# How to Make Solar Troughs Catch More Sunlight at Their Ends > 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. - **Patent:** US 8049150 - **Original title:** Solar collector with end modifications - **Owner:** Skyline Solar - **Granted:** 2011 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 23 - **Field:** energy, renewable_energy, mechanical, materials ## 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). ## The clever bit The clever part is recognizing and precisely engineering a solution for the 'end-loss' problem in single-axis tracking parabolic troughs. By adding a reflector extender that mirrors the main trough's shape and an end cap, the system effectively extends its light-gathering capability, capturing sunlight that would otherwise be wasted, especially at varying sun angles. ## Real-world examples 1. Parabolic trough concentrated solar power (CSP) plants 2. Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems using trough reflectors 3. Any single-axis tracking solar collector designed for high efficiency ## Why it matters Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems, which use mirrors to focus sunlight, often lose efficiency at the ends of their long troughs because some sunlight misses the collector or the receiver. This patent addresses that specific problem, aiming to increase the total amount of sunlight captured and converted into energy. By improving efficiency, these systems can generate more electricity from the same footprint, potentially lowering the cost of solar power. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How to Make Solar Troughs Catch More Sunlight at Their Ends cover? 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. ### Who owns patent US 8049150? Skyline Solar owns this patent, granted in 2011. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on January 11, 2030, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 8049150 cited by? This patent has been cited by 23 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems, which use mirrors to focus sunlight, often lose efficiency at the ends of their long troughs because some sunlight misses the collector or the receiver. This patent addresses that specific problem, aiming to increase the total amount of sunlight captured and converted into energy. By improving efficiency, these systems can generate more electricity from the same footprint, potentially lowering the cost of solar power. ### What does this patent 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8049150/solar-collector-with-end-modifications **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US8049150 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [Solar Cells with Built-in Smart Electronics on the Back](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9293619/smart-photovoltaic-cells-and-modules) — This patent describes a solar cell design that integrates electronic components, like a bypass switch, directly onto the back of the cell to improve performance, especially when parts of the cell are shaded. - [How Wind Turbine Blades Get More Lift with Extra Parts](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8303250/method-and-apparatus-for-increasing-lift-on-wind-turbine-blade) — This patent describes adding special front and back parts to a wind turbine blade to create specific air channels, making the blade generate more power from the wind. - [How Satellite Swarms Keep Their Solar Panels and Antennas Pointed Correctly](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11623768/super-heavy-booster) — A system for managing large satellite arrays in orbit that balances the need to point solar panels at the sun and antennas at the Earth while keeping the structure stable. - [How Solar Sails Use Moving Vanes to Steer in Space](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11905044/starlink-rv-roaming) — A solar sail design that uses multiple independently moving reflective vanes made of shape-memory materials to steer spacecraft using only the pressure of sunlight. - [How Amorphous Silicon Changed Solar Power](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4064521/semiconductor-device-having-a-body-of-amorphous-silicon) — This 1976 patent describes using a specific form of non-crystalline silicon to create cheap, thin semiconductor devices like solar cells.