Solar tracking system using periodic scan patterns with a shielding tube

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 8878113
SERIAL NO

13506998

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Abstract

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A solar tracking system and method that use a shielding tube that admits solar radiation and has an absorptive inner surface for absorbing the solar radiation that is incident on it. The system has a photodetector for generating a signal related to an intensity of solar radiation at a distal end of the shielding tube and a scan unit for periodically executing a certain scan pattern in an elevation angle El and in an azimuth angle Az of the shielding tube. A processing unit in communication with the photodetector determines an on-sun orientation of the shielding tube based on a convolution of the signal obtained while executing the scan pattern with a trained convolution kernel. The on-sun orientation thus found can be used to update the orientation of one or more solar surfaces, e.g., reflective or photovoltaic surfaces.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
TESLA INC1 TESLA ROAD AUSTIN TX 78725

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Goble, Jos C Mountain View, US 2 1
Perkins, Christopher O Cupertino, US 2 1
Sumers, Benjamin D Los Altos Hills, US 9 27
Trujillo, Salomon J Redwood City, US 7 375

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