Archive
CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER. Latest granted patents 2016-2018. Tracking, control and structural systems
Summary
The main technologies used in concentrated solar power production are solar towers, parabolic troughs, concentrating linear Fresnel reflector or dish systems. They can vary regarding the shape of solar receiver fields, energy conversion methods, storage options and other design components while control systems, tracking devices and auxiliary structural elements play a key role in ensuring the effective performance of solar power stations. Different structural elements like frames, tubes, suspenders, pylons, pipes, etc., which enable the actual performance of a solar power unit must meet high standards of efficiency and reliability. This pertains to physical characteristics on the one hand – for example the rigidity of the construction under wind and thermal effects – and to parameters such as providing thermal insulation, low maintenance and cost effectiveness on the other. High requirements are being put on control systems, which are responsible for the reliable operation of all station units and elements, including trackers, receivers, turbines and generators. To generate maximum solar energy, the sun needs to be tracked with high accuracy. The latest achievements in the design of single axis and dual axis trackers are focused on increasing tracking capabilities while reducing maintenance costs, which is best documented in the latest patents.
The proposed bulletin is dedicated to the subject of Tracking, Control and Structural Systems in Concentrated Solar Power and includes patents published in 2016-2018. Research methodology is available on the Advanced Energy Technologies website. The patent bulletin includes 936 patent documents. The patents were granted in 22 patent offices around the world. 663 applicants from 25 countries participated in the development of the inventions. 560 subgroups of the International Patent Classification were encountered in the patent documents.
Key Highlights
Statistical information presented in the bulletin includes distribution of patent documents by years, by patent offices and by applicant countries, applicant-related data (residents and non-residents), and data on the most frequently mentioned International Patent Classification divisions (sections, classes, subclasses, groups, and subgroups). The largest number of patents during the period of time under revision was granted by the patent offices of China and the USA.
Based on the analysis of each of the patents, internal characteristics of unified indicators (technical problems, types of inventive solutions, belonging to one or other technological segment) were found, which allowed specific features for each of the indicators for the entire array of documents to be defined, for instance, to define the leading problems or technical solution types that were disclosed by the inventors the most. Document lists are provided for the ten most popular groups of patent documents with identical unified indicators, including their ID numbers and applicant names.
The following information can be found for the top 10 applicants: breakdown of documents by problems, IPC sections, patent offices, technological indicators, as well as the estimation of their share in the established intellectual property market. The 10 leading applicants by the number of patent documents were: SunPower Corporation (US), Abengoa Solar New Technologies, S.A. (ES), Big Sun Energy Technology Incorporation (TW), NEXTracker Inc. (US), SolarCity Corporation (US), Exosun (FR), Luo Chia Ching (TW), Sichuan Zsun Solar Development Co. Ltd (CN), Soitec Solar, GmbH (DE), and SolarReserve, LLC (US).
The bulletin contains lists of the top 10 prominent patents having the highest bibliographical rating, the most extensive coverage of IPC sections, the shortest patent pending time.
The conclusive part of the bulletin represents the lists of all of the documents reviewed, arranged by the top 10 groups of patent documents with identical unified indicators and by patent offices with the indication of the ID numbers of the granted patents.
Who needs this bulletin?
The proposed patent statistics bulletin allows the existing trends in the intellectual property market of the specified industrial sector to be timely traced, as well as the possibility of acquiring a carefully selected list of patent documents fully corresponding to the specified subject. The bulletin can be useful for inventors, engineers, scientific workers, and business representatives, who are focused on the development of solar energy production technologies.
