Thermal Solar Power Panel for generating electricity
The present invention introduces a novel solar thermal panel technology that integrates multiple heat sources to produce electricity with high density and flexibility. Unlike conventional photovoltaic (PV) systems, which rely solely on sunlight and are hampered by efficiency losses due to temperature and spectral limitations, the proposed approach harvests heat from a broad range of sources. These sources include direct solar heat, heat generated by PV modules and electronic devices (e.g., phones, tablets, laptops), as well as industrial and environmental heat such as boilers, steam, hot water vapor, and geothermal energy.
[1] Photovoltaic systems for electricity generation are low in efficiency, produce little electricity, are expensive, and consume large areas of land, as they require approximately 10 square meters per 1 kilowatt, and the efficiency of the cells reaches approximately 25% in the best conditions. Thermal power towers (CSP) have a low efficiency in converting heat into electricity, barely reaching 20% in the best conditions, and require very large areas and are prone to breakdowns. Both systems operate independently and cannot be combined with other sources, while the solar thermal panels that are the subject of the patent application work with any heat source, which could be photovoltaic panels or thermal power towers.
[2] High temperatures negatively affect the efficiency of photovoltaic panels and can't be utilized. High temperatures negatively affect the efficiency of electronic devices, electrical and mechanical equipment and can't be utilized. Sometimes, they even lead to fires. This heat generally affects the temperature of the Earth's surface and increases global warming, while the solar thermal panels that are the subject of the patent application convert heat into electricity, which helps maintain environmental balance and reduce global warming.
[3] Photovoltaic systems do not work in the shade and may even burn out. Their production is significantly reduced on sunny days. The efficiency of these panels decreases by 0.25% when the temperature increases by 1 degree Celsius above the ideal temperature for the panels, which is 25 degrees Celsius, sometimes the temperature of the PV reaches 75 degrees Celsius which definitely negatively impact the efficiency of the PV. Thermal power towers (CSP) are only suitable for use in deserts, which means that only a few countries can benefit from them. They can't be used to produce electricity in homes, farms, and factories.
[4] Photovoltaic cells do not produce electricity at night and require batteries to store electricity for the night, while thermal panels operate during the day or night, it makes no difference as long as there is a heat source available. The electricity production of photovoltaic panels and thermal power towers is very weak, about 1 kilowatt per square meter in the case of photovoltaic panels and from 5 to 25 kilowatts per generator/turbine used, while the solar thermal panels that are the subject of the patent application generate approximately 10.5 kilowatts per square meter.
[1] Relying on the heat of the sun or any other heat source such as hot water vapor, solar heat, the heat of photovoltaic panels, or the heat generated on the surfaces of electronic devices or electrical equipment such as boilers, instead of relying on sunlight. The invention is in the following form: The invention consists of a heat source and a heating material such as iron powder or paraffin wax, the function of which is to collect and concentrate the heat of the heat source such as the sun's heat directed at it by convex lenses and retain it for the longest possible period. It comes into contact with the hot side, which is one of the two sides of the TEG electronic element, which acts as a heat exchanger/converter to generate electrical energy resulting from the temperature difference between the two sides of the electronic element. The number of electronic element units for each solar thermal panel is approximately 625 units, and each electronic element unit produces approximately 16.8 watts, and the area of one panel is approximately 1 square meter. In addition to all of this, the other side of the electronic element, which is the cold side, comes into contact with the coolant, which may be nitrogen, air, a water-glycol mixture, or water, for example.
[2] In the case of using photovoltaic panels as a heat source, a heating material/heat absorber such as iron powder is not used. Rather, the electronic element is placed directly on the back of the photovoltaic panel, and the cooling element/coolant is placed on the other side of the TEG, so that the electronic element absorbs the excess heat and converts it into electricity. It is possible to place 4 to 5 pieces of TEG to produce approximately 50 to 84 additional watts for each photovoltaic panel, in addition to what the photovoltaic panel produces. Also, because there is no excess heat, the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel increases approximately by a percentage ranging between 2.5% and 7.5%, and this is in very hot desert areas such as Kuwait, where the temperature reaches 55 degrees Celsius. A light filter such as lenses (Two Plate Spectral Beam Splitter) is placed over the face of the photovoltaic panel to prevent the passage of infrared and ultraviolet rays, to increase the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel and the efficiency of the electrical system as a whole, including the electronic elements it contains, such as the TEG.
Yes, it has major gap in prior art as it It saves the land area needed to generate the same amount of electricity using other sources, as this device produces approximately 10.56 kilowatts per square meter, while photovoltaic panels produce approximately one kilowatt per ten square meters. The device's efficiency is higher than all its counterparts, as it produces approximately 10.56 kilowatts for the same size as photovoltaic cells, which produce only one kilowatt.
[1]Relying on solar heat as a renewable energy source to generate electricity, reduces carbon dioxide emissions, protects the environment, and combats global warming, as this invention relies on dissipating and converting heat into another form, namely electricity. It saves the land area needed to generate the same amount of electricity using other sources, as this device produces approximately 10.56 kilowatts per square meter, while photovoltaic panels produce approximately one kilowatt per ten square meters. The device's efficiency is higher than all its counterparts, as it produces approximately 10.56 kilowatts for the same size as photovoltaic cells, which produce only one kilowatt. The device can be used day and night with the same capacity of power production, as long as a heat source is available. It can be used in various places and applications for the purpose of producing and generating electricity, as it can be used to generate electricity in homes, factories, farms, companies, roads, and anywhere else. It can also be installed with photovoltaic panels to improve their efficiency and increase their electricity production, as well as in cars to take advantage of steam heat and generate electricity, or with electronic devices such as mobile phones. [Claim 1]Solar thermal panels for generating electricity consist of a heat source, which can be the sun's heat (item 1 on the drawing boards), the heat generated on the body/frame/chassis of the photovoltaic panels (item 14 on the drawing boards), the heat generated on the body/frame of electronic devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops (item 2 on the drawing boards), and other devices and equipment such as boilers, industrial fumes, car fumes, hot water vapor (they represent item 3 on the drawing boards), geothermal heat, and other various heat sources. Convex lenses (item 6 on the drawing boards) collect sun heat in the event that the heat source is the sun's heat to increase the temperature, and a heating element such as iron powder or paraffin wax and this item is number 20 on the drawing boards (this element is placed in a box (item 7 on the drawing boards) with a thickness ranging from 3 to 5 mm and made of a metal that conducts heat well such as:- (copper/iron/aluminum/nickel) and the box is made with the same dimensions of the thermal solar panel to increase the temperature to about 300 to 500 degrees Celsius, which is the maximum that the electronic component (TEG) can withstand, which means that it will operate at its maximum efficiency to produce/generate electricity, and an electronic component (which is item number 9 on the drawing boards as a vertical view and item number 8 on the drawing boards as a side view and items number 11 and 12 on the drawing boards refer, respectively, to the hot and cold sides of the electronic component) and this component name is the thermoelectric generator (TEG) which converts the temperature difference to electricity with value of 16.8 watts per each unit of TEG. It consists of two sides: the hot side, which is in direct contact with the heat source or the heating element, and the other one is the cold side, which is in contact with the radiator/heat sink containing the cooling element, to achieve a temperature difference on the two sides of the electronic element. It also includes lenses (item 13 on the drawing boards) of a type such as the Two Plate Spectral Beam Splitter, in case the heat source is the photovoltaic panels, and they act as a light filter to prevent the passage of infrared and ultraviolet rays. A cooling element (item 19 on the drawing boards) such as water, air, nitrogen, or water mixed with glycol. The cooling element is placed inside a heat sink/radiator (item 10 on the drawing boards) to provide low temperatures ranging from -70 to +30 degrees Celsius in order to create a temperature difference on the two sides of the electronic component and also to keep the electronic component from melting. It also contains condensing plates (item 4 on the boards) to condense the vapor and reuse it when needed. It also contains an air filter (item 5 on the boards) to purify the vapor and fumes before they are released into the atmosphere, especially if the heat source is car exhaust. A single solar thermal panel generates about 10.56 kilowatts per square meter, while photovoltaic panels produce 1 kilowatt per 10 square meters. The solar thermal panel can be used day and night as long as the heat source is available or by increasing the cooling degree, as the important thing is the temperature difference between the two sides of the electronic element (TEG). This invention can be combined with any other energy source such as photovoltaic panels to improve their efficiency and with other products such as mobile phones. It can also be installed in homes, factories and other various places. In stark contrast, concentrated solar thermal power towers (CSP) can only be installed in their own power plants, they are found only in the desert and can't be used for homes. By extracting heat, thermal solar panels help combat global warming. [Claim 2]Solar thermal panels for generating electricity according to the first item, as it converts heat into electricity, so it can convert the sun’s heat or the heat generated on the body/frame of the photovoltaic panels or the heat generated on the body/frame of electronic devices such as phones, tablets, laptops and other devices and equipment such as boilers, industrial vapors, vapors/fumes from cars, hot water vapor, geothermal heat and other different heat sources, as the solar thermal panels include 4 basic elements in their structure, which are: - (a) A heating element such as iron powder or paraffin wax, which is element number 20 on the drawing boards (and this element is placed in a box, which is element number 7 on the drawing boards, with a thickness ranging between 3 to 5 mm and is made of a metal that conducts heat well such as copper/iron/aluminum/nickel chromium, and the box is made with the same dimensions as the solar thermal panel, which has an area of 1 square meter) to increase the temperature to about 300 to 500 degrees Celsius, which is the maximum temperature that the electronic element can withstand, which means that it will operate at maximum efficiency to produce/generate electricity, (b) an electronic element (which is element number 9 on the drawing boards as a vertical view, element number 8 on the drawing boards as a side view, and elements numbered 11 and 12 on the drawing boards refer, respectively, to the hot and cold sides of the electronic element) called (TEG: Thermoelectric generator) converts the temperatures difference exposed to its sides into electricity at a rate of 16.8 watts per each unit of TEG, and the number of units is 625 TEG units per one solar thermal panel, which generates about 10.56 kilowatts and the TEG consists of two sides, one of which is the hot side, which is in direct contact with the heat source or in contact with the heating element, and the other side is the cold side, which is in contact with the radiator/heat sink that contains the cooling element, so that a temperature difference is achieved on the two sides of the electronic element, (c) a cooling element, which may be nitrogen, air, a water-glycol mixture, or water, for example, and it has two functions: the first is to protect the electronic element from melting, and the second is to provide cooling at low temperatures starting from +30 degrees Celsius and reaching -70 degrees Celsius to provide the greatest temperature difference (d) Lenses to collect the sun's thermal rays and direct them at the heating element to raise its temperature, which in turn provides a higher temperature to the hot side of the electronic element to increase the solar panel's thermal electricity production using convex lenses or Fresnel lenses, and if the photovoltaic panels are the heat source, the electronic element is installed directly on the back of the photovoltaic panel to absorb heat and convert it into electricity, a light filter such as Two Plate Spectral Beam Splitter is also installed on the face of the photovoltaic panel to prevent the passage of infrared and ultraviolet rays to the photovoltaic panel, which only benefits from visible light rays and converts them into electricity. The rest of the rays are not used by photovoltaic panels, but rather these rays raise the temperature of the photovoltaic panel, which reduces its electricity production, efficiency, and lifespan. The light filter is installed to increase the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel and the efficiency of the electrical system as a whole, including the electronic elements it contains, such as the TEG. [Claim 3]Solar thermal panels for generating electricity according to what was stated in the first item, as it is installed on the back of the photovoltaic panel in the event that the photovoltaic panel is used as a heat source to extract the heat present in the photovoltaic panel and which is present as a result of either the work of the panel itself or due to the high temperature of the atmosphere or the absorption of a large amount of infrared rays, all of which makes the temperature of the photovoltaic panel reach up to 75 degrees Celsius. A light filter such as (Two Plate Spectral Beam Splitter) is placed on the above surface of the photovoltaic panel to prevent the passage of infrared rays and ultraviolet rays to prevent these rays from raising the temperature of the photovoltaic panel. The electronic element (TEG) is also installed on the hot side of it on the back of the photovoltaic panel to absorb its heat and convert it into electricity by placing 3 to 5 units of the electronic element, thus generating electricity in the amount of 50 to 84 watts (where one unit of the electronic element produces 16.8 watts) for each photovoltaic panel, in addition to what the panel produces by converting sunlight into electricity, which is in the power ranges from 128 to 560 watts depending on the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel, which makes the photovoltaic panel operate at its ideal temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. The cooling element is installed on the cold side of the electronic element to achieve a temperature difference between the two sides of the electronic element, thus producing electricity. It should be noted that when using the photovoltaic panel as a heat source, the solar thermal panel consists of an electronic element, a cooling element, and a light filter. [Claim 4]Solar thermal panels for generating electricity according to the first item, as it is installed with hot fumes produced from factories or cars and with hot water vapor in the event that any of them is used as a heat source, where the water, steam, or fumes are passed through a solenoid or spiral pipe/tube, which is item No. 3 on the drawing boards, and the heating element is in contact with the heat source on one side and on the other side it is in contact with the hot side of the electronic element (TEG) to provide the highest possible temperature, and the cooling element is installed on the cold side of the electronic element to provide a low temperature, which leads to a temperature difference, thus generating electricity. An air filter is also installed, which is item No. 5 on the drawing boards, to purify the vapors and fumes used as a heat source before expelling them into the atmosphere, and there is no need to install it in the event that water vapor is the heat source. Water vapor condensation panels are also installed, converting it into water to be reused for its next industrial purpose, then it turns into hot water vapor again, and the heat source remains available and sustainable. [Claim 5]Solar thermal panels for generating electricity according to what was stated in the first item, as it is installed on the back of electronic devices such as tablets, mobile phones, laptops, or electrical or mechanical equipment such as boilers or motors/engines in the event that any of them are used as a heat source, as the hot side of the electronic element is installed on the hot part of the electronic device or equipment directly to extract heat from it and generate electricity and to benefit from it by storing it in batteries or for any other purpose, and the cooling element is installed on the cold side of the electronic element to provide a large difference in temperatures on the two sides of the electronic element to generate electricity. [Claim 6]Solar thermal panels for generating electricity according to the first item, as it generates electricity with the maximum value/output of the electronic element, which is 16.8 watts up to 30 watts based on its type, structure and dimensions, by providing a temperature difference on the two sides of the electronic element. Either the hot side is exposed to a high temperature from the heat source, and the cold side is satisfied with normal cooling methods such as water and air, and the cooling temperature is between 5 and 30 degrees Celsius, or the cold side is exposed to typical cooling temperatures ranging between zero and -70 degrees Celsius, by providing chemical materials such as a mixture of water and glycol, and the hot side does not have a high-temperature heat source, i.e. it is less than 100 and 150 degrees Celsius. In both cases, a large temperature difference is provided on the two sides of the electronic element.
Industries where the invention can be useful?
Renewable energy, PV, CSP, Electricity generation, Home electricityAn estimate of the total addressable market?
65000000000 $USDPotential Customers/End Users. Who might benefit?
PV manufacturers, CSP manufacturers, Residential homes, Companies, Farms and factoriesDocuments
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| Country | Current Status | Patent Application Number | Patent Number | Applicant / Current Assignee Name | Title | Google Patent Link |
| Egypt | Pending | EG/P/2023/943 | EG/P/2023/943 | Mahmoud Ahmed Saad | Thermal Solar Power Panel for generating electricity | Google patent link |
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