Ulllted States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 8,359,861 B2

US008359861B2
(12) Ulllted States Patent

Tamaura et a].
(54) SOLAR HEAT COLLECTOR, SUNLIGHT COLLECTING REFLECTOR, SUNLIGHT
COLLECTING SYSTEM AND SOLAR
ENERGY UTILIZATION SYSTEM
(10) Patent N0.:

(45) Date of Patent:
(56)
3,927,659 A *
US 8,359,861 B2
Jan. 29, 2013
References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
12/1975 Blake etal. ................. .. 126/643
(75)
Inventors: Yutaka Tamaura, Tokyo (JP);Yoshio
4,034,737 A *
7/1977 Kume ......................... .. 126/603
YoshizaWa, Tokyo (JP); Motoaki Utamura, Tokyo (JP); Hiroshi Hasuike,
(Continued)
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
JP JP 50-122945 A 54-035433 A 9/1975 3/1979
Tokyo (JP); Hideyuki Ishihara, Tokyo (JP); Tadahiko Takamatsu, Tokyo (JP)
(73) Assignee: Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo
(JP)
(*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35
(Continued)
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Schramek et al, Multi-tower solar array, Jul. 17, 2003, Solar Energy 75, 249-260.*
U.S.C. l54(b) by 868 days. (21) Appl. No.: 11/574,220 (22) PCT Filed: Aug. 31, 2005
(86) PCT No.: PCT/JP2005/015908
(Continued)
Primary Examiner * Kenneth Bomberg
Assistant Examiner * Christopher Jetton
371 (0X1) (2), (4) Date:

(87)
Oct. 27, 2008
PCT Pub. No.: WO2006/025449

PCT Pub. Date: Mar. 9, 2006
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm * FenWick & West LLP
(57)
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2009/0173337 A1 Jul. 9, 2009
ABSTRACT
A sunlight collecting system and a solar energy utilization
system Which collects sunlight With the sunlight collecting

system are provided, a sunlight collecting system including a
solar heat collector Which includes a heat collecting element
(30)
Foreign Application Priority Data

(JP) ............................... .. 2004-253499
(JP) ............................... .. 2004-326788 (JP) ............................... .. 2005-059744
Aug. 31, 2004

Nov. 10, 2004 Mar. 3, 2005
Which is formed by a helically Wound heat exchange medium circulation pipe inside Which the heat exchange medium
?oWs, in such a Way to have an incurved light receiving surface Which narrows and converges toWards the sunlight inlet and a sunlight collecting re?ector Which includes a re?ector group Which includes a plurality of re?ector seg ments each of Which includes a re?ecting surface Which makes sunlight converge on a heat collector, a sunlight col lecting system in Which a plurality of heliostats Bm are
(51)
Int. Cl. F03G 7/00 F03G 6/00 B60K 16/00 F24] 2/18
(2006.01) (2006.01) (2006.01) (2006.01)

126/685
arranged in places Which are irradiated by the sunlight

betWeen a plurality of heliostats An, in Which each of the heliostats An and the heliostats Bm re?ect light in a direction to a light collecting point of a heliostat group in Which the heliostat is included.
(52)
(58)
US. Cl. ............... .. 60/641.15; 60/64l.8; 60/64l.ll;

Field of Classi?cation Search ............... .. 60/64l.8,
60/64l.ll, 641.13, 641.14, 641.15; 126/569,

l26/572i608, 6344677, 6834700 See application ?le for complete search history.
6 Claims, 37 Drawing Sheets

1 I REFLECTOR GROUP
21 FIRST REFLECT
EGMENT
F1 LID
OLLECTING POINT (UPPER FOCUS) l1 SECOND REFLECTOR SEGMENT
LOWER FOCUS
l1 13
HELIOSTAT (FIRST REFLECTOR)
LIGHT COLLECTING SUWACE
US 8,359,861 B2
Page 2
US. PATENT DOCUMENTS OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Al 2 i
432493515 A
4,452,047 A *
giiigrsgixet' """"""" "

2/1981 Page ' """""" "
6/19g4 Hunt et a1, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,, 60/641,15
Schramek et al, Philipp; Multi-tower solar array; Feb. 26, 2002;

University of Sydney, Dept ofApplied Physics, p. 249-260.*
Epstein, E., et al., A molten sald system with a ground base-inte
4,8l5,443 A *
4,947,825 A *
5,002,379 A *
*
3/ 1989 Vrolyk et al.

8/1990 Moriarty
3/1991 Munha """ "
. 126/697
. 126/685
' 359/853
grated solar receiver storage tank, Journal De Physique IV France,

1999, p, 95.104, v01, 9,
Pacheco, J.E., et al., Overview of Recent Results of the Solar Two
2 * l
6l3l565 A *
a a
gilllglev et a1
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~
'
' 126/577
~
Test and Evaluations Program, Proceedings of the 1999 ASME

International Solar Energy Conference: Renewable and Advanced
5;
10/2000 Mill: """ "
6,620,995 B2 * 9/2003 Vasylyev et al. . 136/246 7 607 429 B2 >1 10/2009 vasylyev et a1 126/692

Energy Systems for 21 Qenmry 1999' Schramek, P., eta1., Multl-tower solar array, Solar Energy, 2003, p.
249-260, V01. 75.
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
Sinai, J ., et al., Adaptation and modi?cation of gas turbines for solar
JP JP
JP
56457760 A 02_022522 A
11-051497 A
12/1981 1/199()
2/1999
energy applications, Proceedings of GT2005, ASME Turbo EXpo 2005: Power for Land, Sea and Air, Jun. 6-9, 2005, 7 Pages.
* cited by examiner
JP
2002-250566 A
9/2001
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 1 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.1
HEAT COLLECTING ELEMENT 3
4 SUNLIGHT INLET I SOLAR HEAT COLLECTOR LIGHT RECEIVING SURFACE 2
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 2 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG-2
(a)
6 HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM OUTLET 4 SUNUGHT INLET 1 SOLAR HEAT COLLECTOR
W / ZLIGHT RECEIVING
SURFACE 7 HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM
If
(b)
I I
_ :SEEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM INLET
HEATING MEDIUM CIRCULATION PIPE 7 SOLAR HEAT COLLECTOR 1
/HEAT EXCHANGE
/ MEDIUM INLET
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 3 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.3
LOSS CAUSED BY REFLECTION B
LOSS CAUSED BY THERMAL RADIATION G CONVEGTIVE HEAT TRANSFER LOSS FROM LIGHT RECEIVING SURFACE D CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER LOSS FROM OUTSIDE WALL E
THERMAL ENERGY TRANSFERRED TO HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM A
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 4 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.4
(a)
o
'2 '
(b)
~~_ :\_________
Pg 5 *~
E '4
' -e
8
'5 5
9 E
J_______ _____ I
//
/
|
1
-12 14
HEAT FLUX [kw/m2]
10
12
RADIUS [m]
(c)
0
(d)
____
'2
' \\
E ;\
E _4 'g 5 "'3 '6
IE _ y 2
-___-__________________ I1 1 5
"0
-I2
~14
HEAT FLUX [kw/m2]
1012
RADIUSM
E
l
g
I
I
<
HEAT FLUX [kw/m2]
1012
RADIUS[m]
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 5 0f 37
FIG.5
US 8,359,861 B2
Da
HEAT COLLECTING ELEMENT
Dmax
Hm
FIG.6
SUNLIGHT SB
600C
550C
METAL
HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM CENTER

OF PIPE
LIGHT RECEIVING INNER SURFACE SURFACE OF PIPE
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 6 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.7
G d e f g h B 0%0 01. 1:7-?

B
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 7 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.8
SUN S
SECOND LIGHT COLLECTING SYSTEM so
\ SUNLIGHT s5
[J
/
FIRST LIGHT COLLECTING
SYSTEM FC
THIRD LIGHT COLLECTING SYSTEM CPO

O
4L
\ 2
\
C
X :b
15'
<_ {>4
350C
I
83 82
81
FIG.9
(a)
SUNLIGHT INLET 94
(b)
SUNLIGHTINLEI 94 SUNLIGHT SB
LIQUIDFILM
as HEAT COLLECTING ENT

91 HE T
92 LIGHT RECEIVING
;%"LIE0TR
I LIGHT RECEIVING SURFACE
96 HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM OUTLET
96 HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM OUTLET
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 8 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.1O
(b)
96A
(0)
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 9 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG] I
600C
MEAN TEMPERATURE "
INSULATING MATERIAL
LIQUID FILM SURFACE
LIGHT RECEIVING SURFACE
FIG.12
SUNLIGHT-%
600C M
MEAN TEMPERATURE J1
HEAT l
EXCHANGE METAL MEDIUM
LIQUID FILM SURFACE
LIGHT RECEIVING SURFACE
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 10 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.13
SECOND LiGHT COLLECTING SYSTEM so
SUNLIGHT s5
W1
THIRD LIGHT COLLECTING SYSTEM CPC
LLE TIN @STETAFC?
FIRST LIGHT
4 3;
\
\
35002 E .
:
91f
---5*
2
550C
81
83
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 11 0137
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.14
H REFLECTOR GROUP
21 FIRST REFLECTOR SEGMENT
F1 LiGHT COLLECTING POINT (UPPER FOCUS)

22 SECOND REFLECTOR SEGMENT
TO LOWER FOCUS
LOWER FOCUS
12
13
HELIOSTAT (FIRST REFLECTOR)
LIGHT COLLECTING SURFACE
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 12 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.15
TO CENTER
HELIOSTAT
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 13 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.16
/ SUNS
SECOND LiGHT COLLECTING SYSTEM SC
(SUNLIGHT COLLECTING REFLECTOR)
Ca
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 14 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
nu
._ z_.On_
PUZFIOmGS
EM OZ
TEmm
@Em52ov5
W6
OZDEU
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 15 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 16 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.19
__4
D \
-0.s 0.4
\ 8L l
\ -,
-1.2 -U8 _1 .
_1_4
X-coord
POSITION OF gHELEOSTAT AT 8 AM.

MOVEMENT OF HELIOSTAT
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 17 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
FIG.20
8 SUN
FIRST HELIOSTAT
SHADOW LENGTH
BLOCKiNG LENGTH
US. Patent
Jan. 29, 2013
Sheet 18 0f 37
US 8,359,861 B2
F1621
4.5 = = I
~
4
3-5
3
25 . I
SHADOW LENGTH
BLOCKING LENGTH _
"
' " "W?

.
QUANTITY OF OOLLEOTEO LIGHT

PER FIELD UNIT LENGTH .... __
THEORETICAL QUANTITY OF
I
2 ,,~ .. Kg
COLLECTED LIGHT (UPPER LIMIT)

I vii, -'
1.5
"'I
-500
400
300
2D0
100 0 I00 200 300 POSITION OF HELIOSTAT m
400
500

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US008359861B2

(12) Ulllted States Patent

(10) Patent N0.:

Inventors: Yutaka Tamaura, Tokyo (JP);Yoshio

7/1977 Kume ......................... .. 126/603

YoshizaWa, Tokyo (JP); Motoaki Utamura, Tokyo (JP); Hiroshi Hasuike,

371 (0X1) (2), (4) Date:

Oct. 27, 2008

PCT Pub. No.: WO2006/025449

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm * FenWick & West LLP

A sunlight collecting system and a solar energy utilization

system Which collects sunlight With the sunlight collecting

Foreign Application Priority Data

Aug. 31, 2004

(2006.01) (2006.01) (2006.01) (2006.01)

arranged in places Which are irradiated by the sunlight

US. Cl. ............... .. 60/641.15; 60/64l.8; 60/64l.ll;

60/64l.ll, 641.13, 641.14, 641.15; 126/569,

6 Claims, 37 Drawing Sheets

OLLECTING POINT (UPPER FOCUS) l1 SECOND REFLECTOR SEGMENT

HELIOSTAT (FIRST REFLECTOR)

LIGHT COLLECTING SUWACE

giiigrsgixet' """"""" "

Schramek et al, Philipp; Multi-tower solar array; Feb. 26, 2002;

3/ 1989 Vrolyk et al.

grated solar receiver storage tank, Journal De Physique IV France,

Test and Evaluations Program, Proceedings of the 1999 ASME

10/2000 Mill: """ "

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

Sinai, J ., et al., Adaptation and modi?cation of gas turbines for solar

Jan. 29, 2013

HEAT COLLECTING ELEMENT 3

4 SUNLIGHT INLET I SOLAR HEAT COLLECTOR LIGHT RECEIVING SURFACE 2

Jan. 29, 2013

6 HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM OUTLET 4 SUNUGHT INLET 1 SOLAR HEAT COLLECTOR

_ :SEEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM INLET

HEATING MEDIUM CIRCULATION PIPE 7 SOLAR HEAT COLLECTOR 1

Jan. 29, 2013

LOSS CAUSED BY REFLECTION B

THERMAL ENERGY TRANSFERRED TO HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM A

Jan. 29, 2013

HEAT FLUX [kw/m2]

E _4 'g 5 "'3 '6

HEAT FLUX [kw/m2]

HEAT FLUX [kw/m2]

Jan. 29, 2013

HEAT COLLECTING ELEMENT

HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM CENTER

LIGHT RECEIVING INNER SURFACE SURFACE OF PIPE

Jan. 29, 2013

G d e f g h B 0%0 01. 1:7-?

Jan. 29, 2013

SECOND LIGHT COLLECTING SYSTEM so

THIRD LIGHT COLLECTING SYSTEM CPO

as HEAT COLLECTING ENT

96 HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM OUTLET

96 HEAT EXCHANGE MEDIUM OUTLET

Jan. 29, 2013