Abstract:
An automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system includes a solar energy concentrator and a pedestal for supporting and locating the solar energy concentrator. The pedestal has at least one universal joint connecting with the solar energy concentrator, at least one supporting shaft engaging with the universal at least one joint, at least one photo sensor for detecting the direction and position of sunbeams and a pump driving the at least one supporting shaft to expand or contract according to the detecting signal from the at least one photo sensor. The at least one supporting shaft cooperates with the at least one universal joint to adjust the position and angle of the solar energy concentrator relative to a predetermined reference surface.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system, and more particularly to an automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system in which a solar energy concentrator, sensitive to solar radiation, is oriented to face the sun and to change orientation to track the sun as the earth rotates in order to maximize the collection of solar energy. 
         [0002]    Currently solar energy concentrator has a plurality of solar panel, which can be adjusted to face the sunbeams according to the direction and intensity of the sunbeams, for collecting the solar energy and converting the solar energy to the electrical potential energy for accumulation. Thus, in the current solar energy concentrator, a solar panel, a solar energy concentrator and a tracking element are necessary elements for assuring a good solar energy concentrating efficiency. 
         [0003]    Various solar energy collection arrangements have been designed which employ a solar panel or a solar concentrating element fixed on a fastening element. The solar energy collection arrangements are horizontally or inclined fixed on a roof of a building or the ground by the fastening element. However, the fastening element maintains a fixed angle relative to the roof of a building or the ground. The solar energy collection arrangements can not track the sun and maximize the collection of solar energy as the earth rotates. 
         [0004]    As shown in Taiwan Patent publication No. M284858, a solar energy concentrating structure for preventing typhoon is disclosed. The solar energy concentrating structure has a solar energy collator supporting member and a pedestal. The pedestal has an elevator and a pivot device. The elevator has a main body, a screw fixed on the main body, a movable body movably screwed on the screw. The movable body has a rotatable wheel. When the rotatable wheel is rotated, the movable body can move up and down because a screw thread of the movable body is rotated relative to the screw. The solar energy collator supporting member is fixed on the movable body at one end and pivotally connects with the pivot device at another end. The solar energy concentrating structure can be adjusted to different positions through the cooperation of the movable body and the pivot device. However, the solar energy concentrating structure needs manual orientation and can not automatically detect sunbeams. Therefore, the solar energy concentrating structure can not realize the automatically control, which is seldom properly oriented, with the result that energy collection is only occasionally conducted at maximum efficiency. In addition, the solar energy concentrating structure is inconveniently in operation. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, what is needed is an automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system that can overcome the above-described deficiencies. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0006]    Accordingly, the present invention is to provide automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system, in which a solar energy concentrator, is sensitive to solar radiation, is oriented to face the sun and to change orientation to track the sun in order to maximize the collection of solar energy. 
         [0007]    An exemplary automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system is disclosed, which has a solar energy concentrator and a pedestal for supporting and locating the solar energy concentrator. The pedestal has at least one universal joint connecting with the solar energy concentrator; at least one supporting shaft engaging with the at least one universal joint; at least one photo sensor for detecting the direction and position of sunbeams; and a pump driving the at least one supporting shaft to expand or contract according to the detecting signal from the at least one photo sensor. The at least one supporting shaft cooperates with the at least one universal joint to adjust the position and angle of the solar energy concentrator relative to a predetermined reference surface. 
         [0008]    Each universal joint includes an external bearing tube, an inner bearing seat fixed in the external bearing tube, a ball bearing accommodated in the external bearing tube and engaged with a concave socket of the inner bearing seat. The external bearing tube is fixed on the solar energy concentrator. 
         [0009]    Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic, assembly view of an automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an another side elevation view of the automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a partly schematic view showing an assembly of a universal joint and a solar energy concentrator of the automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is an exploded, isometric view of the universal joint of  FIG.4 ; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  and  FIG.7  show the automatically adjustment operation of the automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , an automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system has a solar energy concentrator  1  and a pedestal  2  for supporting and locating the solar energy concentrator  1 . 
         [0018]    The solar energy concentrator  1  has a solar panel  12 , a solar energy concentrating plate  13 , a supporting member  11 , an incubator plate  14 , a converter  4 , a power accumulator  5 . The supporting member  11  supports the solar panel  12  and the solar energy concentrating plate  13 , which is fixed on the pedestal  2 . 
         [0019]    The supporting member  11  has an upper supporting frame  111  and a lower supporting plate  1   12 . The upper supporting frame  111  is fixed on the lower supporting plate  112  spacing a special distance to form a space  113  therebetween. The space  113  is a through hole for atmospheric ventilation and heat dispersion. 
         [0020]    The solar panel  12  has a plurality of solar cells  121  arranged in a matrix. The plurality of solar cells  121  is uniformly distributed on the lower supporting plate  112 . The incubator  14  is disposed under the solar panel  12  for dispersing heat. 
         [0021]    The solar energy concentrating plate  13  has a plurality of concentrating elements  131  arranged in a matrix, which the concentrating elements  131  are fixed on the upper supporting frame  111 . The concentrating elements  131  are lens made from glass or acryl, having a predetermined curvature. Each of the concentrating elements  131  is corresponding to a solar cell  121  for efficiently concentrating sunbeams to the solar cell  121 . 
         [0022]    The converter  4  and the power accumulator  5  are disposed under the solar panel  12 . The converter  4  electrically connects with the solar panel  12  through a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)  41 , for converting the heat energy and optical energy concentrated in the solar panel  12  to the electrical potential energy, and accumulates the electrical potential energy into the power accumulator  5 . 
         [0023]    The pedestal  2  has a base  3 , a plurality of supporting shafts  21 , a plurality of photo sensors  23 , a plurality of universal joints  22 , and a pump  24 . The base  3  is used to locate the automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system on a roof of a building or the ground for balanced locating the automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system. 
         [0024]    The supporting shaft  21  is a pressure expansion link, which is driven by hydraulic pressure or air pressure to expand or contract in a vertical direction. The supporting shaft  21  holds the supporting member  11 . One end of the supporting shaft  21  is fixed on the base  3 , and the other end of the supporting shaft  21  engages with the lower supporting plate  112  of the supporting member  11  through one universal joint  22 . Preferred, the supporting shaft  21  is disposed respect to four corners of the lower supporting plate  112 . 
         [0025]    The plurality of photo sensors  23  is disposed on the upper supporting frame  111  of the supporting member  11  for detecting the direction and position of sunbeams, which is located corresponding to the supporting shaft  21 . The photo sensors  23  have a number same to or more than that of the supporting shaft  21 . 
         [0026]    The pump  24  is a hydraulic pump or pneumatic pump, which connects with the supporting shafts  21  through a plurality of pipes  25 , respectively. The pump  24  has a controller (not shown), which can judges and calculates the direction and angle degree region of the sunbeams according to detecting signals from the photo sensors  23 , and drives the plurality of supporting shafts  21  to expand or contract in the vertical direction through outputting a different pressure, respectively. The pump  24  can be driven by an outer power supply or the electrical power stored in the power accumulator  5 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the universal joint  22  has a ball bearing  221 , an inner bearing seat  222 , and an external bearing tube  223 . The inner bearing seat  222  is fixed in the external bearing tube  223  through a fastening element  225 . The fastening element  225  may be screw. The ball bearing  221  connecting with the other end of the supporting shaft  21  is accommodated in the external bearing tube  223  and engages with a concave socket  224  of the inner bearing seat  222 . The external bearing tube  223  is fixed on the lower supporting plate  112  of the supporting member  11  by screws, through which the supporting member  11  can be angular adjusted relative to the supporting shaft  21 . 
         [0028]    In assembly, the solar energy concentrator  1  is fixed on the pedestal  2  by the connection of the lower supporting plate  112  of the supporting member  11  and the supporting shaft  21 . The lower supporting plate  112  connects with the supporting shaft  21  through a universal joint  22 . The lower supporting plate  112  spaces with the upper supporting frame  111  of the supporting member  1  and defines the space  113  therebetween. The solar energy concentrating plate  13  is engaged on the upper supporting frame  111  and the solar panel  12  is disposed on the lower supporting plate  112 . Each of the concentrating elements  131  of the solar energy concentrating plate  13  faces one solar cell  121  of the solar panel  12 . In addition, the plurality of photo sensor  23  is set on the upper supporting frame  111  of the supporting member  11  for detecting sunbeams, respect to four corners of the upper supporting frame  111 . 
         [0029]    In operation, when the photo sensors  23  detect the direction and intensity of the sunbeams, the photo sensors  23  produces different pulse signals or detecting signals to the controller of the pump  24  according the intensity of the sunbeams from different direction. The pump  24  judges and calculates the direction and angle degree region of the sunbeams according to different pulse signals from the photo sensors  23 , and drives the plurality of supporting shafts  21  to expand or contract a different levels in the vertical direction, respectively. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the supporting member  11  is adjusted front and rear. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the supporting member  11  is adjusted right and left. At the same time, when the supporting shaft  21  expands or contracts in the vertical direction, the supporting shaft  21  cooperates with the universal joint  22  to apply an angular adjustment of the lower supporting plate  112  of the supporting member  11 . Accordingly, the solar energy concentrating plate  13  and the solar panel  12  on the supporting member  11  are adjusted to face the sunbeams through the cooperation of the plurality universal joints  22  and the plurality of supporting shafts  21 . Each of the concentrating elements  131  of the solar energy concentrating plate  3  concentrates sunbeams to a corresponding solar cell  121  of the solar panel  12 . The converter  4  converts the heat energy and optical energy concentrated in the solar panel  12  to the electrical potential energy, and transmits the electrical potential energy into the power accumulator  5  to accumulate. The space  113  between the lower supporting plate  112  and the upper supporting frame  111 , and the incubator plate  14  attached on the solar panel  12  efficiently disperses the heat produced in the process of the solar panel  12  absorbing optical energy and heat energy of sunbeams. 
         [0030]    Because the automatically solar energy tracking and collecting system utilizes the cooperation of the plurality of universal joints  22 , the plurality of supporting shaft  21  and the plurality of photo sensors  23  to realize automatically solar energy tracking and collecting, in which the concentrator, sensitive to solar radiation, is oriented to face the sun and to change or orientation to track the sun as the earth rotates in order to maximize the collection of solar energy. 
         [0031]    The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including configurations ways of the recessed portions and materials and/or designs of the attaching structures. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.