Tracking heat flux sensors for concentrating solar applications
| DWPI Title: Heat flux sensor for point focus solar collector of position tracking system, has function to conduct heat through absorber plate, thermal resistor, thermal bus, and heat sink to cause temperature difference between thermocouple junctions |
| Abstract: Innovative tracking heat flux sensors located at or near the solar collector's focus for centering the concentrated image on a receiver assembly. With flux sensors mounted near a receiver's aperture, the flux gradient near the focus of a dish or trough collector can be used to precisely position the focused solar flux on the receiver. The heat flux sensors comprise two closely-coupled thermocouple junctions with opposing electrical polarity that are separated by a thermal resistor. This arrangement creates an electrical signal proportional to heat flux intensity, and largely independent of temperature. The sensors are thermally grounded to allow a temperature difference to develop across the thermal resistor, and are cooled by a heat sink to maintain an acceptable operating temperature. |
| Use: Heat flux sensor for concentrating solar collector such as point focus solar collector and line-focus solar collector of position tracking system (claimed). |
| Advantage: Acceptable operating temperature is maintained by providing heat sink for cooling when temperature difference is developed across the thermal resistor. Fast response of the sensor is ensured to enable rapid and graceful transitions between open and closed-loop tracking. The sensor is low cost to manufacture and install, while improving reliability and durability. |
| Novelty: The sensor has metal thermocouple junctions that are located at interfaces between absorber plate (7) and thermal bus (1), which is joined to a heat sink (3). One copper wire (9) is joined to the absorber plate, while another copper wire (14) is joined to the thermal bus or heat sink. Voltage difference is generated across the copper wires caused by Seebeck effect when localized heat flux is applied to the absorber plate, such that heat is conducted through the absorber plate, thermal resistor (8), thermal bus, and heat sink to cause temperature difference between thermocouple junctions. |
| Filed: 11/30/2010 |
| Application Number: US2010955954A |
| Tech ID: SD 10949.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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