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US 4,099,515 AGranted
Fabrication of trough-shaped solar collectors
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorWilliam W. Schertz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a radiant energy concentration and collection device formed of a one-piece thin-walled plastic substrate including a plurality of nonimaging troughs with certain metallized surfaces of the substrate serving as reflective side walls for each trough. The one-piece plastic substrate is provided with a seating surface at the bottom of each trough which conforms to the shape of an energy receiver to be seated therein.
Claims16
A cylindrical radiant energy concentration and collection device comprising:
- a plurality of rigid energy absorbers, a one-piece thin-walled plastic substrate having a plurality of pairs of opposing wall portions forming troughs, each wall portion being of predetermined contour and having thereon a material making said wall portion reflective for directing radiant energy incident thereupon, said substrate including a seating surface between each pair of opposing wall portions, each seating surface being adapted to receive one of said absorbers such that radiant energy is directed by said wall portions to said absorber, each of said seating surfaces being of such shape that said seating surface grasps said absorber and fits around said absorber received by said seating surface, said rigid absorbers thereby giving structural strength to said substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.