ChemE Stewart <[email protected]> wrote: They are home depot mirrors . . . >
Oh come now. You know better than that. Who are you trying to kid? This is the 21st century. Information is at our fingertips. Here, let me Google that for you: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=brightsource+heliostat+reflector+design+project+overview Was that so hard? Direct link: http://www.google.org/pdfs/google_heliostat_reflector_design.pdf QUOTES: "We experimented with hundreds of different reflector designs and sizes to address weight and thermal issues. Our experiments included mylar mirrors, concrete mirrors, foam-backed mirrors, steel supports, plastic frames, and different thicknesses of glass. . . . Our simplest design proved to be the best: A lightweight reflector made entirely out of glass. This design simplifies the assembly process, resolves the thermal expansion mismatch, and provides a high stiffness-to-weight ratio. We also decided that a larger curved mirror (2 m x 3 m) would be more effective than a smaller flat mirror in focusing light on a target. . . . The reflector we designed is constructed out of a glass honeycomb-style matrix sandwiched between an optical quality mirror and a sheet of structural support glass. This reflector has a slight parabolic curve to focus and concentrate reflected sunlight 2-3 times over a 50m distance. The glass used for the construction is only two to three millimeters thick, reducing weight and cost while maintaining reliability. . . ." Does that sound like something you can buy at Home Depot? Look at the photos, for goodness sake. - Jed
