Energy News Monitoring

Converters of solar energy with concentrators are used to produce both electric and thermal energy. Power plants with parabolic mirrors or a central receiver in combination with thermal energy storage systems allow the concept of efficient storage of renewable energy to be implemented on a large scale. Concentrators in combination with photovoltaics can significantly increase the efficiency of solar modules. Recent engineering advances in this area are in most cases reflected in patent applications.

1442 patent applications were selected for consideration, filed by 741 applicants from 43 countries in 31 patent offices around the world. The methodology for retrieval of patent documents and processing them is described on the Advanced Energy Technologies website.
The top 10 most productive applicants were representatives from five countries, with the United States holding the largest share. The total share of patent applications of companies and organizations included in the top 10 amounted to just over 14% of the total volume of applicants.

Top 10 applicants by the number of patent applications filed in 2018

Source: Advanced Energy Technologies

The largest number of applications were filed by: Sumitomo Electric Industries (Japan), Ltd. Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (France) and the American company SunPower Corporation, and their share in the register of intellectual property in the considered array of patent documents was 2.36%, 1.67% and 1.5%, respectively.

All participants in the top 10 list have been patenting both in their national patent offices and abroad. More than others in this regard, American Brilliant Light Power Inc., which filed its applications in 12 world patent offices.

Distribution of patent applications by patent offices around the world among the top 10 applicants

Source: Advanced Energy Technologies

CNIPA (CN) - National Intellectual Property Administration; DPMA (DE)- German Patent and Trade Mark Office; EAPO - Eurasian Patent Organization; EPO - European Patent Organization; ILPO (IL) - Israel Patent Office; IMPI (MX) - Mexican Institute of Industrial Property; INAPI (CL) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Chile); INNORPI (TN)- National Institute for Standardization and Industrial; INPI (BR) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Brazil); INPI (FR)- National Institute of Industrial Property; IP Australia (AU) - IP Australia; IPOS(SG) - Intellectual Property Office of Singapore; JPO (JP) - Industrial Property Office (Japan); KIPO (KR) - Korean Intellectual Property Office; OMPIC (MA) - Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office; TIPO (TW) - Taiwan Intellectual Property Office; USPTO (US) - United States Patent and Trademark Office; WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization

The technological interests of most patentees were diverse; for example, if Brilliant Light Power Inc. from the USA mainly focused on the technical aspects of Receivers and System as a whole, the American SunPower Corporation, in addition to the main topics, concentrated on Trackers, paid considerable attention to Receivers, System as a whole, Control systems and Structural elements. American X Development LLC and West German BASF, SE. paid attention to technologies and equipment for Energy storage more than others. Optical technical applications were the subject of investigation of Saint-Augustin Canada Electric Inc. Sumitomo Electric Industries (Japan) and Ltd. Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (France).

Technological interests of the top 10 applicants


Source: Advanced Energy Technologies

CS - Control systems; ES - Energy storage; HR - Heat removal; O - Optics; OAE - Other auxiliary equipment; R - Receivers; SE - Structural elements; SW - System as a whole; TPG - Turbines and other power generation; TR - Trackers

Among the top 10 applicants, and taking into account the total number of documents under consideration, the most mentioned technical problems that were addressed in the patent documents were High costs of equipment production, High costs of repair and replacement and Low efficiency of optics or absorber.

According to our estimates, the following patent applications have the highest bibliographic rating on the subject of Concentrated Solar Power in 2018:

- Solar thermal concentrator and method of forming same / A: US20180320931A1 / IPC: B23P15/26, F24S10/40, F24S10/90, F24S23/71 / Winston Roland, Jiang Lun / Univ California / Appl. date: 30.04.2018; Publ. date: 08.11.2018

- Procédé Et Dispositif Pour La Décharge D'un Réservoir D’hydrogène Dans Les Capteurs Cylindro-paraboliques / A: MA39796A1 / IPC: 0 / Kuckelkorn Thomas, Sohr Oliver / Schott Ag / Appl. date: 26.01.2017; Publ. date: 31.05.2018

- Parabolic concentrator integrated with ball lens / A: US20180287000A1 / IPC: F24S23/00, F24S23/71, G02B19/00, H01L31/054, H01L31/18 / Forrest Stephen R, Lee Kyusang, Lee Byungjun / Univ Michigan Regents / Appl. date: 02.11.2016; Publ. date: 04.10.2018

- 用于表面反射系数的光学测量的装置和系统 (Device and system for optical measurement of the reflection coefficient of a surface) / A: CN108449967A / IPC: F24S23/74, G01B11/00, G01M11/00, G01N21/47, G01N21/55 / Martinez Sanz Noelia, Alcaniz Garcia Carlos, Izquierdo Nunez David, Heras Vila Carlos, Salinas Ariz Inigo, Pelayo Gil Cristina, Alonso Esteban Rafael, Zarza Escobar Victor / Abengoa Solar New Tech Sa / Appl. date: 13.07.2016; Publ. date: 24.08.2018

- 用于太阳能反射器的涂层玻璃 (Coated glass for solar reflectors) / A: CN107567430A / IPC: C03C17/25, C03C23/00 / Ubach Cartategui Josep, Gomez Herrero Estíbaliz, Zarrabe Sarasua Haizeaú, Aranzabe Basterrechea Estíbaliz / Rioglass Solar S.A, Fundación Tekniker / Appl. date: 03.05.2016; Publ. date: 09.01.2018
 

More detailed information on the methodology as well as on the results of patent researches in the most important fields of contemporary energy industry can be found at Advanced Energy Technologies.