Lightweight reflective panels for solar-thermal power plants and methods of forming such panels

A process for forming an elongated lightweight curved reflective panel for use in solar-thermal systems, comprising the steps of:

• a. forming an expansible core structure including strips of flexible material of substantially uniform width positioned side-by-side with adjacent strips bonded together at regularly spaced intervals to provide an expansible core of substantially uniform thickness which, when expanded, will define an array of open ended cells;
• b. forming a self-supporting parabolic panel of substantially uniform thickness in a substantially continuous process including the steps of feeding said core structure along a feed path through sequential operating stations where portions of the core structure are expanded and conformed to a predetermined generally parabolic configuration, whereafter facing sheets are fed along the feed path and are bonded to opposite side portions of the shaped, expanded core structure to form a self-supporting parabolic panel with one of said sheets defining a mounting surface which is curved in cross section to form substantially a part of a parabola and with the other of said sheets defining a corresponding curved surface spaced at a substantially uniform distance from said curved mounting surface;
• and,
• c. securing a reflective material to said mounting surface to provide a reflector.