Fiber optical solar collector

Claim 1

Apparatus for collecting solar energy and conducting the energy to a point where said energy is utilized to perform useful work, the solar energy being collected and utilized efficiently over a continuous period of time without adjustment of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of boules formed of light-conductive fibers, each boule having an input end and an output end and said fibers extending from said input end to said output end, the input ends of the boules being disposed in a common plane exposed to maximum solar radiation, each boule further comprising an enlarged upper portion which tapers from the input end to a constant thickness at a point between said input end and the output end, and a constant cross-sectional portion which extends from the point of termination of taper of the enlarged upper portion to the output end of the boule, the input end of each boule acting to direct a substantial portion of solar energy incident thereon into the boule wherein said energy is concentrated to an intensified flux within the enlarged upper portion and delivered to the output end of the boule through the constant cross-sectional portion thereof; a solar energy collecting surface surmounting and integrally formed with the enlarged upper portion of each of the boules, each collecting surface being formed into an arcuate curvature in the major plane of each enlarged upper portion of the respective boules and further being rounded in the dimension perpendicular to said plane, thereby providing a fan-shaped field of view for each boule whereby radiation from the sun is accepted equally well at any solar incidence angle within the field of view; and, an insulated target disposed in the path of the energy passing from the output end of each boule, the constant cross-sectional portion of each boule being shaped to deliver heat flux to the target.