Solar mirror array system, methods and apparatuses thereto
AssigneeWerner Extrusion Solutions LLC
InventorsCraig Roy Werner, John Funai, Nicholas Palladino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for transferring force to a frame of a solar mirror array. The frame has at least one structural element. The apparatus includes a torque plate. The apparatus includes at least one node attached to and in contact with the plate which connects with the structural element. An apparatus for attaching a primary solar mirror frame array with a secondary mirror frame array. A solar trough frame for holding solar mirrors.
Claims15
An apparatus for transferring force to a frame of a solar mirror array, the frame having a first structural element, a second structural element and at least a third structural element, the apparatus comprising:
- a torque plate having a first end and a second end and a third end;
- a first node attached to and in contact adjacent with the first end which connects with the first structural element;
- a second node attached to and in contact adjacent with the second end which connects with the second structural element;
- at least a third node attached to and in contact adjacent with the third end which connects with the third structural element;
- and
- a torque plate bearing attached to the torque plate through an attachment flange of the torque plate.
An apparatus for attaching a primary solar mirror frame array with a secondary mirror frame array comprising:
- a primary torque plate having an upper portion and a bottom having a first end and a second end at the upper portion and a third end at the bottom;
- a secondary torque plate having an upper portion and a bottom having a first end and a second end at the upper portion and a third end at the bottom of the secondary torque plate;
- and
- a torque plate bearing attached to the primary and secondary torque plate through an attachment flange of the primary and secondary torque plate, the primary and secondary torque plates attach to an end of the primary and secondary frame, respectively, via first and second nodes of the frames that fasten to the upper portions and third nodes which fasten to the bottom of the respective plates, the flange between the primary and secondary torque plates allows for rotational alignment between the primary and secondary torque plates.
A solar trough frame for holding solar mirrors comprising:
- a plurality of chords which include a top layer of only 4 chords essentially in parallel with each other and an axis of rotation of the frame;
- a plurality of struts;
- a plurality of nodes that connect to the struts and chords,
- a platform supported by the chords and struts on which the solar mirrors are disposed;
- a torque plate having two connections to the top layer;
- and
- a torque plate bearing attached to the torque plate through an attachment flange of the torque plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.