Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SOLAR PANELS
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
This invention relates to solar panels.
Background
Two principle kinds of solar panel are known: electrical photo-voltaic
converters
and piped fluid heat exchangers. The present application is considered
applicable to
both kinds of solar panel, but especially to the electrical photo-voltaic
converter
solar panel.
It is known to mount solar panels on the roof of a building. Examples include
the
arrangements and/or installations described in US-4601282, US-4602613 and US-
5851309. In general roof-mounted solar panels are fixed in position and this
is
largely essential for solar panels of the kind that function as piped fluid
heat
exchangers. Systems have been proposed (e.g. GB-2374139 and WO-02/061849)
that move a solar panel of the electrical photo-voltaic kind from one side of
the roof
to another to maximise the solar panel's sunlight exposure as the earth's
rotation
moves the building-supported solar panel. Such systems are considered complex
and likely to be expensive. Accordingly it is considered desirable to provide
a solar
panel system that can overcome or at least minimise these and/or other
disadvantages of the prior art.
Summary of the Invention
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a solar
panel
system comprising a solar panel to be fixedly located such as to receive
sunlight
from a first direction, and a light guidance device having an inlet for
receiving
sunlight and an outlet for projecting light said light guidance device having
an
operative or in use condition in which it is positioned with its inlet
directed in a
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second direction, preferably opposite said first direction, and with its
outlet directed
to project light therefrom towards the solar panel.
It is envisaged that with the installation of such a system the light guidance
device
can be arranged to "channel" the sunlight towards the solar panel when the
latter is
not directly facing the sun.
Preferably said light guidance device has optical characteristics
substantially similar
to those of a periscope. Advantageously the light guidance device includes one
or
more reflective surfaces. The latter may be provided by one or more mirrors -
planar, concave or convex - or by one or more prisms to provide a total
internal
reflection effect from the or each of said reflective surfaces. Powered
pivoting
means may be provided to tilt the or at least one of the said mirror(s) about
at least
one axis. Where powered pivoting about two or more axes is permitted, this may
be
about axes that are orthogonal to one another.
In one embodiment, means mounting the light guidance device render it movable
from said in use or operative condition to an out-of-use or inoperative
condition.
The mounting means may permit lateral movement of the device from an operative
or in use position in which it is substantially overlying the solar panel to
an
inoperative position in which it is generally alongside the solar' panel. In
one
example of such an arrangement the mounting means permits pivotal movement of
the device with respect to the panel whilst the device and panel remain in
substantially equidistant parallel planes.
Alternatively or additionally, the mounting means may permit a collapsing
movement of the device from an operative position in which it is spaced in
said first
direction from the solar panel to an inoperative position in which that
spacing is
reduced (thereby to minimise wind or storm damage).
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The mounting means employed may incorporate actuators to effect said movement.
Said actuators may be piston-cylinder arrangements driven electrically and/or
pneumatically or hydraulically. Optionally movement of said actuators may be
microprocessor controlled.
Brief Description of the Drawings
By way of example embodiments of this invention will now be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings of which:
Figure 1 is a sketch of a first embodiment of this invention installed on a
roof;
Figure 2 is a sketch showing operative elements of the installed of Fig 1;
Figure 3 is a sketch similar to Fig 2 showing the mobility of a reflective
surface
of the light guidance device of Figs 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is a sketch similar to Fig 1 showing one form of mobility (of part)
of the
light guidance device of Figs 1 and 2;
Figures 5 and 6 are sketches similar to Fig 1 showing another form of mobility
of
the light guidance device of Figs 1 and 2; and
Figures 7 and 8 are sketches similar to Fig 1 showing yet another form of
mobility
of the light guidance device of Figs 1 and 2;
Detailed Description of Example(s) of the Invention
The solar panel system 10 of Fig 1 comprises a solar panel 12 fixedly located
on a
pitched roof 14 such as to receive sunlight from a first direction A. The
installed
system also includes a light guidance device 15 having an inlet 16 for
receiving
sunlight and an outlet 18 for projecting light. The light guidance device 15
is
positioned in use with its inlet 16 directed towards a second direction B,
preferably
opposite said first direction A, and with its outlet 18 directed to project
light
therefrom towards the solar panel 12. As illustrated in Fig 2, the light
guidance
device 15 has optical characteristics substantially similar to those of a
periscope and
comprises a plurality of mirrors 29 to receive light from direction B (i.e.
from the
side of the pitched roof that is not provided with the solar panel 12) and
impinging
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onto inlet 16, the light guidance device 15 serving to redirect the light
received
through inlet 16 and redirect it through outlet 18 and towards the solar panel
12.
In an optional arrangement each of the mirrors or other reflective surfaces 29
can
have a small motor or other device which can change the angle of the mirrors
or
other reflective surfaces 29, to change the direction of the light received
and
reflected therefrom, thus making them more efficient. These motors may be.
controlled by one or more sensors to determine the direction of the sun and
therefore the best angles to point the mirrors or other reflective surfaces
29. There
may be any number of mirrors or other reflective surfaces 29 and at different
angles
to those shown. The motors serve as powered pivoting means may and serve to
tilt
the or at least one of the said mirror(s) about at least one axis. Optionally,
where
powered pivoting about two or more axes is permitted, this may be about axes
that
are orthogonal to one another.
If appropriate in certain special conditions, e.g. when the sun is behind
clouds or it
is winter (and so the amount of light and heat shining is less than normal)
the
surfaces 29 can be moved to redirect light from the same side of roof or panel
12,
i.e. from the same direction A (see Fig 3).
Preferably the light guidance device 15 is movable from its operative, in use
condition to an inoperative out-of-use condition. This may be achieved by the
provision of mounting means that permit lateral movement of the device 15 from
an
in-use position in which it is substantially overlying the solar panel (Fig 8)
to an
out-of-use position in which it is generally alongside the solar panel (Fig
7).
Conveniently this is achieved by arranging for the mounting means to permit
pivotal movement of the device 15 about an axis 30 at right-angles to the
plane of
the solar panel 12.
Alternatively the mounting means may permit pivotal movement of the device 15
about an axis 30 in a plane parallel to the plane of the solar panel 12. Such
an up
and down motion of the device 15 between respectively operative and
inoperative
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conditions for the solar panel may be suitable where the solar panel is fixed
to the
side of a building rather than the roof
In still another alternative, and as intimated by Figs 4-6, the mounting means
for
5 the device 15 may permit a collapsing movement of the device from an
operative
position in which its roof-adjacent plane is spaced in said first direction
from the
plane of the solar panel 15, to an inoperative or out-of-use position in which
that
spacing is less (thereby to minimise wind or storm damage). If appropriate,
the
sides of the device 15 may of flexible material to facilitate lowering and
raising of
the device 15.
The mounting means employed may incorporate actuators 31 (Fig 4) or 32 (Figs 5
and 6) to effect said movement. In the embodiment of Fig 4 said actuators 31
are
piston-cylinder arrangements driven electrically and/or pneumatically or
hydraulically. Optionally the movement of said actuators may be microprocessor
controlled. Alternatively, in the embodiment of Figs 5 and 6, the actuators 32
are
motor-controlled rotational elements operative in a parallelogram fashion from
the
erect, operative position of Fig 5 to the collapsed inoperative position of
Fig 6.
In a modified arrangement, the positionally fixed solar panel solar panel and
the
guidance device are mounted on the side of a building (rather than the roof).
In yet another modified arrangement, the positionally fixed solar panel and
the
guidance device are mounted on the ground (e.g. a garden).
Optionally, in any of the above-described arrangements according to the
invention,
filtering means may be provided to reduce the light or heat energy transmitted
by
the guidance device to the solar panel. Preferably such filtering means are
adjustable to provide variable degrees of filtering.
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It will be appreciated that although the illustrated arrangements embodying
the
invention utilise planar mirrors as reflective surfaces, those reflective
surfaces may
alternatively be provided by one or more concave or convex mirrors or by one
or
more prisms to provide a total internal reflection effect from the or each of
said
reflective surfaces.
Other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will be readily
apparent to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed within the ambit and
scope of
the invention, and the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be
varied in construction and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or
desired)
different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent
monopoly
hereby sought.
