A solar panel optimization apparatus including a magnifying glass and a plurality of hydraulic legs attached to a rear surface of the magnifying glass. A control housing is also attached to the rear surface of the magnifying glass. A central processing unit having a light tracking system is disposed within the control housing. A solar panel has an adjustable support frame and an upper surface attached to a bottom end of each of the plurality of hydraulic legs. The light tracking system of the central processing unit is configured to selectively adjust the plurality of hydraulic legs in order to maximize the intensity of light disposed on the magnifying glass.

A solar panel optimization apparatus including a magnifying glass and a plurality of hydraulic legs attached to a rear surface of the magnifying glass. A control housing is also attached to the rear surface of the magnifying glass. A central processing unit having a light tracking system is disposed within the control housing. A solar panel has an adjustable support frame and an upper surface attached to a bottom end of each of the plurality of hydraulic legs. The light tracking system of the central processing unit is configured to selectively adjust the plurality of hydraulic legs in order to maximize the intensity of light disposed on the magnifying glass.

Examples are provided herein that relate to solar heating with a solar refraction device. One example provides a solar heating system, comprising a container configured to enclose contents within the container in a closed configuration, and a solar refraction device comprising a lens array assembly having a plurality of lens array sub-assemblies, the lens array assembly configured to refract solar energy impinging on the lens array assembly to focus refracted solar energy at a plurality of focal points positioned to heat the contents enclosed within the container, each focal point corresponding to a corresponding lens array sub-assembly of the plurality of lens array sub-assemblies.

In one example, a mobile solar system includes a solar refraction device comprising a lens array assembly having a plurality of lens array sub-assemblies. The lens array assembly is configured to refract solar energy impinging on the lens array assembly to focus refracted solar energy at a plurality of focal points of the plurality of lens array sub-assemblies. Each focal point of the plurality of focal points corresponds to a corresponding lens array sub-assembly of the solar refraction device. The solar system further includes a frame supporting the solar refraction device above an underlying surface, and a mobility system coupled to the frame to provide for movement of the solar refraction device above and across the underlying surface.

The invention relates to a passive tracking device for tracking the position of the sun, which comprises a hollow parallelepiped casing through which the solar radiation entering through a first lens located at the upper end of the parallelepiped casing passes towards a discriminating reflector arranged at the lower end of the same casing; the tracking device redirects as much incoming radiation as possible towards side chambers for absorbing radiation, heating a working fluid contained in the side chamber; producing a volumetric expansion in the working fluid that, communicating with shafts for the rotation of the tracking device, allows the orientation with the normal/perpendicular position with respect to the position of the sun, and to guide the alignment direction of other tracking devices for collecting energy in devices for collecting photovoltaic and/or thermal energy that are mechanically connected to the tracking device.

A concentrated solar power generation system includes a movable platform having a groove, a Fresnel lens located in the groove of the movable platform, a header located below the Fresnel lens, a plurality of heat collection tubes arranged in a circular array, a reflector with a tapered surface, and a support base. The header has a water circulation pipe, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. The inlet pipe and the outlet pipe each are communicated to the water circulation pipe. A lower end of each of the heat collection tubes is fixed on the support seat, and an upper end of each of the heat collection tubes contacts the water circulation pipe. The reflector is mounted on the support base and located in a space enclosed by the heat collection tubes.

A solar energy utilization device, comprising a light energy utilization device and at least one liquid light condensing device. The liquid light condensing device is filled with a transparent liquid. The liquid light condensing device has at least one photoreceptor capable of transmitting sunlight into the transparent liquid and a reflector that reflects incident sunlight. In the liquid light condensing device, the sunlight that is reflected by the reflector and then transmitted to the photoreceptor from the transparent liquid forms a total reflection phenomenon, such that the sunlight is prevented from being refracted from the photoreceptor after being reflected by the reflector into the transparent liquid. Thus more sunlight is condensed onto a light energy utilization part of the light energy utilization device, thereby improving the light condensing efficiency.

A solar energy utilization device (1000), solar light emitted from a transparent liquid (200) to a light receiver (120) in the apparatus (1000) forming total reflection; in addition, a light energy utilization portion (310) is laid above the bottom wall (112) of a light concentrating tank (110), better facilitating the concentration of solar light on the light energy utilization portion (310) by a liquid light concentrating apparatus (100), thereby preventing the solar light from being refracted from the light receiver (120) after being reflected by the light concentrating tank (110) into the transparent liquid (200), concentrating more solar light on the light energy utilization portion (310) of the light energy utilization apparatus (300), and increasing the light concentrating efficiency.

The present application describes embodiments of a non-tracking solar energy collector comprising: (a) at least one solar radiation concentrator for collimating and directing the incident solar radiation rays to at least one focal point along the surface of a reactive reflector; (b) the reactive reflector mounted on top of an external cavity and having at least one transparency zone instantly formed at said at least one focal point of the solar radiation rays, for letting the solar radiation rays enter said external cavity, wherein said transparency zone is constantly moving along the surface of said reactive reflector following the position of said at least one focal point of the solar radiation rays; and (c) the external cavity containing a solar cell and capable of trapping the entered solar radiation rays by inner scattering of said solar radiation rays on the walls of said external cavity, wherein said inner scattering of said solar radiation rays inside said external cavity is preventing solar radiation to escape from said solar cell, thereby minimising solar radiation losses.

According to one embodiment, an optical element includes a continuous gradient index distribution area, and a first medium. The continuous gradient index distribution area is configured to continuously attenuate gradient index from a center of the optical element in a radial direction. The first medium is at the center. The first medium includes an area where absolute value of imaginary part of a complex refractive index is greater than zero.