Earth based solar collector

Abstract

This invention relates to the collection of sunlight for heat which is used for heating and for the conversion of heat to electricity. Where a large area of land is prepared then covered with a solar collecting film of plastic or glass. The air or water under the film being heated is then circulated around the inside of the collector over a heat exchanger. The solar collector is insulated from the ground it is constructed on and uses stone or water to retain the heat. The retained heat can extended the working time of the collector beyond the time when the sun sets. This heat exchanger carries a working fluid such as Freon that is used to perform work such as spinning an electric generator.

Description

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0001]This invention relates to the collection of sunlight for heat which is used for heating and for the conversion of heat to electricity with a steam or an Organic Rankine Cycle ORC system. Where a large area of land is prepared then covered with a solar collecting film of plastic or glass. The air or water under the film will heat up and is then circulated around the collector over a heat exchanger. This heat exchanger carries a working fluid such as Freon which has been heated to perform work in the ORC system.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]The invention relates an earth based solar collector. Prior art shows how to create flat-plate or concentrating collectors however, because solar energy is a diffused energy source such devices are of limited practical value for large scale power generating systems as the complexity of such systems when scaled to a large size results in a system cost that exceeds the value of the electricity that can be ge...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Prior art shows how to create flat-plate or concentrating collectors however, because solar energy is a diffused energy source such devices are of limited practical value for large scale power generating systems as the complexity of such systems when scaled to a large size results in a system cost that exceeds the value of the electricity that can be generated over the useful life of the system.

This innovation in collector design will result in lower system efficiency which is at first counterintuitive, however because of the diffused nature of sunlight it will be apparent that reducing the collector cost by an order of magnitude or more will far outweigh any reduction of efficiency.

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