Solar energy concentrator-collector device

Abstract

The invention relates to a solar energy concentrator-collector device including a stationary reflector-concentrator with reflector-concentrator modules joined to a stationary structure forming a matrix. Each reflector-concentrator module includes a frame and at least one reflective surface portion configured to reflect the sun's rays and concentrate them in a linear focus. The stationary structure is formed by frames fixed to supporting profiles. A mobile receiver includes a mobile structure supporting receptor elements parallel to the linear foci. A tracking mechanism is connected to several the supporting profiles and to the mobile structure in order to support and move the mobile structure on the stationary reflector-concentrator so that the receptor elements follow a path of maximum confluence of the sun's rays reflected by the reflective surfaces as the relative position of the sun changes.

1 .- 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A solar energy concentrator-collector device, of the type comprising:
 a stationary reflector-concentrator with a plurality of elongated concave reflective surfaces, each configured to reflect the sun's rays and concentrate them in a linear focus parallel to a longitudinal direction, said reflective surfaces being arranged parallel next to one another and joined to a stationary structure;   a mobile receiver with a plurality of elongated receptor elements arranged parallel to the direction of said linear foci and joined to a mobile structure; and   a tracking mechanism connected to said stationary structure and to said mobile structure in order to support and move the mobile structure on said stationary reflector-concentrator in a path so that said receptor elements follow the maximum confluence of the sun's rays reflected by the reflective surfaces as the relative position of the sun changes;   wherein:   each reflective surface portion substantially has the shape of a ruled surface having a parabola vertex, a parabola axis and a parabola focus coinciding with said linear focus, and the tracking mechanism is arranged in order to support and move the mobile structure such that each of the receptor elements of the mobile receiver describes a circular path which passes through said parabola focus, and which has a center on said parabola axis, a lower point in the lower intersection with the parabola axis, and a diameter slightly greater than a distance between the parabola focus and said parabola vertex.   
     
     
         27 . The device according to  claim 26 , wherein a ratio of the diameter with respect to said distance is within the range 1<D/FV≦1.10. 
     
     
         28 . The device according to  claim 26 , wherein the reflective surface portion has two side edges, said parabola vertex is centered between said side edges, and the ratio of a distance between the side edges of each reflective surface portion with respect to the diameter of the circular path is in the range of 1:0.9 to 1:2.0. 
     
     
         29 . The device according to  claim 26 , wherein the stationary reflector-concentrator includes a plurality of reflector-concentrator modules arranged forming a matrix of longitudinal and transverse rows, each of said reflector-concentrator modules comprising a frame to which at least one upper element carrying at least one reflective surface portion is fixed, wherein the stationary structure is formed by said frames of the reflector-concentrator modules and by a plurality of supporting profiles, where the frames of the reflector-concentrator modules of each row are fixed at opposite ends or sides to at least two of said supporting profiles. 
     
     
         30 . The device according to  claim 29 , wherein said tracking mechanism comprises at least three base bodies fixed to at least two of the supporting profiles, and each of said base bodies rotationally supports at least one supporting shaft on which a pivoting arm connected to the mobile structure for guiding the movements of the mobile structure is assembled. 
     
     
         31 . The device according to  claim 29 , wherein said upper element carrying said reflective surface portion of each reflector-concentrator module is precisely positioned in a predetermined stable operative position in relation to the corresponding frame and the frame of each reflector-concentrator module comprises first module positioning configurations cooperating with second module positioning configurations provided in said supporting profiles in order to position each reflector-concentrator module and with it the corresponding reflective surface portion in a predetermined operative position in relation to the supporting profiles. 
     
     
         32 . The device according to  claim 31 , wherein the supporting profiles comprise retaining members associated with said second module positioning configurations and capable of immobilizing said first module positioning configurations with respect to the second module positioning configurations. 
     
     
         33 . The device according to  claim 32 , wherein said retaining members are capable of a quick action by elastic deformation. 
     
     
         34 . The device according to  claim 31 , wherein each base body of the tracking mechanism comprises first receiver positioning configurations precisely positioned with respect to said supporting shaft, and the corresponding supporting profiles, or auxiliary parts fixed thereto, comprise second receiver positioning configurations precisely positioned with respect to said second module positioning configurations, said first receiver positioning configurations cooperating with said second receiver positioning configurations in order to position each base body in a predetermined operative position in relation to the corresponding supporting profile and thereby assuring a predetermined degree of precision for said path of the mobile receiver in relation to said stationary reflector-concentrator. 
     
     
         35 . The device according to  claim 34 , wherein the supporting profiles are arranged transverse to the direction of said linear foci and the frames of the reflector-concentrator modules of each transverse row are fixed at their opposite ends to two of said supporting profiles. 
     
     
         36 . The device according to  claim 35 , wherein the plurality of supporting profiles comprises at least two first supporting profiles and at least one second supporting profile, each arranged between two adjacent transverse rows of reflector-concentrator modules, where each of said first and second supporting profiles has a pair of facing upright walls in which the corresponding second module positioning configurations are provided. 
     
     
         37 . The device according to  claim 36 , wherein each of said first supporting profiles has a channel shape open at the top where said pair of facing upright walls extend from side edges of a bottom wall. 
     
     
         38 . The device according to  claim 36 , wherein the plurality of supporting profiles furthermore comprises two third supporting profiles arranged next to the outer ends of each of the end transverse rows of reflector-concentrator modules, where each of said third supporting profiles has an upright wall in which the corresponding second module positioning configurations are formed. 
     
     
         39 . The device according to  claim 36 , wherein each base body of the tracking mechanism is a reducer gearbox the output shaft of which is said supporting shaft and the input shaft of which is connected by movement transmission means to the output shaft of a drive motor assembled in the corresponding first supporting profile. 
     
     
         40 . The device according to  claim 39 , wherein at least two of the base bodies of the tracking mechanism are installed in one and the same first supporting profile and their respective input shafts are connected by respective movement transmission means to a single drive shaft installed along the first supporting profile and coupled to the output shaft of a single drive motor assembled in the first supporting profile. 
     
     
         41 . The device according to  claim 40 , wherein the supporting shaft of each base body is parallel to the longitudinal direction and is fixedly connected to a first end of a pivoting arm, which has a second end connected by a hinge pin to a corresponding leg which extends downwards from the mobile structure, the stationary structure, said pivoting arms and the mobile structure functioning like an articulated parallelogram for guiding the movement of all the receptor elements of the mobile receiver in unison with respect to their respective reflective surfaces along a circular path. 
     
     
         42 . The device according to  claim 41 , wherein each pivoting arm has a length between the supporting shaft and said hinge pin that is equal to half of said diameter of the circular path, and the sum of a first normal distance between said lower point of the circular path and the supporting shaft and a second normal distance between the hinge pin and a central line of the receptor element is equal to said half of the diameter of the circular path. 
     
     
         43 . The device according to  claim 42 , wherein the supporting shaft of each base body is shifted downwards and/or towards a side with respect to the center of any of the circular paths. 
     
     
         44 . The device according to  claim 26 , wherein the mobile structure comprises a plurality of longitudinal profiles and transverse profiles connected to one another forming a grid, and said receptor elements are supported at their ends between every two of said transverse profiles. 
     
     
         45 . The device according to  claim 44 , wherein each of said receptor elements comprises at least one receptor tube for a heat-transfer fluid, with an inlet end and an outlet end connected and communicated with a circuit for said heat-transfer fluid. 
     
     
         46 . The device according to  claim 45 , wherein at least one of said transverse profiles of the mobile structure is a profile having a closed cross-section forming a supply duct or a return duct of said circuit for the heat-transfer fluid, and at least one of said inlet and outlet ends of each receptor tube is connected and communicated with a respective duct of said supply and return ducts formed by the transverse profile. 
     
     
         47 . The device according to  claim 46 , wherein the receptor tube of each receptor element is bent such that its inlet and outlet ends are at one and the same end of the receptor element, and the supply and return ducts are formed by a single transverse profile of the mobile structure or by two transverse profiles located next to one another. 
     
     
         48 . The device according to  claim 29 , wherein the at least one upper element of each reflector-concentrator module is an arched upper sheet of metal having a polished outer surface for forming the at least one reflective surface portion. 
     
     
         49 . The device according to  claim 48 , wherein each reflector-concentrator module furthermore comprises a lower sheet and a filler material arranged between the upper element and the lower sheet, said filler material being adhered to the upper element, to the lower sheet and to the frame. 
     
     
         50 . The device according to  claim 44 , wherein each of the receptor elements is rotationally supported at its ends such that it can rotate about a longitudinal axis, and receptor elements are connected by movement transmission means to a driving pulley centered in the hinge pin and fixedly joined to the pivoting arm, the transmission ratio being such that the rotational speed of the receptor elements is half the rotational speed of the pivoting arm. 
     
     
         51 . The device according to  claim 29 , wherein the reflective surface portions are located at a higher level with respect to upper edges of said supporting profiles, and an automatic cleaning device is configured and arranged for shifting cleaning elements along the longitudinal direction of the reflective surfaces in cooperation with a cleaning liquid.