Device for Converting electromagnetic Radiation into Electricity, and Related Systems and Methods

Abstract

A device for converting electromagnetic radiation into electricity comprises an expander that includes a conical shape having an axis and a curved surface that is configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation away from the axis to expand a beam of the electromagnetic radiation; and one or more energy conversion components configured to receive a beam of electromagnetic radiation expanded by the expander, and to generate electricity from the expanded beam of electromagnetic radiation. With the expander's curved surface, a beam of electromagnetic radiation that is highly concentrated—has a large radiation flux—may be converted into a beam that has a larger cross-sectional area. Moreover, one can configure, if desired, the curved surface to provide a substantially uniform distribution of radiation across the expanded cross-sectional area. With such an expanded beam the one or more energy conversion components can efficiently convert some of the electromagnetic radiation into electricity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for converting electromagnetic radiation into electricity, the device comprising:
 an expander having an axis and a curved surface that is configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation away from the axis to expand a beam of the electromagnetic radiation, the curved surface including at least two conical segments each shaped as a truncated cone and having a common axis, each conical segment having a selected angle of incidence to the common axis, wherein the at least two conical segments have different angles of incidence to the common axis; and   an energy conversion component disposed to receive the expanded beam and configured to generate electricity from the expanded beam.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a reflective surface disposed between the expander and the energy conversion component and configured to further reflect electromagnetic radiation reflected from the expander toward the energy conversion component. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat sink configured to conduct heat away from the energy conversion component. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the energy conversion component includes a height measured along the direction of the common axis, and   the expander includes a height measured along the direction of the common axis that is longer than the height of the energy conversion component.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional energy conversion components, wherein the energy conversion component and the additional energy conversion components are disposed symmetrically around the common axis. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the energy conversion component and the additional energy conversion components, together, form a polygonal prism shape that surrounds the expander. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an optical component configured to modify electromagnetic radiation before the expander expands the electromagnetic radiation. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the optical component includes at least one of the following: a lens, a prism, a diffuser, a filter, and a mirror. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the selected angles of incidence of the at least two conical segments are selected to create an overlapping vertical distribution of irradiance at the energy conversion component. 
     
     
         10 . A device for converting electromagnetic radiation into electricity, comprising:
 an expander having a shape symmetric about a rotational axis and a reflective surface, wherein the reflective surface includes multiple angles relative to a line parallel to the axis, the multiple angles selected to expand a beam of electromagnetic radiation into an expanded beam; and   a plurality of energy conversion components disposed to receive the expanded beam and configured to generate electricity from the expanded beam,   wherein the multiple angles are selected to change a spatial distribution of electromagnetic energy of the beam between the reflective surface and a member of the plurality of energy conversion components.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the multiple angles are selected to cause two portions of the expanded beam to overlap at the member of the plurality of energy conversion components. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein a cross-section of the expander through the axis has a shape including curved sides, the curved sides being part of the reflective surface. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein a cross-section of the expander through the axis has a shape including sides having a plurality of straight line segments, the sides having a plurality of straight line segments being part of the reflective surface. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 10 , further comprising a reflective surface disposed between the expander and the plurality of energy conversion components and configured to further reflect electromagnetic radiation reflected from the expander toward the plurality of energy conversion components. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 10 , further comprising a heat sink configured to conduct heat away from at least one of the plurality of energy conversion components. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the expander is shaped to compress the height of the reflected light beam transverse to its direction of travel between leaving the expander and reaching a member of the plurality of energy conversion components. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of energy conversion components are arranged in a polygonal prism shape. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 10 , further comprising an optical component configured to modify electromagnetic radiation before the expander expands the electromagnetic radiation. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the optical component includes at least one of the following: a lens, a prism, a diffuser, a filter, and a mirror.