Apparatus using a balloon supported reflective surface for reflecting light from the sun
First Claim
1. A heliostat, comprising a reflective surface with a reflective side and an other side, support means for supporting said reflective surface above a ground surface, said support means comprising an inflated base balloon supported by said ground surface and located between said ground surface and said other side of said reflective surface, and control means for rotationally orienting said reflective surface as a function of time so as to reflect incident solar radiation, falling on said reflective side of said reflective surface from a solar radiation incident direction which is a function of time, to a target region
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a family of apparatus using a balloon supported reflective surface for reflecting light from the Sun. A basic embodiment of such an apparatus is a light weight, low cost heliostat using a balloon supported reflective surface. Another embodiment is a solar power concentration apparatus using multiple heliostats with balloon supported reflective surfaces. Yet another embodiment is a solar electric power apparatus, also using multiple heliostats with balloon supported reflective surfaces. Variant embodiments of these apparatus can be sited on land or water surfaces or in the air or in space.
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Citations
61 Claims
- 1. A heliostat, comprising a reflective surface with a reflective side and an other side, support means for supporting said reflective surface above a ground surface, said support means comprising an inflated base balloon supported by said ground surface and located between said ground surface and said other side of said reflective surface, and control means for rotationally orienting said reflective surface as a function of time so as to reflect incident solar radiation, falling on said reflective side of said reflective surface from a solar radiation incident direction which is a function of time, to a target region
- 49. A solar power concentration apparatus comprising a solar receiver located at a target region and a plurality of heliostats, wherein at least some of said plurality of heliostats are balloon supported heliostats, which balloon supported heliostats each comprises a reflective surface with a reflective side and an other side, support means for supporting said reflective surface above a ground surface, said support means comprising an inflated base balloon supported by said ground surface and located between said ground surface and said other side of said reflective surface, and control means for rotationally orienting said reflective surface as a function of time so as to reflect incident solar radiation, falling on said reflective side of said reflective surface from a solar radiation incident direction which is a function of time, to said target region.
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61. Solar electric power apparatus for providing electric power to consumers of electric power, comprising:
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(i) a plurality of heliostats each comprising a reflective surface with a reflective side and an other side, support means for supporting said reflective surface above a ground surface, said support means comprising an inflated base balloon supported by said ground surface and located between said ground surface and said other side of said reflective surface, and control means for rotationally orienting said reflective surface as a function of time so as to reflect incident solar radiation, falling on said reflective side of said reflective surface from a solar radiation incident direction which is a function of time, to a solar receiver located at a target region; (ii) generation means for converting at least a portion of solar power carried by the solar radiation reflected by the heliostats to the solar receiver into electric power; and (iii) means for transmitting the electric power from the generation means, through conditioning means for conditioning the electric power, to the consumers of electric power.
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Specification