U.S. Patent No. 10,404,204 B2 (‘204), issued on September 3, 2019, for “Storage of Solar Energy.” The inventor is John Beavis Lasich of Balwyn, Australia. The applicant and assignee is Raygen Resources Pty Ltd. of Malvern, Australia. The claims are directed to the method and apparatus of solar energy storage through use of a compressed air system. The specification describes generally problems in the art including the intermittent nature of solar energy production, cost, short lifetime, and toxicity of materials; the ‘204 patent seeks store solar energy through compression of air.
Figure 1 illustrates the claimed invention:
The Cooperative Patent Classifications are H02S (generation of electric power by conversion of infra-red radiation, visible light or ultraviolet light, namely, PV power plants; combination of PV energy systems with other systems for generation of electric power, namely, systems characterized by energy storage means (10/20)); F01D (non-positive displacement machines or engines, e.g., steam turbines, namely, adaptations of machines or engines for special use; combinations of engines with devices driven thereby, namely, adaptations for driving, or combinations with, pumps (15/08) and electric generators (15/10)); and F03G (spring, weight, inertia or like motors, namely, devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy having photovoltaic cells (6/001)).
Growth in renewable energy sector patents has grown tenfold between 1975 and 2011, and the rate will only increase in the near term. The ‘204 patent is one of the patents issued in this high-growth area.