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Hovering Solar Concentrators
A Low Cost Design for Large Scale Solar Power Generation
By
Dr. Brian Glassman
Cost Per Installed Watt is Key
Investing in a Solar power system is a business decision which must be financially justified
• Payback Time
• Return on Investment
• Total Cost
• Maintenance /Replacement Cost Being Green is nice, but it ultimately will not
make solar popular as an alternative
Lower Cost Designs
To be adopted by large utility companies, solar must compete against electricity prices generated by gas, coal, and oil.
• Current Solar Voltaic Cells are around – $2.5 per installed watt small quantities
• New gas, coal, and oil electric plants are:– Coal $2.0 to $3.3 per installed watt– LNG $1 to $2 per installed watt– Oil Fill in
Solar Concentrators
• Photo Voltaic – Thin Film– Thick Film – Concentrating Photo Voltaic
• Concentrating Solar Cells – Linear Concentrator Systems– Dish/Engine Systems – Power Tower Systems
Components of Solar Concentrator Designs
Dish/Engine Systems
Mirror’s Supporting Structure
Individual Mirrors
Individual Sterling Engine
(Collector)
Rotating Gimble &
Heavy Motors
Support Structure
for Collector
High efficiency, but expensive at $10 to $25 per installed watt The fundamental of the design will always make it expensive!
Dish/Engine Systems
1. Multiple or Curved Mirror Significant cost item
2. Mirror Supporting Structure3. Heavy Motors and Gimble 2 axis Significant cost
4. Individual Sterling Engine Collector Significant cost
5. Support Structure for Collector
Very Efficient, but to expensive to be considered for full scale power generation.
Power Towers (lots of design components)
One large investment ($0.8 to 1.4 billion) , highly efficient, but the number of components make it expensive!
Large Expensive
Tower
Motors & Gimbles
Mirror Support
Structure
Expensive Steam
Generator
Single Large Solar Collector
Link
Components of a Power Tower
1. Large tower & Collector (single large expense)
2. Expensive Steam E/Generator (single large expense)
3. Large Mirror Array
4. Mirror Support Structure
5. Heavy Motors & Gimbles
Power towers can greatly reduce installation cost by being placed next to an existing power plant and use that plants existing steam to electric generator
Solar ConcentratorsCheaper Mirror
Support Structure
Cheaper Radiant Heat Concentrator
Different Mirror Angles Require Multiple Motors
Simple Support
Structure
Simple Flat Mirrors
Getting better, but still many moving parts requiring motors
Solar Trough ArraysMirror
Support Structure
One Axis Gimble with
Motors
Expensive Curved Mirrors
Support Structure
Cheap Collector
Tubes
PV Arrays
2 axis gimble with
Motors
Expensive PV panels
PV support Structure
Current Designs are Insufficient
• All current design have significant cost elements inherent to their design
• I.E. You can make them as cheap as possible, but they will still not break the $2 per watt barrier because of their base designs
• A new type of design is needed!
Move the Collectors!
All designs assume the collector must stay stationary to
the mirrors, but moving them makes the design cheaper!
Morning Noon
Late Afternoon
GreenVineSolar’s Design
• Collectors suspended by cables
Fixed Mirror
Angle of Light Rays
Collectors
Suspension Cable
GreenVineSolar’s Large Array(Called Hovering Solar)
• Collectors suspended by grid of cables• Grid can translate and elevate
Components of Hovering Solar
1. Large tower & Collector
2. Expensive Steam Generator
3. Large Mirror Array
4. Mirror Support Structure
5. Heavy Motors & Gimbles
6. Light Motors to move collectors
7. Multiple or Curved Mirror
8. Mirror Supporting Structure
9. Rotating Motors and Gimble 2 axis
10. Individual Sterling Engine Collector
11. Support Structure for Collector
Components of the Hovering Solar Design
1. Solar collectors
2. Cables to suspend collectors
3. Support structure for cables
4. Motors to move cables & collectors
5. Flat Mirrors6. Steam Turbine (if using Radiant heat collectors)
7. DC to AC converters (if using PV cells collectors)
Mirrors
Because the mirrors do not move they can be made out of cheaper materials– Aluminized sheet metal– Cheap glass mirrors– Cheap polycarbonate mirrors– Stretched aluminized fabrics
Collectors
Different types of collectors can be used
• Radiant heat collectors– Generates steam (phase change)– Heats gas or other fluid
• Photo Voltaic – But one must be careful not to over heat
PV cells.
Applications
• Utility companies • Large Scale Power Generation
– (100+ MW class)
• Medium size power generation – (5 to 100 MW class)
• Large factories with sufficient land • Small utility companies
Will not work well in: • Urban or City Environments• Areas of heavy snow fall or high wind
Utility Applications
• Supplement utility’s electrical production• Can use existing steam turbines
Contact Information
• Currently Looking to License this technology to installers or researchers
• Dr. Brian Glassman
• 321-543-7165
• All information of this presentation is copyrighted (2-8-2010) all rights reseved