Concentrating module and method of manufacture for photovoltaic strips

Abstract

A glass concentrator for manufacture of solar energy conversion module is provided including a webbing that has a load sustenance characteristic and a hail impact resistance characteristic based on a first thickness of the webbing. The concentrator also includes a plurality of elongated concentrating elements integrally formed with the webbing. Each of the elongated concentrating elements has an aperture region, an exit region and two side regions, which bears a geometric concentration characteristic provided by a highly reflective side regions and an aperture-to-exit. scale ratio in a range from about 1.8 to about 4.5. The glass concentrator can be attached with a plurality of photovoltaic strips cumulatively on each and every exit regions and clamped with a rigid or flexible back cover member to form a solar concentrator module for converting sunlight to electric energy. The solar concentrator module based on certain embodiments meets the industrial qualification standards.

1 . A method for making a glass concentrator for manufacture of solar energy conversion module, the method comprising:
 forming a molten glass;   feeding a predetermined amount of the molten glass into a float bath to form a floating ribbon glass in rectangular shape defined by a first dimension and a second dimension;   processing the floating ribbon glass to have an even first thickness between a top surface and a back surface;   rolling with a shaped molding roller across the top snake partially into the first thickness at a predetermined first temperature within a first time period to form a plurality of shaped concentrating elements with a second thickness;   annealing the ribbon glass by gradually reducing temperature from the first temperature to a second temperature within a second time period;   lifting the ribbon glass at the second temperature onto a plurality of circular rollers;   rolling the back surface of the ribbon glass while continuing cool the ribbon glass to a third temperature during transportation on the plurality of circular rollers;   flame polishing the plurality of shaped concentrating elements on the top surface;   wherein, the feeding a predetermined amount of the molten glass comprises controlling the first thickness to at least 5 mm to possess a characteristic of sustaining at least a load of 2400 Pa uniformly applied for 1 hour in two cycles;   rolling with a shaped molding roller across the top surface partially into the first thickness to form a plurality of shaped concentrating elements with a second thickness comprises forming a plurality of elongated structures one-next-to-another in parallel, each of the plurality of elongated structures comprising a geometrical optical concentrating element with a scale ratio of an aperture region to an exit region greater than 2.0.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the forming a molten glass comprises melting and blending batch materials including sand, limestone, cerium oxide, iron oxide and salt cake in a furnace. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the forming a molten glass comprises forming a polymer in semi-fluidic form. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the feeding a predetermined amount of the molten glass into a float bath comprises forming a laminated structure by alternatively feeding molten glass with different composition of materials. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  during the rolling with a shaped molding roller across the top surface further comprises partially re-shaping the just-formed concentrating element using a localized water cooling or cryogenic gas cooling. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the annealing the ribbon glass comprises cooling the entire ribbon glass via conduction and convection. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the flame polishing the plurality of shaped concentrating elements comprises using a burner comprising a plurality of gas nozzles to generate a nearly one-dimensional flames. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the burner includes a gas supply tube connected to a pressured gas tank comprising a gas mixture of hydrogen and oxygen with a predetermined mixing ratio.