Solar heliostat enclosure, enclosure foundation and installation method and machine therefor

Abstract

A heliostat enclosure that is particularly well suited for enclosing and protecting a heliostat either flat or parabolic, preferably comprising a light-weight, generally hemispherically shaped, enclosure bubble that is formed of readily assemblable and disassemblable segments, including some transparent segments, and supported by a foundation in the form of a soil filled, plastic ring bag that is mounted in the ground at the heliostat site. The enclosure bubble is inflatable by pressurized air and supportable in operation, such as during windy or inclement weather. A multi-legged, tubular, step frame is mounted within the enclosure bubble and is configured to support the enclosure bubble in nearly fully inflated condition when the bubble is not supported by pressurized air. The frame is electrical conducting and grounded, thereby also serving as a lightning protection means for the heliostat. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of interconnected enclosures are formed by a factory-made preshaped continuous plastic cover sheet that facilitates the automatic and continuous installation of a row of enclosures at the site by a machine. In this embodiment, an air lock may be formed at each enclosure at the ends of the row.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.