Method of forming structural heliostat

Patent · Tue Jun 26 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:865064

Anderson, Alfred J ^[1]

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1. Littleton, CO

In forming a heliostat having a main support structure and pivoting and tilting motors and gears and a mirror module for reflecting solar energy onto a collector, the improvement characterized by a method of forming the mirror module in which the mirror is laid upon a solid rigid supporting bed in one or more sections, with or without focusing; a mirror backing sheet is applied by first applying respective thin layers of silicone grease and, thereafter, progressively rolling application to eliminate air bubbles; followed by affixing of a substrate assembly to the mirror backing sheet to form a mirror module that does not curve because of thermally induced stresses and differential thermal expansion or contraction effects. The silicone grease also serves to dampen fluttering of the mirror and protect the mirror backside against adverse effects of the weather. Also disclosed are specific details of preferred embodiments.

• Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company (Los Angeles, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 4456332
• Application Number: 06/266,991
• OSTI ID: 865064
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/156/359/
adverse
adverse effects
affixing
air
air bubbles
application
applied
applying
assembly
backside
bed
bubbles
characterized
collector
contraction
curve
dampen
details
differential
differential thermal
disclosed
effects
eliminate
embodiments
energy
expansion
fluttering
focusing
followed
form
forming
gears
grease
heliostat
improvement
induced
laid
layers
main
main support
method
mirror
mirror module
module
motors
pivoting
preferred
preferred embodiment
preferred embodiments
progressively
protect
reflecting
reflecting solar
respective
rigid
rolling
sections
serves
sheet
silicone
solar
solar energy
solid
specific
stresses
structural
structure
substrate
support
support structure
supporting
thereafter
thermal
thermal expansion
thermally
thermally induced
tilting
tilting motors
weather