ENERGY HARVESTING DEVICE

Abstract

In general terms the present invention proposes a device 100 for harvesting renewable energy. The device 100 comprises a wind turbine 140, a channel 160 for directing wind 198 to the wind turbine 140, and a solar receiver 155 positioned on an internal of the channel 160 for receiving sunlight 194 entering the channel 160.

Claims

1. An energy harvesting device comprising: a wind turbine; a channel for directing wind to the wind turbine; and a solar receiver positioned on an internal of the channel for receiving sunlight entering the channel.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the channel is configured to direct wind to a plurality of wind turbines and optionally comprises a plurality of solar receivers.

3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2 comprising a solar concentrator for directing sunlight to the solar receiver.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the solar concentrator comprises a lens, optionally a Fresnel lens.

5. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the channel bearing the solar receiver is rotatable about at least one axis, optionally at least two axes.

6. The device of any preceding claim, comprising an elongate trough defining the channel, the trough comprising a base, first and second elongate sides, an opening and optionally first and second ends.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein one or more wind turbines is positioned on the base of the tough, optionally mounted within an aperture of the base.

8. The device of claim 6 or claim 7, wherein one or more solar receivers are positioned on the first side of the trough.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the second side of the trough comprises one or more solar concentrators.

10. The device of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the trough is rotatable about an axis running along the longitudinal length thereof.

11. The device of any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the trough is rotatable about an axis orthogonal to the longitudinal length thereof.

12. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the wind turbine comprises an axis of rotation parallel to wind flow therethrough.

13. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the wind turbine comprises an axis of rotation perpendicular to wind flow therethrough.

14. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the solar receiver comprises a photovoltaic (PV) cell and/or a solar thermal panel.

15. The device of any preceding claim, wherein energy harvested by the wind turbine and/or the solar collector is converted to electricity.

16. The device of any preceding claim oriented or mounted such that the channel leads upwardly to the wind turbine.

17. A building having installed thereon a device according to any preceding claim or an array of devices according to any preceding claim.

18. The building of claim 17, arranged to utilise solar and/or wind energy harvested by the device.

19. A method of enhancing the efficiency of a wind turbine, the method comprising: channelling wind to the wind turbine through a channel comprising, mounted on an internal thereof, a solar receiver for receiving sunlight entering the channel.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising rotating a trough defining the channel to enhance solar irradiation of the solar receiver.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an energy harvesting device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the energy harvesting device of FIG. 1 showing wind directed to a wind turbine and light propagating to a solar receiver.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, an energy harvesting device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention comprises an elongate trough 105 attached to a mount 180.

[0035] The mount comprises an arm portion 185 which is attached to opposing first and second end walls 110, 115 of the trough 105. The arm portion 185 is attached an actuator 190 which can rotate the arm portion 185 clockwise or anticlockwise about its axis. The actuator 190 may suitably be attached to the façade of a building (not shown). The arm portion 185 can rotate the trough 105 about its longitudinal axis.

[0036] As will be discussed in more detail below, the trough 105 comprises a first side 120, a second side 122, and a base portion 130. The ends of the first and second sides 120, 122 are capped by first and second end walls 110, 115. The base portion 130 has four apertures 135, inside each of which sits a vertical axis wind turbine 140. Each wind turbine 140 has a set of blades 142 attached to a rotor shaft 144. The first side 120 of the trough 105 is made up of four Fresnel lenses 150, which are arranged to direct and focus incident sunlight into the trough 105.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 2, which provides a cross sectional view of the energy harvesting device 100 of FIG. 1, the trough 105 defines a channel 160 having an opening 165. The trough 105 is installed on the façade of a building 192 so that its longitudinal axis is horizontal with respect to the ground (not shown). For example, the solar concentrator 100 may be installed on the façade of a building 192 in a horizontal position above a window.

[0038] Incident sunlight 194 enters the trough 105 via Fresnel lenses 150 in the first side 120 of the trough 105, to provide concentrated sunlight 196 inside the channel 160. Concentrated sunlight 196 is directed and focused by Fresnel lenses 150 onto a solar receiver 155 positioned on the second side 122 of the trough 105, inside the channel 160. The solar receiver 155 can convert the received concentrated sunlight 196 into electrical or heat energy for use in the building 192 to which it is attached.

[0039] The concentrated sunlight 196 also increases the temperature of the air in the channel 160. This creates an area of low pressure within the channel 160, which draws wind 198 through the channel 160 and accelerates it towards wind turbine 140. Wind 198 flows across the blades 142 of the wind turbine 140, through the aperture 135, causing the blades 142 to rotate about their axis. This results in rotation of the shaft 144 to generate mechanical energy, which can be converted into electrical or heat energy for use in the building 192 to which it is attached. Wind 198 exits the aperture 135 of base portion 130 as exhaust air stream 199.