Method and apparatus for aligning a solar concentrator using two lasers
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for aligning the facets of a solar concentrator. A first laser directs a first laser beam onto a selected facet of the concentrator such that a target board positioned adjacent to the first laser at approximately one focal length behind the focal point of the concentrator is illuminated by the beam after reflection thereof off of the selected facet. A second laser, located adjacent to the vertex of the optical axis of the concentrator, is used to direct a second laser beam onto the target board at a target point thereon. By adjusting the selected facet to cause the first beam to illuminate the target point on the target board produced by the second beam, the selected facet can be brought into alignment with the target point. These steps are repeated for other selected facets of the concentrator, as necessary, to provide overall alignment of the concentrator.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1174413
- Patent Number(s):
- 6597709
- Application Number:
- 09/679,355
- Assignee:
- The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24S - SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2000 Oct 05
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING
Citation Formats
Diver Jr., Richard Boyer. Method and apparatus for aligning a solar concentrator using two lasers. United States: N. p., 2003.
Web.
Diver Jr., Richard Boyer. Method and apparatus for aligning a solar concentrator using two lasers. United States.
Diver Jr., Richard Boyer. Tue .
"Method and apparatus for aligning a solar concentrator using two lasers". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1174413.
@article{osti_1174413,
title = {Method and apparatus for aligning a solar concentrator using two lasers},
author = {Diver Jr., Richard Boyer},
abstractNote = {A method and apparatus are provided for aligning the facets of a solar concentrator. A first laser directs a first laser beam onto a selected facet of the concentrator such that a target board positioned adjacent to the first laser at approximately one focal length behind the focal point of the concentrator is illuminated by the beam after reflection thereof off of the selected facet. A second laser, located adjacent to the vertex of the optical axis of the concentrator, is used to direct a second laser beam onto the target board at a target point thereon. By adjusting the selected facet to cause the first beam to illuminate the target point on the target board produced by the second beam, the selected facet can be brought into alignment with the target point. These steps are repeated for other selected facets of the concentrator, as necessary, to provide overall alignment of the concentrator.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2003},
month = {Tue Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2003}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Mirror alignment techniques for point-focus solar concentrators
report, June 1992
- Diver, R. B.
- SAND92-0668