a generally cylindrical body and having a window in a circumferential surface of the body, and a flange at each end of the body, one flange to be coupled to a planar spring of the reciprocating device, and the other flange to be coupled to a sealing container of the reciprocating device. The body generally concentrically houses at least a portion of a reciprocating rod coupled to the planar spring of the reciprocating…
Compact micro-concentrator for photovoltaic cells
Granted: February 3, 2005
Application Number:
20050022858
A reflector array comprises a plurality of partial parabolic reflectors arranged in rows and columns with each reflector directing radiation to a receiver or from a transmitter located at the focus of the reflector. In a compact photovoltaic cell arrangement, each cell is shielded from direct radiation by the adjacent reflector. The reflectors can be formed as one unit with reflective material or with the reflecting surfaces coated with aluminum, silver, or other suitable reflecting…
Securing device for a spring
Granted: February 3, 2005
Application Number:
20050025565
A securing device for a spring is provided, the device having a generally hollow spring support having a spring mount having a projection on an inner side of the spring support and configured to support the spring, the device further having a generally annular coupling ring configured to connect to the spring support to secure the spring to the spring support.
