Inflatable Transparent Cover for Heliostat Wind Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solar tracking systems in desert areas face high costs due to the need for heavy-duty frames and powerful motors to withstand strong winds, which increases the expense of heliostat construction.
Innovation Solution
A solar collector system featuring an inflatable, transparent cover made of elastomeric material like ETFE to protect heliostats from wind and debris, using a pump for inflation and sensors to maintain pressure and distance, allowing for reduced wind loading and the use of low-power actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heavy-duty frames and powerful motors are used to withstand strong winds, then the heliostat can operate in desert conditions, but the construction cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
An inflatable cover acts as an intermediary protective layer between the wind environment and the heliostat. The cover absorbs wind impact and loading, allowing the heliostat to operate in desert conditions without requiring heavy-duty frames and powerful motors, thereby reducing construction costs while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable cover is made from flexible materials such as ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) that can deform and absorb wind forces. This flexible shell protects the heliostat from wind damage without requiring rigid, expensive structural support, resolving the contradiction between wind resistance and construction cost
2Reliability
If a rigid protective structure is used to shield heliostats from wind, then wind damage is prevented, but the structure blocks sunlight transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable cover is constructed from transparent flexible materials like ETFE that allow sunlight to pass through while providing wind protection. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining both wind protection and sunlight transmission, unlike rigid structures that block light
Solution Approach 2:
The cover material properties are selected to have high optical transparency while maintaining mechanical flexibility and wind resistance. By changing the material parameters (transparency, flexibility, strength), the system achieves both wind protection and sunlight transmission simultaneously
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The inflatable cover absorbs wind impact, reducing damage to heliostats and enabling cost-effective construction with lighter materials and lower-power motors, while maintaining efficient sunlight transmission.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible membrane is transparent and colorless so that sunlight is transmitted through the cover
Implementation Method 2
a pump for inflating the inflatable cover
Implementation Method 3
a pressure relief valve configured to prevent air pressure in the inflatable cover from exceeding a predetermined threshold
Implementation Method 4
a pressure sensor configured to automatically turn on the pump when the internal pressure falls below a predetermined threshold
Data Source
AI summary
A solar collector system comprising at least one heliostat and an inflatable cover configured to protectively conceal the at least one heliostat while it tracks the sun. The inflatable cover comprises a flexible membrane, which is transparent and colorless so that sunlight is transmitted through the cover. The cover may comprise an elastomeric material such as ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). The solar collector system may further include a pump for inflating the inflatable cover, a pressure relief valve configured to prevent air pressure in the inflatable cover from exceeding a predetermined threshold, and a pressure sensor configured to automatically turn on the pump when the internal pressure falls below a predetermined threshold. The inflatable cover effectively removes wind loading from the heliostats, thus enabling the heliostats to use low-power, less-expensive actuators.