Low-profile solar power plant with high land density

William A. Parkyn; John N. Laing

doi:10.1117/12.508193

8 January 2004 Low-profile solar power plant with high land density

William A. Parkyn, John N. Laing

Proceedings Volume 5185, Nonimaging Optics: Maximum Efficiency Light Transfer VII; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.508193
Event: Optical Science and Technology, SPIE's 48th Annual Meeting, 2003, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

A novel solar power plant utilizes concentrator modules that track the sun by elevation-tracking modules on azimuth-tracking frames floating in shallow water. The entire floating circular platform is flat and only knee-high. The circles can be closely packed to cover 83% of the land, unlike the low percentages of conventional wind-loaded tracking mirrors. Each elevation-tracking module has multiple TIR lenses, each of which focuses sunlight onto one end of a glass rod that has the solar cell glued to its other end. These rods kaleidoscopically homogenize the focused hotspot uniformly over the square cell. The cells are cooled by conduction to the water, and operate only 10°C above the water temperature. The cell voltage is near that of the hydrolysis of water, enabling fuel cells to produce electricity at night.

Citation Download Citation

William A. Parkyn and John N. Laing "Low-profile solar power plant with high land density", Proc. SPIE 5185, Nonimaging Optics: Maximum Efficiency Light Transfer VII, (8 January 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.508193

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available