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Solar Cooking and Beyond- Pursuing Best Cost Solar Concentration

Solar Cooking and Beyond- Pursuing Best Cost Solar Concentration. Presented at the 2017 American Solar Energy Society Conference in Denver, Colorado Doug Simmers ABF Solar, LLC. ABF Solar, LLC. Manufactures point-focus solar dishes for cooking applications

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Solar Cooking and Beyond- Pursuing Best Cost Solar Concentration

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  1. Solar Cooking and Beyond- Pursuing Best Cost Solar Concentration Presented at the 2017 American Solar Energy Society Conference in Denver, Colorado Doug Simmers ABF Solar, LLC.

  2. ABF Solar, LLC. • Manufactures point-focus solar dishes for cooking applications • And also pursues scaling of this technology for power applications

  3. Goal- Best Cost Concentration • A Better Focus Co. is dedicated to designing and manufacturing a “best cost” concentrating solar dish • Lowest materials cost • Superior performance to glass mirror or polished metal systems • Good weatherability (for thermal power applications)

  4. Directed Energy Cooking • Long focus system • Infinitely variable focusing from 10’ to 25’ • Requires slight dish adjustment as the sun moves • Many Cooking Accessories

  5. Safety Considerationsgreater power requires greater diligence to safety • Wear sunglasses when looking at the focused light. • Misdirected focused light can start a fire. Always cover dishes when unattended • As with any type of cooking – cooking surfaces are HOT

  6. - Reinventing point focus dishes utilizing mirror film instead of glass mirrors • - vacuum deformed to focus sunlight. • offers much lower cost than glass mirrors • provides sufficient concentration • light weight dishes enable lightweight tracking structures • Infinitely variable focal lengths between 10 and 30 feet • rapid defocusing for safety. Re-inventing vacuum-deformed mirror film dishes • Mirror-reflective film is stretched across a perfectly round frame

  7. This results in a string of focal points that are not the ideal parabolic shape, but results in temperatures of over 850F at stagnation • Vacuum hold time is typically 2+ hours

  8. Previous“stretched membrane”systems have had a checkered history • Learning from the past • Problem- Poor film durability • Solution- New films provide similar performance and service life to glass mirrors - Reflectech Solar, Div. of SkyFuels • Note: cooking dishes use less expensive reflective mylar, and must be stored indoors • Problem- Film wrinkling- past systems utilized stainless steel sheets or other heavy underlayments to inhibit wrinkling • Solution- Annular floating batten with thermal tensioning Film wrinkling inhibited by internal floating battens, and thermal film tensioning US pat. # 7,374,301 B1 Film wrinkling typical, without underlayment Failed LaJet/Cummings Project Wrinkling inhibited via internal “floating battens” US pat. # 7,374,301 B1 Wrinkling inhibited via internal “floating battens” US pat. # 7,374,301 B1

  9. Learning from the past-Previous“stretched membrane”systems have had a checkered history • Learning from the past • Problem- Weatherability- high winds and abrasive particulate (again, cooking dishes would be brought inside during high wind events) • Solution- Weathervaning tracker, rotates away from oncoming wind. • Dishes flip up to reduce incident dish area. Prototype has survived outdoors for 9 years Haboob approaching Phoenix Weathervaning tracking structure Dishes turn their backs to oncoming wind Dishes flip up, reducing incident area to the wind • Note: cooking dishes use less expensive reflective mylar, and must be stored indoors Failed LaJet/Cummings Project Wrinkling inhibited via internal “floating battens” US pat. # 7,374,301 B1 Wrinkling inhibited via internal “floating battens” US pat. # 7,374,301 B1

  10. Latest Developments • More precise concentrated spot- 850F + at stagnation • Improved ability to project focal point 20’ 25’ 15’

  11. Latest Developments Professional cooking system with two dishes, and sun-tracking frame • Automated sun tracking • Expanded to 4- dishes • Enables small Power applications • Spring, 2018 • Looking for partners with a 3-5 kw (thermal) need

  12. Summary • ABF Solar dish technology is an effective and cost competitive method of concentrating solar thermal energy. • Basic cooking systems offer many cooking methods • Professional cooking systems offer manual sun tracking • Automated sun tracking will be available in 2018 • Scaling to 8’ diameter has been tested, and offers potential for future thermal power applications • Cooking systems are being demonstrated in front of St. Cajetan’s church today, and tomorrow. • Questions?

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