Patent ID: 8165435
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: F24S,H01L,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A solar energy collector comprising: an outer dome structure having an upwardly extending hemispherical surface, a peripheral edge of said hemispherical dome structure positioned on a base, said hemispherical surface comprising a plurality of adjacently-mounted Fresnel lenses for focusing solar light incident thereon; one or more inner dome structures positioned in nested relationship within said outer dome structure, each of said one or more inner dome structures having an upwardly extending hemispherical surface, a peripheral edge of each of said one or more inner dome structures being positioned on said base concentrically with each other and with said outer dome structure, said hemispherical surface of each of said one or more inner dome structures comprising a plurality of adjacently-mounted Fresnel lenses for receiving and focusing solar light transmitted through successively larger ones of said one or more inner dome structures and said outer dome structure, each of said one or more inner dome structures being sized such that a focal point of a next larger one of said one or more inner dome structures and said outer dome structure lies on the surface of a successively smaller one of said one or more inner dome structures; and a fiber optic collection network positioned within an innermost one of said one or more inner dome structures, said fiber optic collection network comprising a multiplicity of Fresnel lenses and a multiplicity of fiber optic bundles, each of said Fresnel lenses of said fiber optic collection network being connected to one or more of said multiplicity of fiber optic bundles of said fiber optic collection network, each of said Fresnel lenses of said fiber optic collection network serving to receive and focus a portion of solar light transmitted through said innermost one of said one or more inner dome structures onto said one or more of said fiber optic bundles connected thereto.