Inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator based concentrating photovoltaic system powered airship

Abstract

An inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator based Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) system powered airship consists of a conventional airship with an upper transparent cover and an array of inflatable non-imaging non-tracking concentrator based CPV modules. Where in, the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrators are inflated with helium or hydrogen and fused into the structure of the airship to generate lifting force and concentrate sunlight to supply power simultaneously. The introduction of the CPV system into the airship dramatically reduces the cost and significantly raises conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic system without adding any extra weight to the airship. The expansion of the airship will both increase the buoyant force and power supply.

Claims

1. A solar powered airship comprising an airship body with a transparent upper cover and an inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator based Concentrating PhotoVoltaic (CPV) system, the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator based CPV system is located inside of the body of the airship beneath the transparent cover; Wherein the oblique incident sunlight including beam light and diffuse light penetrating through the upper transparent cover of the airship body can be concentrated and converted into electric power by the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator based CPV system.

2. The inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator based CPV system of claim 1, comprises an array of inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator based CPV modules.

3. The inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator based CPV module of claim 2, comprises an inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator and a concentrating receiver.

4. The inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator of claim 3, comprises a balloon type container inflated into a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) with a domed upper transparent cover and a flat bottom transparent cover and a domed divergent Fresnel lens.

5. The domed divergent Fresnel lens of claim 4, is covered on the top of the domed upper transparent cover of the CPC of claim 4.

6. The inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator of claim 3, is filled with helium or hydrogen.

7. The concentrating receiver of claim 3, comprises a concentrating photovoltaic panel and a heat exchanger.

8. The airship comprising a body with a transparent upper cover of claim 1, comprises a hull configured to contain the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator of claim 6 as lighter than air gas containers to generate lifting force.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0015] FIG. 1 is the overview of the airship with the transparent upper cover, tailor wings, and propulsion system.

[0016] FIG. 2 is another overview of the airship with the transparent upper cover, tailor wings, and propulsion system.

[0017] FIG. 3 is the cross section view of the airship with the transparent upper cover, tailor wings, and propulsion system, and the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator array based CPV system.

[0018] FIG. 4 is another cross section view of the airship with the transparent upper cover and the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator array based CPV system; in addition, an indication of the obliquely incident sunlight concentrated by the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator array.

[0019] FIG. 5 is the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator with a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) made of reflective film, a domed upper transparent cover, and a flat bottom transparent cover.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator showing the concentration process of both beam light and diffuse light.

[0021] FIG. 7 is the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator with a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) made of reflective film, a domed upper transparent cover, and a flat bottom transparent cover, as well as a receiver made of a concentrating photovoltaic panel and a heat exchanger.

[0022] FIG. 8 is the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator with a CPC made of reflective film, a domed upper transparent cover, and a flat bottom transparent cover, and a domed divergent Fresnel lens on the top of the domed upper transparent cover.

[0023] FIG. 9 is the geometric diagram showing the refraction mechanism that changes the direction of the incident light through the domed divergent Fresnel lens during a diurnal day.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the present exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, instead of solar panels on the upper cover of conventional solar powered airship, the upper cover 1100 of the solar powered airship of the present invention is a transparent cover, which allows sunlight to penetrate through the cover and reach to the CPV system inside of the airship body.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 2, the airship of present invention looks like a conventional airship with the body frame 1000, tailor wings 1200, propulsion system 1300, except that the upper cover of the body frame 1100 is transport.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 3, airship of the present invention contains an inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator array based CPV system 2000 inside of the airship body frame 1000, and the solar concentrators of the CPV system are filled with lighter than air gases such as helium and hydrogen to generate buoyant lifting force.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 4, the obliquely incident sunlight 3000 which penetrates through the transparent cover 1100 and reaches to the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator array 2000 is refracted and concentrated by the solar concentrator array.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 5, the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator is formed by such a way that two transparent membranes and one reflective membrane are sealed together into a pre-form, then the pre-form is inflated into a balloon type CPC 2100, with its top covered with a domed transparent cover 2200 and its bottom covered with a flat transparent cover 2300.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 6, the CPC is able to concentrate both the beam light I.sub.b and the diffuse light I.sub.d, as long as their incident angles relative to the CPC are smaller than the acceptance half-angle of the CPC.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 7, a photovoltaic receiver 2500, which is a combination of a concentrating photovoltaic panel and a heater exchanger, is sealed into the inflatable non-imaging non-tracking concentrator to form a concentrating photovoltaic system.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 8, in the present invention, a flexible divergent Fresnel lens 2400 is added on the top of the domed transparent cover of the inflatable CPC 2100 with small acceptance half-angle, so that the oblique incident light is refracted to fall in the small acceptance half-angle.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 9, the general work principle of the domed divergent Fresnel lens and CPC based non-tracking non-imaging concentrating system is elucidated. The obliquely incident light 3000 is firstly infracted by the divergent Fresnel lens 2400 to changing its incident angle relative to the CPC, and make it smaller than the half acceptance angle of the CPC, then is concentrated by the CPC non-imaging concentrator 2100.

[0034] The work principle of the non-tracking concentrator structure is elucidated as the following. As the sun moving from east to west, the sunlight is refracted to change direction by various portion of the domed divergent Fresnel lens surrounding the CPC, so that the refracted sunlight falls into the relatively small acceptance half-angle of the CPC and is concentrated by it. The addition of the domed divergent Fresnel lens to the CPC enlarges the acceptance angle of the CPC, and therefore enables the stationary concentration with high concentration ratio.

[0035] From the description above, a number of advantages of the solar powered airship become evident. A CPV system is fused into the airship structure to replace one of the components of airship the lighter than air gas containers without adding self weight, to dramatically reduce the area of solar panels of the conventional solar powered airship and consequently reduce the cost. The shrunk receiver of the CPV system enables the adoption of high efficiency photovoltaic converter without too much concern of cost. The non-imaging non-tracking mechanism of the inflatable solar concentrator ensures the optimized solar energy harvesting at anywhere any time with high concentration ratio. The expansion of the volume of the airship will both increase the lifting capability and power generation capability.

[0036] In the preceding specification, various preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various other modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.

[0037] Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.