1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a solar harness for generating electricity, involving a stacked array of solar cells suspended in place magnetically. It is also directed to a solar harness system which includes the harness and a parabolic reflector in combination. The present invention is also directed to electricity generation systems which function in space in combination with power transmission to earth. The solar harness may be reversed and, when provided with electricity, may act as a preselected wave energy transmission system.
2. Prior Art Statement
Solar cell technology has been available for a number of years. Recently, efforts have been directed towards increased efficiency of solar cells, including the use of stacks or tandem arrays. Also, improved cell materials have been developed and specific unique approaches have been created to "capture" as much solar energy as possible within a given surface area. As exemplary of the prior art patents in this field, U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,498, issued to Edmond Jackson describes a solar energy converter where a number of different solar cell collectors are arranged in a stack whereby various semi-conductor materials are utilized in the solar cells so that the energy gap of each solar cell corresponds to a different wave length of solar energy so as to increase the amount of energy captured for a given window or surface area through which solar energy may enter. This concept relies upon the fact that solar energy in the form of photons which are not absorbed by a particular solar cell may pass through it. These typically are of a different wave length than the photons being absorbed and, once passed through a first or a first and second solar cell, a subsequent solar cell which absorbs a different energy wave length may absorb such stragglers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,379 to Charles Escoffery describes a solar battery using a single wafer which is divided into a number of smaller solar cell wafers so as to then "wire" these smaller cells in series to increase the voltage output. U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,031 issued to Ronald Bell describes a solar energy converter which uses solar cells to convert sunlight into direct current and uses optical concentrators to reduce the needed area of the cells. Heat exchanger arrangements are also utilized to pick up what would otherwise be wasted heat energy and this may be converted to mechanical power, for example, in a Rankine engine cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,527 to John Gault, describes the method of manufacturing high voltage solar cells wherein a number of wafers, for example a hundred or more wafers, are formed into a stack and soldered together in series. The assembled stack is then sliced longitudinally to form a plurality of slabs with a small transverse thickness of each slab. Leads are connected to the ends thereof. This appears to be another technique such as ascribed to Escoffery, described above, wherein a plurality of smaller surface areas are utilized to increase output voltage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,213 issued to Donald Kelly describes an alternative type of solar power system using high concentration linear reflective solar panels. Last, U.S. Pat. No. 2,823,245 issued to Benjamin Solow, describes a series of solar cells stacked so that the positive end of one cell contacts the negative end of the next cell directly and these are stacked in a tilted fashion and compressed by a spring cap into a tubular or elliptical glass housing. Here, the cells are maintained under the compressive force of the spring and necessarily require substantial support housing and conductive materials in order to complete the power of producing package.
Notwithstanding the formidable prior art, there is no teaching which shows or renders obvious the present invention solar harness which utilizes magnets in alternating series with solar cells to create a conductive magnetic field to simultaneously support the solar cells in a solderless fashion and to enhance the influx of energy to the solar cells to create a high voltage series of cells. Further, many of the other features of the present invention described herein are not suggested or taught in the prior art.