Patent ID: 9568215
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: F24S,H02S,Y02E

Claim:
1. A solar central receiver system for concentrating and harvesting incident sunrays, said system comprising a stationary receiver for absorbing the concentrated sunrays, and a heliostat field made up of a plurality of reflecting units that are disposed in horizontal linear arrays laid out in parallel on the ground surface adjacent to said stationary receiver for concentrating the incident sunrays onto said stationary receiver; wherein a reflecting unit of said plurality of reflecting units comprises: 1) a plurality of linearly coupled modules, wherein a module of said plurality of linearly coupled modules comprises: a) a supporting frame fixed on the ground, b) a rotating assembly in operating association with said supporting frame further comprising: i) a rotatable shaft segment rotatable about a first rotation axis characterized in having a circular projection at both ends thereof for linear and coaxial coupling with one or more rotatable shaft segments of another adjoining one or more modules; ii) a linear array of mechanically connected mounts linearly supported on the body of said rotatable shaft segment; iii) a linear array of mechanically connected heliostats mounted on said linear array of mechanically connected mounts such that a heliostat of said linear array of mechanically connected heliostats is mounted on a mount of said linear array of mechanically connected mounts; iv) each heliostat of mounted said linear array of mechanically connected heliostats is positioned with a distinct angle of orientation and a distinct angle of inclination according to its location relative to said stationary receiver; v) each mount of said linear array of mechanically connected mounts permit individual pivotal movement of each mounted heliostat about an individual second rotation axis; vi) an actuating rod segment having a projection at both ends thereof for linear and coaxial coupling with one or more actuating rod segments corresponding to another adjoining one or more modules and supported on the body of said rotatable shaft segment via one or more bushes such that said actuating rod segment can freely and linearly slide in the said one or more bushes parallel to said rotatable shaft segment; vii) couplings for rotatably coupling rotatable shaft segments of the said plurality of linearly coupled modules; viii) linear couplings that connect actuating rod segments of said plurality of linearly coupled modules; 2) a first drive of a common positioning mechanism fixed on said supporting frame for rotating the plurality of linearly coupled rotatable shaft segments of said plurality of linearly coupled modules about their common said first rotation axis which is perpendicular to each said second rotation axis, wherein the rotation of said plurality of linearly coupled rotatable shaft segments indirectly rotates mounted linear arrays of mechanically connected heliostats of said reflecting unit about said first rotation axis; 3) a second drive of said common positioning mechanism fitted on said rotating assembly at one end of said reflecting unit, and linearly coupled with one end of rigidly connected actuating rod segments of said plurality of linearly coupled modules of said reflecting unit for synchronously rotating linear arrays of mechanically connected heliostats of said reflecting unit about their second rotation axes; 4) a central processing unit of said common positioning mechanism for generating controlling commands for said first drive and/or for said second drive for rotating said linear arrays of mechanically connected heliostats about said first rotation axis and/or said second rotation axes for tracking the moving sun in the sky such that the incident solar radiation is reflected and focused on said stationary receiver; and wherein said linear arrays of mechanically connected heliostats of said plurality of reflecting units are synchronously maneuverable in an altitudinal axis and/or azimuthal axis for tracking a changed position of the sun in the sky by said common positioning mechanism such that each heliostat of said linear arrays of mechanically connected heliostats is continuously placed perpendicular to the bisector of an angle formed by a solar vector and a stationary receiver vector relative to said each heliostat.