Patent ID: 7339739
Filing Date: 2008-03-04
Classification: F21S,F21V,F24S,G02B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A system for providing daylight illumination to the interior of a structure, said structure having a roof, ceiling and walls, said structure using solar energy as a source of light and heat, comprising: A. a solar energy collector means, said collector means having a top side and a bottom side, said collector means utilizing a modified Cassegrainian optical system, said collector means producing a concentrated beam of sunlight, said collector means having a slot in said bottom side, said collector means directing said concentrated beam perpendicular to said bottom side through said slot, said collector means disposed on top of said roof of said structure; B. a means of moving said collector means to an attitude tracking the sun's path in the sky during daylight hours; C. a heat separation means for removing infrared energy from said concentrated beam of sunlight and for applying said infrared energy to other uses; D. one or more vertical primary hollow members, each vertical primary hollow member having a first end and a second end, said first end comprising the upper end of said vertical hollow member, said second end comprising the lower end of said vertical hollow member, said vertical primary hollow member having an outside surface and an inside surface, said vertical primary hollow member comprising a reflective internal surface, said reflective internal surface being optically available to said concentrated beam of light transmitted through said vertical primary hollow member whereby at least a portion of said concentrated beam is reflected through said vertical primary hollow member by said reflective surface, said vertical primary hollow member having an end reflector inside of said vertical primary hollow member at said second end, said end reflector pointing back towards said first end, said vertical primary hollow member situated within and creating a space within said structure, said first end of said vertical primary hollow member in communication with and opening up to said roof of said structure, said solar energy collector means disposed on top of said first end of said vertical primary hollow member; E. said vertical primary hollow member containing redirectional mirrors within its interior, said redirectional mirrors driven by a motor and controllable electronically, said primary hollow member situated in and creating a space within said structure; and F. two highly reflective first-surface specular tertiary mirrors attached to said solar energy collector at said slot along the longitudinal axis, said tertiary mirrors approximately rectangular in shape, the extent of each tertiary mirror along its longitudinal axis being slightly longer than the extent of the slot along its longitudinal axis, the extent of a tertiary mirror transverse to its longitudinal axis being approximately five times the extent of the slot transverse to its longitudinal axis, each tertiary mirror mounted on a hinge at the edge of the approximately rectangular slot in the parabolic trough, the plane of the tertiary mirrors parallel to the length of the parabolic trough, the tertiary mirrors having their reflective surfaces facing towards the interior space of the vertical primary hollow member and towards each other.