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Title: Thermally stabilized heliostat

Abstract

An improvement in 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 being characterized by an internal support structure within each mirror module and front and back sheets attached to the internal support structure, the front and back sheets having the same coefficient of thermal expansion such that no curvature is induced by temperature change, and a layer of adhesive adhering the mirror to the front sheet. The adhesive is water repellent and has adequate set strength to support the mirror but has sufficient shear tolerance to permit the differential expansion of the mirror and the front sheet without inducing stresses or currature effect. The adhesive also serves to dampen fluttering of the mirror and to protect the mirror backside against the adverse effects of weather. Also disclosed are specific details of the preferred embodiment.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Littleton, CO
Issue Date:
OSTI Identifier:
864493
Patent Number(s):
4373783
Assignee:
Atlantic Richfield Company (Los Angeles, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24S - SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28F - DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
DOE Contract Number:  
MDH 83-2729E
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
thermally; stabilized; heliostat; improvement; main; support; structure; pivoting; tilting; motors; gears; mirror; module; reflecting; solar; energy; collector; characterized; internal; front; sheets; attached; coefficient; thermal; expansion; curvature; induced; temperature; change; layer; adhesive; adhering; sheet; water; repellent; adequate; set; strength; sufficient; shear; tolerance; permit; differential; inducing; stresses; currature; effect; serves; dampen; fluttering; protect; backside; adverse; effects; weather; disclosed; specific; details; preferred; embodiment; adverse effects; temperature change; thermal expansion; preferred embodiment; solar energy; support structure; main support; differential expansion; mirror module; internal support; reflecting solar; thermally stabilized; tilting motors; /359/126/

Citation Formats

Anderson, Alfred J. Thermally stabilized heliostat. United States: N. p., 1983. Web.
Anderson, Alfred J. Thermally stabilized heliostat. United States.
Anderson, Alfred J. Sat . "Thermally stabilized heliostat". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864493.
@article{osti_864493,
title = {Thermally stabilized heliostat},
author = {Anderson, Alfred J},
abstractNote = {An improvement in 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 being characterized by an internal support structure within each mirror module and front and back sheets attached to the internal support structure, the front and back sheets having the same coefficient of thermal expansion such that no curvature is induced by temperature change, and a layer of adhesive adhering the mirror to the front sheet. The adhesive is water repellent and has adequate set strength to support the mirror but has sufficient shear tolerance to permit the differential expansion of the mirror and the front sheet without inducing stresses or currature effect. The adhesive also serves to dampen fluttering of the mirror and to protect the mirror backside against the adverse effects of weather. Also disclosed are specific details of the preferred embodiment.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983}
}