Archive
CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER. Latest published applications 2015-2017. Tracking, control and structural systems
Summary
Control systems, tracking devices and auxiliary structural elements play a critical role in ensuring the efficient operation of solar power stations with solar energy concentrators. This particularly applies to sun tracking systems. Very high requirements are being put on single axis trackers and even more on dual axis trackers in terms of accuracy and reliability, as well as cost-effectiveness. Structural elements in the form of frames, pipes, pylons, etc. must show reliable and consistent performance and be easy to repair, since their shortcomings can paralyze individual units or even the entire solar power station. Control systems are responsible for the sustainable coordinated operation of all station nodes, including trackers, receivers, turbines and generators, without technical failures and emergencies. Recent patent decisions are perhaps the best source for monitoring recent developments in solar energy concentration technologies.
The present bulletin reviews patent applications registered by patent offices around the globe in 2015-2017 in the field related to Tracking, Control and Structural Systems in Concentrated Solar Power. General research methodology can be found on the Advanced Energy Technologies website. 1826 patent documents from 30 patent offices around the world are represented in the bulletin. In total, 932 applicants from 33 countries and 605 subgroups of the International Patent Classification are mentioned.
Key Highlights
The bulletin contains statistical data on the distribution of patent documents by years, by patent offices and by applicant countries, applicant-related data (residents and non-residents), data on the most frequently mentioned International Patent Classification divisions (sections, classes, subclasses, groups, and subgroups). The top three patent offices that registered the largest number of patent applications were CNIPA (CN), USPTO (US) and WIPO.
Based on the analysis of each of the patent applications, 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.
A list of the top 10 applicants by the number of patent documents includes Chengdu Juhe Technology Co. Ltd (China), SunPower Corporation (USA), Abengoa Solar New Technologies, S.A. (Spain), Soitec Solar, GmbH (Germany), University of Stellenbosch (South Africa), Kunshan Hede New Energy Technology Co Ltd (China), Optimum Tracker (France), Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (France), and Exosun (France). Data representing the share in the established intellectual property market, distribution of applications by problems, IPC sections, patent offices and technology indicators is provided in the form of tables and diagrams for them.
The bulletin contains lists of the top 10 prominent documents having the highest bibliographical rating, the most extensive coverage of IPC sections, and those not being part a of patent family.
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 registered patent applications.
Who needs this bulletin?
The data provided in the proposed bulletin is a timely reflection of the transformations that take place in the intellectual property sector of the industrial direction concerned. Thoroughly edited selection of patent documents can become a good complement to your library of available technical solutions. The bulletin is targeted at inventors, engineers, researchers, managers and business administrators involved in the development of solar energy production technologies.
