US 12,279,465 B2
Power conversion module for use with optical energy transfer and conversion system
William C. Stone, Del Valle, TX (US); and Bartholomew P. Hogan, Rockville, MD (US)
Assigned to Stone Aerospace, Inc., Del Valle, TX (US)
Filed by Stone Aerospace, Inc., Del Valle, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/352,019.
Application 17/352,019 is a division of application No. 14/292,495, filed on May 30, 2014, granted, now 12,206,036.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/860,702, filed on Jul. 31, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0313481 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. H10F 77/00 (2025.01); H02S 40/22 (2014.01); H02S 40/42 (2014.01); H02S 40/44 (2014.01); H10F 77/42 (2025.01)
CPC H10F 77/484 (2025.01) [H02S 40/22 (2014.12); H02S 40/42 (2014.12); H02S 40/44 (2014.12); Y02E 10/52 (2013.01); Y02E 10/60 (2013.01)] 1 Claim
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power conversion module for use with optical energy transfer and conversion system, said module comprising:
a housing having a hemispherical configuration;
an end plate connected to said housing, said end plate and housing defining a cavity;
an inlet port and outlet port connected to said housing;
an actively cooled high power connector having one end connected to a fiber optic cable and the opposite end traversing said end plate and extending within and directing high optical energy into said cavity, said actively cooled high power connector having a water-cooling inlet port and outlet port that forms a first fluid circular path;
beam forming optics mounted to said end plate within said cavity in optical communication with said actively cooled high power connector;
a heat sink within said housing and having a plurality of fluid channels therethrough, said plurality of fluid channels forming a second fluid circulation path between said inlet port and outlet port connected to said housing, wherein said heat sink is comprised of beryllium oxide;
a work fluid in fluid communication with said heat sink, said work fluid for transferring heat via said outlet port; and
an array of photovoltaic chips mounted in complementary hemispherical configuration to said housing within said cavity, said beam forming optics configured to disburse received said high optical energy in a hemispherical emission pattern of uniform flux toward said array of photovoltaic chips, each of said photovoltaic chips spaced equidistantly from said beam forming optics; wherein each of said photovoltaic chip in said array of photovoltaic chips receives the same amount of said high optical energy from said beam forming optics; wherein said high optical energy is up to 650 W/cm2.