COMPOSITE BACKED PRESTRESSED MIRROR FOR SOLAR FACET

• Main Authors: DEAN, DAVID, L, BLACKMON, JAMES, B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 10.05.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BLASTING; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES, OR VITREOUSENAMELS; CHEMISTRY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GLASS; HEATING; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS; LIGHTING; MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; RANGES; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS,MINERALS OR SLAGS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; VENTILATING; WEAPONS

A glass structure, such as a mirror facet, having a glass member, a composite structure and a support structure. The composite structure includes a rigid interlayer which is bonded to the glass member and exerts a compressive force thereon to place the glass member in compression. The support structure is used to mount the glass structure and prevents the glass member from collapsing due to the compressive force exerted by the rigid interlayer. The glass structure is particularly well adapted for use in forming heliostats, parabolic dishes, trough concentrators, or other like elements for use in solar power systems, and does not suffer from the limitations or prior forms of such devices. L'invention porte sur une structure de verre, par exemple celle d'une facette de miroir solaire se composant d'un élément de verre, d'une structure composite, et d'un support. La structure composite consiste en une couche intermédiaire rigide collée à l'élément de verre et exerçant sur lui une force le mettant en compression. La structure support sert au montage de l'élément de verre et à en l'empêcher de s'affaisser sous l'effet de la force de compression exercée par la couche intermédiaire rigide. Cette structure de verre convient particulièrement bien à la formation d'héliostats, de miroirs paraboliques, de réflecteurs cylindroparaboliques ou autres éléments similaires utilisés pour la captation de l'énergie solaire, sans être affectés par les limitation de forme des dispositifs antérieurs.