{
  "patent_number": "US 8049150",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How to Make Solar Troughs Catch More Sunlight at Their Ends",
  "original_title": "Solar collector with end modifications",
  "summary": "This patent describes adding special reflective extensions and caps to the ends of a single-axis tracking solar trough to capture more sunlight that would otherwise be lost, making the collector more efficient.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a concentrating solar energy collector that tracks the sun along one axis. It includes a main reflective trough and one or more solar receivers positioned to catch the reflected sunlight (Claim 1). The key invention is an \"end unit\" attached to at least one end of the main reflector. This end unit contains a \"reflector extender\" that has the same curved shape as the main trough, effectively making the reflective surface longer (Claim 1). This extender is designed to direct incoming sunlight towards the solar receivers, especially the ones located at the ends of the receiver row (Claim 2). For example, if the sun is low in the sky, the extender ensures that the receiver at the very end of the trough still gets reflected light (Claim 8). The end unit also includes an \"end cap\" that covers the outer end of the reflector extender (Claim 1).",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Solar collectors that do not track the sun along a single axis, such as fixed-position panels or systems that track on two axes.",
    "Collectors where the reflector extender's curved shape does not match the cross-sectional shape of the main reflective trough.",
    "Systems that use a receiver extension (an optional part of the invention) that contains solar cells, as the patent specifies it does not (Claim 3).",
    "Non-concentrating solar energy collectors, like standard flat-plate solar panels that do not focus sunlight.",
    "Collectors that do not include both a reflector extender and an end cap as part of the end unit (Claim 1)."
  ],
  "filed": "2010-01-11",
  "granted": "2011-11-01",
  "expires": "2030-01-11",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Skyline Solar",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/skyline-solar",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Jason R. Wells",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/jason-r-wells"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marc A. Finot",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/marc-a-finot"
    },
    {
      "name": "Eric C. Johnson",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/eric-c-johnson"
    },
    {
      "name": "James L. BILODEAU",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/james-l-bilodeau"
    },
    {
      "name": "John L. Nightingale",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/john-l-nightingale"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 23,
  "tags": [
    "energy",
    "renewable_energy",
    "mechanical",
    "materials"
  ],
  "abstract": "In one embodiment, a concentrating solar energy collector, which tracks movements of the sun along one axis has a reflective trough, at least one solar receiver mounted above the reflective trough and configured so that incident sunlight striking the reflective trough is directed toward the at least one solar receiver, and a reflector extender coupled to a first end of the reflective trough and configured to capture and direct incident sunlight towards the at least one solar receiver. In another embodiment, one or more extended end reflectors is attached with a reflective trough of a solar energy collector.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8049150/solar-collector-with-end-modifications",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8049150/solar-collector-with-end-modifications/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US8049150",
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}