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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Elliptical solar reflector

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5696936
A fixedly supported, low cost solar energy collecting device having an elliptical solar reflector is described which is capable of efficiently collecting and concentrating solar energy during all seasons and sun declinations while completely eliminating the need for mechanism for shifting the reflector to follow the sun's path. The collector includes an elongated, trough-like reflector which substantially coincides with a section of a focal end surface of an imaginary elliptical cylinder, with a heat exchange fluid tube positioned along the adjacent focal line of the imaginary elliptical cylinder. In this fashion, solar rays passing through or parallel to the remaining focal line of the imaginary cylinder and striking the reflector are focused onto the heat exchange tube, so that solar energy collection is concentrated without the necessity of precisely orienting the reflector relative to the sun. A solar energy collection device consisting of a plurality of juxtaposed reflector units is described, with the reflector focal lines being positioned along a geographic east-to-west line and at an angle of elevation equal to the latitude of the collector's position on the earth.
Assignee:
TIC; EDB-80-020422; ERA-05-009997
Patent Number(s):
US 4164934
OSTI ID:
5696936
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English