Abstract: In the present invention, an efficient, compact utility model of solar panel has been disclosed, which can simultaneously generate electricity and can purify/treat water for drinking/household purposes in one simple and unique setup. The X-Mas tree is like a solar panel, wrapped around by copper wire providing sunlight to every solar cell that is present on its outer surface. The liquid that passes through these copper pipes can either contain water containing powdered forms of silver, copper, or any other high thermal conductivity material which can increase the heat transfer rate. Also any thermally expandable gases (like nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen) which can expand when heated can help in producing electricity with the turbine and with the help of steam turbines, it can generate electricity. And at the same time with the help of a tube and shell heat exchanger when it releases the extra heat, it can purify the whole water system.
The present invention generally relates to the field of Renewable energy. More specifically, it is an eco-friendly, compact solar panel for generating electricity and water purification.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In these modern decades, people are looking for creating green energy. Among all the sources of green energies, the most popular is Solar Energy which can be converted into solar electricity. Solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy source in the world. Solar energy systems refer to the technologies that convert the sunlight of heat to another form of energy for use. No greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere when the solar panels are used to create electricity. Solar energy represents a clean, green source of energy and solar power is a great way to reduce carbon particles from the environment. Solar power is self-sufficient and installing solar panels on building roofs is a safe and easy path to contribute to a sustainable future.
There are two categories of technologies that harness solar energy, i.e. Solar Photovoltaics and Solar Thermal. Solar Photovoltaic (or PV) is a technology that converts sunlight into direct current electricity by using semiconductors. In contrast, Solar Thermal is a technology that utilizes heat energy from the sun for heating or electricity production.
Possible sources of Renewable energies and their limitations:
The demand for renewable energy is increasing every day with the increase in population. The limited Non-renewable sources are not environment friendly and an increase or decrease in their production can have a direct result on inflation. Renewable sources, on the other hand, are sustainable, abundant, and environment friendly. Unlike fossil fuels, they are not going to expire soon as they are constantly replenished. But they have their own limitations and criteria for their uses.
Wind Power: Wind energy harnesses the power of the wind to propel the blades of wind turbines. The rotation of turbine blades is converted into electrical current by means of an electrical generator. In the older windmills, wind energy was used to turn mechanical machinery to do physical work, like crushing grain or pumping water. But there are problems with wind energy as well, wind power is intermittent. The consistent wind is needed for continuous power generation. If wind speed decreases, the turbine lingers and less electricity is generated. Large wind farms can harm the scenery.
Biomass Energy: Biomass energy comes in many forms. Burning wood has been used for thousands of years to create heat, but more recent advancements have also seen waste, such as that in landfills, and alcohol products used for similar purposes. Focusing on burning wood, the heat generated can be equivalent to that of a central heating system. Furthermore, the costs involved tend to be lower and the amount of carbon released by this kind of fuel falls below the amount released by fossil fuels.
Natural Gas: Natural gas sources have been in use for several decades, but it is through the progression of compression techniques that it is becoming a more viable alternative energy source. In particular, it is being used in cars to reduce carbon emissions. Demand for this energy source has been increasing. Despite this, natural gas does come with some issues. The potential for contamination is larger than with other alternative fuel sources and natural gas still emits greenhouse gases, even if the amount is lower than with fossil fuels.
Limitations with commonly available Solar Panels:
The Solar Panels work on the principle of absorbing the sunlight with photovoltaic cells, generating direct current (DC) energy and then converting it to usable alternative current (AC) energy. AC energy flows through the home's electrical panel and is distributed accordingly. The conventional solar panels either generate electricity or heat the water, but cannot do both of them simultaneously. The design of solar panels is also not compatible with generating electricity and heating water simultaneously at some places throughout all the seasons.
As the already-existing solar panels consume a lot of space on the rooftop, it is required either a small setup or a special extra space, allotted for the completion of the requirement of energy production from the installed solar panels. The existing solar panels are of a particular shape, working on concepts, i.e. either generating electricity or heating water but not both in one setup. On top of that, only 19% efficiency is attained by the commonly available solar setup.
Importance of Present Invention:
Some electrical equipment like water heating appliances such as geysers, electric rods consume a lot of energy and may increase the household electricity bill. The present invention is more compact and efficient in that it can do two works at the same time, i.e. i) electricity generation and ii) water treatment/boiling in one simple and unique setup.
In the present utility model, more heat can be concentrated using convex lens/magnifying glass to raise the temperature and it supplies electricity for household chores using steam engine turbine systems. The collected condensed steam is fed into the shell and tube heat exchanger to purify the home supply water by raising its temperature and later the treated water is getting supplied for the households. The present invention completely changed the design of the solar panel so that it can absorb the heat of the sun at every hour of the day evenly on its surface.
All the advantages of this model have followed in a point-wise manner.
(1) The present invention takes less space as compared to the other models/designs. It is compact, easy to use, and highly efficient.
(2) With this design, people can have independence from untimely and unwanted power cuts
(3) This model is economic as this is a one-time investment and can work for up to 25 years.
(4) There are no effects of change in electricity tariff/billing rates for a long period.
(5) Dust and sand particles are less likely to rest on the surface since the panel has a conical shape which adds an advantage to resist the sand and dust accumulation on it.
(6) Smart shape helps in better power generation and water boiling. Smart rotation is completely reliable on the sunlight that the solar panel receives thus giving timely rotations and auto-start and auto-stop (rotations of panels).
(7) Two things in one simple design: i) Power generation, ii) Water purification that provides free water purification by boiling it, killing the bad bacteria and virus. Since the water is almost brought to the boiling point, it decreases the chances of water-borne diseases.
(8) No extra water purifier is required for the households since it's already being treated. All household utilities can get treated water.
(9) This solar panel works irrespective of the position of the sun in the sky as it is compatible with receiving sunlight from all directions because of the conical shape. This increases the overall efficiency of the entire setup.
The definitions of a few related terms are explained in the following section for better understanding.
Definitions of related scientific terms
Solar Panel: The term solar panel is used colloquially for a photovoltaic (PV) module. A PV module is an assembly of photovoltaic cells mounted in a framework for installation. Photo-voltaic cells use sunlight as a source of energy and generate direct current electricity. A collection of PV modules is called a PV Panel, and a system of Panels is an Array. Arrays of a photovoltaic system supply solar electricity to electrical equipment. The most common application of solar energy collection outside agriculture is solar water heating systems.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel
Steam engine turbine: A steam turbine is a device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. A steam turbine is a form of heat engine that derives much of its improvement in thermodynamic efficiency from the use of multiple stages in the expansion of the steam, which results in a closer approach to the ideal reversible expansion process. Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_turbine
Shell and tube heat exchanger: A shell and tube heat exchanger is a class of heat exchanger designs. It is the most common type of heat exchanger in oil refineries and other large chemical processes and is suited for higher-pressure applications. As its name implies, this type of heat exchanger consists of a shell (a large pressure vessel) with a bundle of tubes inside it. One fluid runs through the tubes, and another fluid flows over the tubes (through the shell) to transfer heat between the two fluids. The set of tubes is called a tube bundle and may be composed of several types of tubes: plain, longitudinally finned, etc.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_and_tube_heat_exchanger
Before going to the details of the invention, some related prior arts are described in the following section.
Prior art patents and publications
Patent Application No. CN201746350U discloses “Temperature-controlled solar water purifying plate”
The invention discloses the utility model that provides temperature-controlled solar water purifying plate which is characterized in that a box body comprises a heating panel, a stainless steel perforated plate, and a stainless steel cold plate; the heating panel, the stainless steel perforated plate, and the stainless steel condensation plate are used for dividing the box body into a vacuum chamber, an evaporation chamber, a condensation chamber and condensation water renewing chamber; water flows through the condensation water renewing chamber, a temperature-controlled water valve, a stilling out, the heating panel, the stainless steel perforated plate and the condensation chamber in sequence, to form a circulation channel in which liquid is heated into vapor, and then the vapor is condensed into liquid; and materials dissolved in the water are separated from the water during the circulation so that the purpose of purifying water is achieved. The purifying plate has the advantages of simple structure, low energy consumption, no pollution, high purifying efficiency, and satisfaction to user demands, and is an ideal water purifying device.
The above product is different from the present invention. The above invention provides a user-friendly solar water purifying plate in the solar panel. But the present invention provides shell and tube heat exchangers to purify the home supply water.
Patent Application No. CN201129040Y discloses “Energy-saving environment-friendly building”
The invention relates to the utility model that belongs to the renewable energy utilization field, in particular to a building of energy conservation and environmental protection. The building of energy conservation and environmental protection is provided with a solar energy utilization system which comprises a solar energy compulsory heating and refrigerating system, a solar energy heat-collecting system, a solar photo electrical generation system, and a solar energy photoconductive lighting system; furthermore, the utility model is also provided with a wind turbine generator, a biomass energy utilization system and a geothermal energy utilization system. The building provided by the utility model reasonably and comprehensively utilizes a plurality of energies: solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and biomass energy. Each system can be reasonably arranged in the building to be organically combined with the heating and power supply circuit of the building, thus realizing complementarity and efficient utilization of various energies.
The above product is different from the present invention. The above invention provides solar energy utilization systems in various modes. But the present invention provides a convex lens, steam engine turbine to convert solar energy to electricity, and shell and tube heat exchanger to purify the home supply water in a user-friendly, efficient, and economic manner.
Patent Application No. CN201306854Y discloses “Multi-functional solar water heater”
The invention discloses the utility model relates to a multi-functional solar water heater which comprises a water storage tank, a heating system, and a water delivery pipe. The water storage tank adopts a combined double-mounted type water storage tank, the main water tank is erected at the upper part, an auxiliary water tank is arranged at the lower part, a water outlet opening is formed at the top part of the main water tank, a water inlet opening is formed at the bottom part of the auxiliary water tank, and the water inlet opening is connected with a water inlet pipe. The heating system is classified as a double-pipeline independent external circulating type heating system and comprises a low-temperature water delivery pipe and a heating pipe, wherein, the low-temperature water delivery pipe and the heating pipe are connected between the main water tank and the auxiliary water tank, so that the main water tank and the auxiliary water tank are communicated with each other as a whole; and a U-shaped liquid seal is installed in the position of the water outlet opening at the top of the main water tank. The utility model is a high-efficiency multi-functional solar water heater, has the advantages of novel design, reasonable structure, simple process, lower manufacturing cost, high cost-performance ratio, convenient operation, and use, security and reliability, and has the characteristics of quick hot water temperature rise, high water temperature, large hot water production, clean and sanitary water outlet quality and potable water.
The above product is different from the present invention. The above invention provides a multi-functional solar water heater, working in different modes. But the present invention provides a convex lens, steam engine turbine to convert solar energy to electricity and shell and tube heat exchanger to purify the home supply water in user friendly, efficient, and economic manner.
Patent Application No. US20190353146A1 discloses “Concentrated solar power generation using solar receivers”
The invention discloses an inventive concentrated solar power system using solar receivers, and related devices and methods. Low-pressure solar receivers are provided that function to convert solar radiation energy to thermal energy of a working fluid, e.g., working fluid of a power generation or thermal storage system. In some embodiments, low-pressure solar receivers are provided herein that are useful in conjunction with gas turbine-based power generation systems.
In the above invention low-pressure, solar receivers are provided to convert solar radiation energy to thermal energy, whereas the present invention provides a convex lens, steam engine turbine to convert solar energy to electricity, and shell and tube heat exchanger to purify the home supply water in user-friendly, efficient and economic manner. The above invention also didn’t discuss water purification.
Patent Application No. WO2013121262A1 discloses “Solar power plant”
The present disclosure provides a solar power plant in a new split configuration of a solar Brayton cycle or Brayton/Rankine combined cycle which comprises an array of heliostat mounted mirrors, a solar receiver and a high-pressure section of a Brayton cycle power plant mounted near a top of a solar tower, a low-pressure section of the Brayton Cycle power plant and the electric generator mounted near or at the ground, level.
The above invention discussed the effect of the Brayton Cycle in solar panels, whereas the present invention provides a convex lens, steam engine turbine to convert solar energy to electricity, and shell and tube heat exchanger to purify the home supply water in user-friendly, efficient, and economic manner. The working model is different from each other.
Patent Application No. CN209925091U discloses “Hot-flow type power generation device”
The utility model provides a hot-flow type power generation facility, include: a heat source; the heat insulation surrounding wall is arranged around the heat source; the power generation assembly is suspended above the heat insulation surrounding wall; the first heat exchanger is arranged in the power generation assembly; a flow guide mechanism, a heat pump unit and a heat transfer device; the heat source is used for heating fluid in the heat insulation surrounding wall so as to enable the heated fluid to flow into the power generation assembly and drive the power generation assembly to generate power; the first heat exchanger is stored with working medium, and the working medium is used for absorbing heat in fluid flowing into the power generation assembly; the flow guide mechanism is used for sending the working medium back to the first heat exchanger after sending the working medium into the heat pump unit; the heat pump unit is used for absorbing heat in the working medium, and the heat transfer device is used for transferring the heat absorbed by the heat pump unit into the heat insulation surrounding wall. The utility model provides a hot-flow type power generation facility cyclic utilization exhaust steam latent heat avoids heat energy to discharge and causes thermal pollution.
The above invention is different from the present one as it discussed hot-flow type power generation facilities and didn’t discuss the method of water purification. The present invention provides a convex lens, steam engine turbine to convert solar energy to electricity, and shell and tube heat exchanger to purify the home supply water. The working model is different from each other.
Patent Application No. US3982527A discloses “Method and apparatus for concentrating, harvesting and storing of solar energy”
The present invention introduces (i) a reflector-heat sink panel with myriads of miniature parabolic mirrors and conductive heat collectors and (ii) a flattened focusing mirror. The reflector-heat sink panel has a transparent cover, a multiplicity of miniature parabolic mirrors to focus the Sun's rays into their respective focal regions which also serve as heat sink regions. For an efficient operation, heat generated in these regions is collected and transmitted to a heat transfer surface which is located on the backside relative to the mirror surfaces by conductive heat collecting branches and a conductive main and is transmitted to a heat-absorbing medium. Another convenient way is to use the space separating the transparent cover and the mirror surfaces as a conduit to carry a heat-absorbing medium and use the surfaces of conductive heat collecting branches and the mirror surface as the heat transfer surface of transmitting heat energy to the heat-absorbing medium. Converging lens-heat sink panels which do a similar job as that of reflector-heat sink panels are also described. The flattened focusing mirror is a thin multistep mirror that functions as a regular parabolic mirror with a relatively large focal length. What a flattened focusing mirror is to a regular parabolic mirror is about what a Fresnel lens is to a regular lens.
Although the above invention also used the converging lens to concentrate the solar energy and also conductive heat collectors like the present one, it didn’t discuss the method of water purification with the method of conversion of solar energy to electricity, as discussed in the present invention.
Journals and Books
Mohamed A. A. Siraj, E. A. Mohamed, 2007. Steam Generator Design for Solar Thermal Systems. Proceedings of ISES World Congress, 2007, Vol. I – Vol. V, page 1791-1794.
This publication presents a model of a heat exchanger for generating steam to drive a 3kW electrical generator that has been designed and tested. From the test result, a set of three heat exchangers for generating steam to drive a 50 kW electrical generation steam turbine has been designed. The three units form a preheater, boiler, and superheater for solar thermal power plants. The proposed heat exchanger for this process is a shell and tube heat exchanger, counter-current flow type. Out of many methods provided for calculating shell side pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient, the Bell-Delaware method is selected for the proposed design. In this method correction factors were introduced for the: (1) The leakage through the gaps between the tubes and the baffles, and the baffles and the shell. (2) Bypassing the flow around the gap between the tube bundle and the shell. (3) Effect of the baffle configuration. (4) Effect of adverse temperature gradient in laminar flow.
Although the above publication is describing the benefit of shell and tube heat exchanger in solar panel, the present invention provides an altogether convex lens, steam engine turbine to convert solar energy to electricity, and shell and tube heat exchanger to purify the home supply water in user-friendly, efficient and economic manner
Pedro Ángel González-Gómez1,a), Fontina Petrakopoulos , Javier Villa Briongos1 and Domingo Santana, 2017. Steam generator design for solar towers using solar salt as heat transfer fluid. AIP Conference Proceedings 1850.
This publication is describing the working model of a steam generator in a solar power plant. Since the operation of a concentrating solar power plant depends on the intermittent character of solar energy, the steam generator is subject to daily start-ups, stops, and load variations. Faster start-up and load changes increase plant flexibility and daily energy production. However, it involves high thermal stresses on thick-walled components. Continuous operational conditions may eventually lead to a material failure. For these reasons, it is important to evaluate the transient behavior of the proposed designs to assure reliability. This work aims to analyze different steam generator designs for solar power tower plants using molten salt as heat transfer fluid. A conceptual steam generator design is proposed and associated heat transfer areas and steam drum size are calculated. Then, dynamic models for the main parts of the steam generator are developed to represent its transient performance. A temperature change rate that ensures safe hot start-up conditions is studied for the molten salt. The thermal stress evolution on the steam drum is calculated as a key component of the steam generator.
The working model of the above invention is different from the present invention. It described the use of steam generators in the solar power tower plants. The molten salt is used as heat transfer fluid. The present invention provides a convex lens, steam engine turbine to convert solar energy to electricity, and shell and tube heat exchanger to purify the home supply water.
Commercial information
Heat Exchangers for Solar Water Heating Systems, Reference: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/heat-exchangers-solar-water-heating-systems
Solar water heating systems use heat exchangers to transfer solar energy absorbed in solar collectors to the liquid or air used to heat water or space. Heat exchangers can be made of steel, copper, bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, or cast iron. Solar heating systems usually use copper, because it is a good thermal conductor and has greater corrosion resistance.
Solar Panel Plus, Reference: http://www.solarpanelsplus.com/products/solar-heat-exchangers/
Solar Panels Plus is a dealer that supplies a variety of solar heat exchangers for a variety of applications. Types range from brazed plate heat exchangers, tube and shell, and heat exchange pump stations. Many SPP solar storage tanks include a built-in internal copper heat exchanger. However, for some applications, an external solar heat exchanger is needed (for example, indoor solar pool heating systems often use an external tube and shell heat exchanger).
Here the full line of solar heat exchangers is designed to match the solar needs, from small residential hot water systems to large, industrial solar applications.
From the above, it is clear that there is no disclosure in any of the prior arts regarding the modified utility model of solar panels which can do two works simultaneously i.e. electricity generation and water treatment/boiling in one simple and unique setup, described in the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In this present invention, an efficient, compact utility model of solar panel has been disclosed, which can simultaneously generate electricity and can purify/treat water for drinking/household purposes in one simple and unique setup. The solar panel looks like a X-Mas tree or the inverted cone that rotates as soon as the panel starts receiving the sunlight which allows the entire solar panel to rotate along its axis, providing sunlight to every solar cell that is present on its outer surface. This is wrapped around by copper wire after a regular interval and the whole setup is covered with the convex lens or magnifying glass that can concentrate more heat on the copper pipe. The liquid that passes through these copper pipes can either contain water containing powdered forms of silver, copper, or any other high thermal conductivity material which can increase the heat transfer rate. Also any thermally expandable gases (like nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen) which can expand when heated can help in producing electricity with the turbine. These fluids will get heated in the copper tubes and with the help of steam turbines, it can generate electricity. And at the same time with the help of a tube and shell heat exchanger when it releases the extra heat, it can purify the whole water system. It kills all bad bacteria and viruses present in the water, providing safe and healthy drinking and usable water. This is compact, less space-consuming, and at the same time a solar panel that includes a water purifier for drinking/whole household purposes. This is economic as this is a one-time investment and can work for up to 25 years. No extra water purifier is required for the households since it's already being treated. Therefore this is no doubt a highly efficient model for the modern age.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1: Present invention
Numbering Details:
1. X-Mas Tree Solar Panel
2. By-Pass Valve
3. Steam Turbine
4. Feed Collector
5. Heat Exchanger (Shell and Tube)
6. Water Purifier
7. Recycle stream
8. Home Supply
Figure 2: The X-mas tree solar panel (For expandable gases as fluid)
9. Solar Cells
10. Copper Pipes (For expandable gases)
11. Base for solar cells
12. Inlet Pipe
13. Outlet Pipe
14. Magnifying glass
Figure 3: The X-mas tree solar panel (For Water as fluid)
11. Base for solar cells
12. Inlet Pipe
13. Outlet Pipe
14. Magnifying glass
17. Copper pipes (for water)
OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to disclose a system consisting of solar panel that can generate electricity and purify water.
Another object is to disclose a modified solar panel which is compact or less space-consuming set up.
Yet another object is to disclose a system which is very efficient, economic, and easy to use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention discloses an efficient, compact and economic utility model of solar panel that can generate electricity and purify water.
Constructional Details of the present invention:
The present invention consists of a system whereby heated and purified water supply as well as power generation can be achieved simultaneously using solar panels.
Various components of the system are as below:
1.Solar panel designed like a X-Mas tree or the inverted cone (Fig 2 and Fig 3). The inverted cone is wrapped around by copper pipes (10 of Fig. 2, for expandable gases and 17 of Fig.3 for water pipes) after a regular interval and the whole setup is covered with the convex lens or magnifying glass that can concentrate more heat on the copper pipe(s).
Fluid which can be gas or water enters into the copper pipe and flows through the inverted cone and gets heated.
The thermal expandable gases are flowing in a single copper pipe only whereas the water if flowing through small diameter pipe(s) (either 4 or 5 similar pipes, bundled together so that the surface area can be increased for water heating)
2.Copper pipe (10 of Figure 2) fitted from top to bottom of the solar panel wherein expandable gases flow.
3.Copper pipe(s) (17 of Figure 3) fitted from top to bottom of the solar panel wherein water is used as fluid. Said pipe has a common inlet and outlet ends and is divided into 5 smaller diameter tubes to distribute fluid to receive more heat.
4.A magnifying glass (14, Figure 2) or the convex lens/glass which covers the solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3) and helps in concentrating the heat on the copper pipe on the solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3).
5.Steam turbine (3, Figure 1) in which the heated water coming out of the solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3) is fed and the outlet is connected to feed collector (4 of fig 1) which further feeds the water to Tube heat exchanger (5, Figure 1).
6.Tube heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) in which heated water enters in order to provide hot water supply for household use.
7.Water purifier (6, Figure 1) to which tank water enters and gets purified. This purified water reaches Heat Exchanger’s Shell side (5, Figure 1)
8.Water supply line (8, Figure 2) to provide purified and heated water to households for drinking and other purposes. This water when used for bathing is very safe as it has already been purified at the beginning stage before sending it to the heat exchanger. Skin problems due to impure water used in bathing are also eliminated.
9.Recycle Stream (7 of Figure 1) which is a pipeline from which the unused steam is fed back to copper pipes fitted in solar panels to recycle the heat energy and save wastage.
10.A valve (2, Figure 1) can bypass the steam turbine (3, Figure 1) and the water directly reaches the heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) so that its temperature can be raised.
Water may contain powdered forms of silver, copper, or any other high thermal conductivity material which can increase the heat transfer rate.
In another embodiment, the fluid that passes through these copper pipes can be expandable gases (like nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen) which can help in producing electricity with the turbine. This fluid gets heated in the copper tube and with the help of a steam turbine it can generate electricity.
And at the same time with the help of a tube and shell heat exchanger when it releases the extra heat, it can purify the whole water system. It kills all bad bacteria and viruses present in the water, providing safe and healthy drinking and usable water.
This is compact, less space-consuming, and at the same time a solar panel that includes a water purifier for drinking/whole household purposes. This is economic as this is a one-time investment and can work for up to 25 years. No extra water purifier is required for the households since it's already being treated. Therefore this is no doubt a highly efficient model for the modern age.
Working Details of the present invention:
Step 1: The water/gas enters the copper pipes and gets heated and flows towards its next destination that is the steam turbine (3, Figure 1).
Step 2: The water/gas being at its boiling point is showered on the turbine blades forcing it to generate electricity by its rotation, which can increase the overall efficiency of the entire setup.
Step 3: The used steam after hitting the blades comes downward and gets condensed and is ready to flow towards the heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) to release its extra heat to treat the water for the home supply (8, Figure 2).
Step 4: In case of water as a fluid, it can be by-passed to the heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) directly if the user demands higher water temperature.
Step 5: Water from the home water supply tank enters the water purifier (6, Figure 1) and then in the tube side of the shell and tube heat exchanger (5, Figure 1). This treated as well as heated water coming out from heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) is fed to supply (8, Figure 2) pipeline for household use.
Step 6: The water/gas at the output of the shell side passes through a recycle stream (7, Figure 1) and comes at the input of the solar panel again. This water/gas introduced in the copper pipes (17 of Figure 3) is getting recycled since it contains fine particles of good thermal conductors increasing the heat capacity of the liquid.
This model can absorb the heat of the sun at every hour of the day evenly on its surface. The valve (2, Figure 1) is introduced in the system after the solar panel to change the direction of the flow of water from the steam turbine to the heat exchanger so that the temperature of water (which is to be supplied for the households) can be raised.
Novelty, Inventive Step, and Industrial Application
NOVELTY – In this present invention, an efficient, compact utility model of solar panel has been disclosed, which can simultaneously generate electricity and can purify/treat water for the households in one simple and unique setup. By the use of a convex lens/magnifying glass, a steam turbine can generate electricity and at the same time with the help of tube and shell heat exchanger, it can purify the water system. This is no doubt a highly efficient model for the modern age. This unique idea has not been disclosed in any of the prior art publications.
INVENTIVE STEP- The technical advancement of knowledge lies in disclosing a unique idea of assembling the steam turbine to generate electricity and creating the pathway for passing the liquid and utilizing the extra heat to treat the household’s water supply with the help of shell and tube heat exchangers. This is compact, less space-consuming, and at the same time a solar panel that includes a water purifier for drinking/whole household purposes. In this way, it also successfully maintains the conservation of energy.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION- This unique utility model is economic as this is a one-time investment and can work for up to 25 years. No extra water purifier is required for the households since it's already being treated. All household utilities can get treated water. This model can be easily manufactured by mechanical and electrical industries and extensively utilized by the mass.
WE CLAIM:
1.A solar panel for generating electricity and water purification consisting of :
-Solar panel designed like a X-Mas tree or the inverted cone (Fig 2 and Fig 3);
-Copper pipe (10 of Figure 2 or 17 of Figure 3) fitted from top to bottom of the solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3) wherein expandable gases or water flows;
-A magnifying glass (14, Figure 2) or the convex lens/glass which covers the solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3) and concentrates the heat on the copper pipe on the solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3);
-which concentrates the heat on the copper pipes on the solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3);
- Steam turbine (3, Figure 1) in which the heated gases or water coming out of solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3) is fed and the outlet is connected to feed collector (4 of fig 1) which further feeds the water to Tube heat exchanger (5, Figure 1);
-Tube heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) in which heated water enters in order to provide hot water supply for household use;
-Water purifier (6, Figure 1) to which tank water enters and gets purified;
-Water supply line (8, Figure 2) to provide purified and heated water to household for drinking and other purposes;
-Recycle Stream (7 of Figure 1) which is a pipeline from which the unused steam is fed back to copper pipes fitted in solar panel to recycle the heat energy and save wastage;
-A valve (2, Figure 1) to bypass the steam turbine (3, Figure 1) so that the water directly reaches the heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) and its temperature is raised more; and
WHEREIN:
The said magnifying glass (14, Figure 2) or the convex lens / glass concentrates the heat on the copper tubes on the solar panel (Fig 2 and Fig 3) and the fluid gets heated to such a high temperature that it operates the blades of the Steam turbine (3, Figure 1) to generate electricity as well as heating up the purified water coming from water tank through pipeline (6) for household use.
2.The solar panel as claimed in claim 1 WHEREIN water that passes through copper pipes (17 of Figure 3) contains powdered forms of high thermal conductivity material which increases the heat transfer rate.
3.The solar panel as claimed in claim 1 WHEREIN the fluid that passes through copper pipe (10 of Figure 2) is an expandable gas which gets heated in the copper tubes and rotates the blades of the steam turbine to generate electricity.
4.The solar panel as claimed in claim 1 WHEREIN the Copper pipe (17 of Figure 3) fitted from top to bottom of the solar panel (Fig 3) has a common inlet and outlet ends and is divided into 5 smaller diameter tubes to receive more heat.
5.The method of working of the solar panel as claimed in claim 1 WHEREIN the same consists of following steps:
-Step 1: The water/gas enters the copper tubes (10 of Figure 2 and 17 of Figure 3) and gets heated and flows towards the steam turbine (3, Figure 1);
-Step 2: The water/gas being at its boiling point, is showered on the turbine blades forcing it to generate electricity by its rotation;
-Step 3: The used steam after hitting the blades of turbine, comes downward, gets condensed and flows towards the heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) to release its extra heat to treat the water for the home supply (8, Figure 2);
-Step 4: Water from the home water supply tank enters the water purifier (6, Figure 1) and then in the tube side of the shell and tube heat exchanger (5, Figure 1);
-Step 5: This treated as well as heated water coming out from heat exchanger (5, Figure 1) is fed to supply (8, Figure 2) pipeline for the household use;
-Step 6: The water/gas at the output of the shell side passes through a recycle stream (7, Figure 1) and comes at the input of the solar panel again to get recycled.
| # | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 202011020299-FORM 18 [14-05-2024(online)].pdf | 2024-05-14 |
| 1 | 202011020299-STATEMENT OF UNDERTAKING (FORM 3) [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 2 | 202011020299-PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 2 | 202011020299-Correspondence-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 3 | 202011020299-POWER OF AUTHORITY [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 3 | 202011020299-Form 3-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 4 | 202011020299-FORM 1 [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 4 | 202011020299-Form 5-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 5 | 202011020299-OTHERS-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 5 | 202011020299-DRAWINGS [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 6 | 202011020299-Power of Attorney-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 6 | 202011020299-DECLARATION OF INVENTORSHIP (FORM 5) [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 7 | 202011020299-DRAWING [14-05-2021(online)].pdf | 2021-05-14 |
| 7 | 202011020299-COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [14-05-2021(online)].pdf | 2021-05-14 |
| 8 | 202011020299-DRAWING [14-05-2021(online)].pdf | 2021-05-14 |
| 8 | 202011020299-COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [14-05-2021(online)].pdf | 2021-05-14 |
| 9 | 202011020299-Power of Attorney-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 9 | 202011020299-DECLARATION OF INVENTORSHIP (FORM 5) [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 10 | 202011020299-DRAWINGS [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 10 | 202011020299-OTHERS-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 11 | 202011020299-FORM 1 [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 11 | 202011020299-Form 5-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 12 | 202011020299-POWER OF AUTHORITY [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 12 | 202011020299-Form 3-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 13 | 202011020299-PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 13 | 202011020299-Correspondence-230720.pdf | 2021-10-18 |
| 14 | 202011020299-STATEMENT OF UNDERTAKING (FORM 3) [14-05-2020(online)].pdf | 2020-05-14 |
| 14 | 202011020299-FORM 18 [14-05-2024(online)].pdf | 2024-05-14 |