Heliostat facet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heliostat reflective body supporting structures are heavy, prone to deformation, and have high manufacturing and mounting costs due to their metallic nature and manual assembly processes, leading to suboptimal optical performance and durability issues under varying environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A heliostat facet with a flat structure comprising a central section, peripheral section, and radially arranged arms, which provides dimensional stability and load distribution through a U-shaped transverse section design, allowing for adhesive attachment of a reflective body and featuring a continuous external flange for increased rigidity, support points for secure attachment, and water discharge orifices for durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metallic frame structure is used to support the reflective body, then the supporting structure provides sufficient strength and stability, but the weight of the structure becomes very heavy making mounting difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional thick metallic frame with a thin metallic sheet (0.5-3mm thick) that is bent and formed into the supporting structure. This thin sheet approach maintains structural strength while dramatically reducing weight compared to conventional framed structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the supporting structure by creating specific bending patterns, arm configurations, and section geometries in the metallic sheet. These parameter optimizations allow the thin sheet to achieve the required structural strength and stiffness while maintaining minimal weight.
2Ease of manufacture
If welding or mechanical joints are used to assemble the frame, then the structure can be constructed, but the union points are prone to deterioration from meteorological agents causing frame breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the entire supporting structure into a single continuous metallic sheet piece through bending and forming operations, eliminating separate components and joints. This monolithic construction removes welding or mechanical connection points that would be vulnerable to deterioration from rain and temperature changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The metallic sheet structure is designed to be self-supporting through its geometric configuration and bending patterns, requiring no additional fasteners, welds, or mechanical joints for assembly. The structure assembles itself through forming operations while maintaining inherent structural integrity.
3Device complexity
If metallic profiles are joined together to form the frame, then the frame structure is created, but small displacements between profiles occur causing deformations that worsen optical performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate profile components into a single integrated metallic sheet structure. This eliminates the interfaces and joints between separate profiles where displacements and deformations would occur, ensuring consistent dimensional quality and optimal optical performance.
4Ease of manufacture
If welded or mechanically joined structures are used, then the frame can be assembled, but high repetitiveness in dimensional quality cannot be attained due to deformations from welding or mechanical unions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs controlled bending parameters, forming temperatures, and geometric configurations in the metallic sheet to achieve consistent, repeatable dimensional quality. The forming process parameters are optimized to eliminate variations caused by welding or mechanical assembly, enabling high-volume production with uniform optical performance.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Heliostat facet configured from a flat structure comprising a central section (1) and a peripheral section (2) comprising first (3) and second sides (4), being both sections linked together by a plurality of arms (5, 6), which starting from the central section (1) radially run towards the peripheral section (2) taking as reference the geometrical centre (7) of the facet. In at least three of the arms (5, 6), there are support points (15) of the facet in the corresponding heliostat support (16). The arms (5,6) comprise first arms (5) which are arranged from the central section (1) to the peripheral section (2) running in a divergent manner and at least two couples of second arms (6) which starting from the central section (1) run to the peripheral section (2), the arms (6) of each couple radially running in a convergent manner.