Sun position sensor for two axis tracking

Claim 2

A sun position sensing device comprising: a multifaceted fixed support having exterior planar surfaces each having a predetermined angular relationship relative to the sun, a plurality of solar sensors each mounted on a different planar surface of a facet of the support and adapted to sense solar energy arriving in a respective azimuth and elevational direction; data encoding means for a series of respective solar azimuth and solar elevational positions, each position corresponding to one of said plurality of solar sensors and the facet of the support on which it is mounted; said data encoding means coupled to said plurality of solar sensors wherein sensing of a respective solar azimuth and elevation provides respective solar position data corresponding to the sensed solar position; a solar collector effective for receiving solar energy in a discrete direction; drive means for positioning said solar collector in azimuth and elevation and providing collector position data corresponding to the position of said solar collector; and comparator means receiving said collector position data from said drive means and said solar position data from said data encoding means and providing a drive signal to said drive means if said respective data is not equal.

Claim 3

In a solar collector system, including a solar collector and a two axis tracking apparatus driving the solar collector in two respective axes in response to an unobscured sun to track the sun during its apparent movement from east to west, improved means for repositioning the solar collector after a period of sun obstruction, said improvement comprising: a fixed portion of a geodesic dome shaped support having several planar dome facets, said support positioned to face the noonday sun with one of said dome facets normal to the incident solar energy and additional facets sequentially normal to the incident solar energy during said apparent solar movement east to west during various seasons of the year; a plurality of solar sensors each mounted on the planar surface of a respective dome facet and providing an electrical output signal representing the amount of solar incidence on a respective sensor; means for electrically connecting said solar sensors in a matrix array of two matrix axes, said matrix axes corresponding to respective axes of said two axis tracking system, including matrix axes designating means for designating the respective matrix axes corresponding to the dome facet which is substantially normal to the sun; and driver means, including collector position designating means designating the solar collector two axis position, for driving the solar collector two axis position, and for driving the solar collector until the solar collector two axis position matches the respective matrix axes corresponding to the dome facet which is at that time substantially normal to the sun.

Claim 4

In a solar collector system, including a solar collector and a two axis tracking apparatus driving the solar collector in two respective axes in response to an unobscured sun to track the sun during its apparent movement from east to west, improved means for repositioning the solar collector after a period of sun obstruction, said improvement comprising: a fixed portion of a geodesic dome shaped support having several planar dome facets, said support positioned to face the noonday sun with one of said dome facets normal to the incident solar energy and additional facets sequentially normal to the incident solar energy during said apparent solar movement east to west during various seasons of the year; a plurality of solar sensors each mounted on the planar surface of a respective dome facet and providing an electrical output signal representing the amount of solar incidence on a respective sensor; means for electrically connecting said solar sensors in a matrix array of two matrix axes, said matrix axes corresponding to respective axes of said two axis tracking system, including matrix axes designating means for designating the respective matrix axes corresponding to the dome facet which is substantially normal to the sun; and driver means, including collector position designating means designating the solar collector two axis position, for driving the solar collector two axis position, and for driving the solar collector until the solar collector two axis position matches the respective matrix axes corresponding to the dome facet which is at that time substantially normal to the sun.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 2, wherein said matrix axes designating means includes means for coding the matrix array axes corresponding to the dome facet then substantially normal to the sun.

Claim 6

The improvement of claim 3, wherein said collector position designating means includes means for coding the solar collector two axis position.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 4, wherein said driver means includes comparator means comparing the matrix array axes code with the solar collector two axis position code and providing signals to drive the solar collector until said codes are identical.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 4, wherein the respective coding is in digital data form.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 6, wherein said respective matrix axes designating means and said collector position designating means initially obtain information in analog data form, and including means for converting the respective analog data into digital data form.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 2, wherein said matrix axes designating means includes discriminator means coupled to said plurality of solar sensors for determining which of said dome facets has the highest amount of solar incidence.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 8, wherein said discriminator means includes a threshold amplifier coupled to each sensor, and means for setting the threshold level.

Claim 12

A sun position sensor for a solar collection system comprising: a fixed portion of a geodesic dome shaped support having several planar facets thereon adapted to sequentially face the sun at substantially normal angles of solar incidence during the apparent solar movement from east to west during various seasons of the year, said facets each corresponding to an associated solar azimuth and elevation angle; a solar sensor mounted on the planar surface of each of said facets providing an electrical signal representing the amount of solar energy incident on the respective facet; a first group of threshold trigger amplifiers each receiving the electrical signals from one or more solar sensors of substantially the same azimuth angle; a second group of threshold trigger amplifiers each receiving the electrical signals from one or more solar sensors of substantially the same elevation angle; said first and second group of threshold trigger amplifiers including means for presetting a threshold signal level which said electrical signals must exceed before the respective threshold trigger amplifier is triggered and provides an output, and wherein only one threshold trigger amplifier in each group is triggered, corresponding to the solar sensor and associated dome facet receiving the highest amount of solar energy; digital encoder means activated by said output of said respective triggered amplifiers to provide digital data corresponding to the azimuth and elevation of the sun; a solar collector having discrete azimuth and elevation angles at which the sun will be collected; tracking means including azimuth and elevation drive means for moving said solar collector and tracking the sun during unobscured solar conditions as it traverses an apparent east to west movement; means coupled to the solar collector for determining the solar collector position in terms of azimuth and elevation and providing digital data corresponding thereto; and comparator means receiving the respective digital data from said digital encoder means corresponding to the sensed azimuth and elevation of the sun, and the digital data corresponding to the solar collector position, and providing respective drive signals to the azimuth and elevation drive means to move said solar collector until the solar collector position is substantially equal to the sensed azimuth and elevation of the sun.

Claim 13

A sun position sensor for a solar collection system comprising: a fixed portion of a geodesic dome shaped support having several planar facets thereon adapted to sequentially face the sun at substantially normal angles of solar incidence during the apparent solar movement from east to west during various seasons of the year, said facets each corresponding to an associated solar azimuth and elevation angle; a solar sensor mounted on the planar surface of each of said facets providing an electrical signal representing the amount of solar energy incident on the respective facet; a first group of threshold trigger amplifiers each receiving the electrical signals from one or more solar sensors of substantially the same azimuth angle; a second group of threshold trigger amplifiers each receiving the electrical signals from one or more solar sensors of substantially the same elevation angle; said first and second group of threshold trigger amplifiers including means for presetting a threshold signal level which said electrical signals must exceed before the respective threshold trigger amplifier is triggered and provides an output, and wherein only one threshold trigger amplifier in each group is triggered, corresponding to the solar sensor and associated dome facet receiving the highest amount of solar energy; digital encoder means activated by said output of said respective triggered amplifiers to provide digital data corresponding to the azimuth and elevation of the sun; a solar collector having discrete azimuth and elevation angles at which the sun will be collected; tracking means including azimuth and elevation drive means for moving said solar collector and tracking the sun during unobscured solar conditions as it traverses an apparent east to west movement; means coupled to the solar collector for determining the solar collector position in terms of azimuth and elevation and providing digital data corresponding thereto; and comparator means receiving the respective digital data from said digital encoder means corresponding to the sensed azimuth and elevation of the sun, and the digital data corresponding to the solar collector position, and providing respective drive signals to the azimuth and elevation drive means to move said solar collector until the solar collector position is substantially equal to the sensed azimuth and elevation of the sun.

Claim 14

A sun position sensor according to claim 10, wherein said geodesic dome includes at least ten of said facets, each adapted to face the sun at substantially normal angles of solar incidence for about an hour.

Claim 15

A sun position sensor according to claim 10, wherein each of said geodesic dome facets is a polygon.