Renewable surface heliostat type solar mirror
AssigneeGeneral Dynamics Corporation
InventorsRobert Campbell Harbison, Gerald Arthur Bradley, Paul Arthur Lux
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A support surface having the shape of a desired mirror surface for use in reflecting solar light and a sheet of flexible mirror material with a portion covering the support surface. A reel device for selectively changing portions of the flexible mirror material on the support device, and a device for adhering the sheet of flexible material to the curvature and surface of the support surface. The mirror also includes devices for preventing wind lifting of the flexible material from the support surface and for correctly positioning the solar mirror relative to the sunlight.
Claims22
A renewable surface heliostat type solar mirror comprising:
- a sheet of flexible mirror material having at least one mirror surface for reflecting solar light,
- a support means comprising a housing having a substantially planar surface for supporting at least a portion of said sheet material with said mirror surface on the outside,
- sheet holding means for selectively adhering said sheet material against the surface of said support means,
- said support means having a surface shape and curvature whereby said mirror surface directs solar light toward a receiver,
- sheet moving means positioned in said housing for selectively moving and changing the flexible mirror material on said support member, whereby new mirror material selectively replaces used mirror material,
- control means for de-energizing said sheet holding means and energizing said sheet moving means for changing the flexible mirror material and then re-energizing said sheet holding means,
- and said housing having surface edges with a lip extension enclosing the ends and sides of said sheet mirror material for reducing wind lifting of the sheet material from the support surface.
The method of providing a renewable surface heliostat type solar mirror comprising the steps of:
- placing a portion of a sheet of flexible mirror material having at least one mirror surface for reflecting solar light onto a support means having a substantially planar surface with said mirror surface on the outside for focusing the solar light onto a receiver,
- selectively adhering the sheet material to the support surface,
- selectively releasing the sheet material from the support surface and moving new portions of the sheet material over the support surface,
- re-adhering the sheet material to the support surface,
- and protecting by an enclosing lip edge on the support means the end and side edges of the sheet material on the support means to reduce wind lifting of the sheet material from the support surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.