초록 ▼

A heliostat apparatus includes a frame which is rotatable about an axis which is parallel to the aperture plane of an elongate receiver. A plurality of flat flexible mirror elements are mounted to the frame between several parallel, uniformly spaced resilient beams which are pivotally connected at t

A heliostat apparatus includes a frame which is rotatable about an axis which is parallel to the aperture plane of an elongate receiver. A plurality of flat flexible mirror elements are mounted to the frame between several parallel, uniformly spaced resilient beams which are pivotally connected at their ends to the frame. Channels are mounted to the sides of the beams for supporting the edges of the mirror elements. Each of the beams has a longitudinally varying configuration designed to bow into predetermined, generally circular curvatures of varying radii when the center of the beam is deflected relative to the pivotally connected ends of the beams. All of the parallel resilient beams are simultaneously deflected by a cam shaft assembly extending through openings in the centers of the beams, whereby the mirror elements together form an upwardly concave, cylindrical reflecting surface. The heliostat is rotated about its axis to track the apparent diurnal movement of the sun, while the reflecting surface is substantially simultaneously bowed into a cylindrical trough having a radius adapted to focus incident light at the plane of the receiver aperture.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for concentrating solar radiation into an elongate aperture of an elongate solar receiver comprising: a first frame; a second frame mounted to said first frame for rotation about a single fixed axis, said first frame being oriented such that said fixed axis of rotation of said second fr

An apparatus for concentrating solar radiation into an elongate aperture of an elongate solar receiver comprising: a first frame; a second frame mounted to said first frame for rotation about a single fixed axis, said first frame being oriented such that said fixed axis of rotation of said second frame is parallel to the elongate aperture of an elongate solar receiver; means defining a flexible, rectangular reflecting surface; resilient means for mounting said reflecting surface means to said second frame such that said reflecting surface means is parallel to said axis of rotation; means for rotating said second frame to change the inclination angle of the reflecting surface means and to thereby track the sun during the apparent diurnal movement of the sun; and means, operatively connected to said resilient mounting means, for bending said reflecting surface means into a cylindrical trough having a variable curvature in a plane normal to said axis of rotation, said bending means including motor driven means for changing said curvature substantially simultaneously with the rotation of said second frame to accurately focus incident solar radiation into said aperture of the receiver at the various inclination angles of the reflecting surface means and at the various off-axis angles of the incident solar radiation relative to a plane which is normal to said fixed axis of rotation of the member.