The present invention is a solar concentrator composed of a generally V-shaped trough of reflective Fresnel steps. The Fresnel reflective steps concentrate the sunlight entering the mouth of the V-shaped trough and parallel to its central axis into a central focal area. By disposing a solar energy receiving element at the central focal area of sunlight concentration a preferred embodiment as a concentrating solar energy collector is realized. Various types of solar energy receiving structures are shown that serve to convert the concentrated sunlight into other forms of useful energy to realize the preferred embodiment as a concentrating solar energy collector.

The structure of a concentrator mirror includes a prefabricated body of reinforced concrete, which includes a panel member having a front surface with a reflective laminar layer, and a back surface, between which a hinge axis for the rotation of the panel is defined. A pair of coaxial hollow seats are formed in the body at respective longitudinally spaced positions, to define the hinge axis together with respective spherical joints. The body includes a rib shaped counterweight appendage extending parallel to the hinge axis from the back surface of the panel member, on the side opposite the front surface, so as to bring the hinge axis in a barycentric position of the body.

A support structure for maximizing solar-panel efficiency and facilitating solar-panel installation reduces the effort of installing solar-panels. The support structure includes a support pole, a primary panel-supporting bracket, an extension arm, and an extension leg. The support pole pivots about a first rotation axis to lower the primary panel-supporting bracket for the solar-panel installation process. The primary panel-supporting bracket is designed to support a variable number of solar-panels depending on the budget constraints and power generation demands. An extension arm raises the primary panel-supporting bracket over the support pole, allowing the primary panel-supporting bracket to rotate about the support pole. The extension leg secures the support structure to the ground and provides a fulcrum for the support pole to pivot about.

A glass concentrator mirror assembly and a method for making same. A glass concentrator mirror assembly is configured to reflect sunlight to a receiver in a reflector assembly. The glass concentrator mirror assembly has at least one glass mirror. The at least one glass mirror has a reflective side and a back side. The glass concentrator mirror assembly also has a parabola-forming frame structure for the at least one glass mirror. The parabola-forming frame structure includes a sternum that is fixedly fastened to a spine with the at least one glass mirror therebetween. The parabola-forming frame structure facilitates a substantially parabolic curvature of the at least one glass mirror. The parabola-forming frame structure provides a substantially uniform force along a line of contact between the sternum and the at least one glass mirror.

Various ways of creating polynomial interpolations in one, two and three dimensions using purely mechanical means are disclosed. Various arrangements of gears are disclosed that can constrain certain rotating elements to rotate equal to the average or difference of the rotation angles of other rotating elements. These arrangements are combined in various ways to create mechanical arrangements having a set of rotating elements that are constrained to be linear or polynomial functions in one or many dimensions. Various uses of mechanical polynomial interpolation are disclosed, including focusing rays of the sun onto a target.

A robotic actuator comprises a mass manufactured bellows, wherein the mass manufactured bellows allows a volume change by localized bending, and wherein the mass manufactured bellows is formed from a material that has a higher strength in at least two axes relative to at most one other axis, and an end effector, wherein the end effector is coupled to the manufactured bellows.

The present invention solar tracker system is directed to a solar tracker that includes a main platform capable of supporting a plurality of solar panels, a sub-platform, one or more support poles supporting the sub-platform and a linking mechanism that connects the sub-frame to the apex of the one or more supporting poles, wherein the linking mechanism rotates in a first axis, a second linking mechanism rotates in a second axis. The mail planar platform hosting the solar panels is encompassed with edge disrupters and spacing channels for adverse wind condition management. The system includes a solar tracker system includes a radiation sensor for determining the best tracking position for maximizing capture of solar energy. The large scale solar tracker system also includes at least two linear hydraulic actuators, each linear hydraulic actuator containing a distal end and proximal end, a rotational joint that connects the distal end of the linear actuators to the sub-platform and the proximal end to the support beam. The second embodiment of the present invention is a plurality of solar tracker apparatus specifically arranged into a large utility scale field system.

The present disclosure provides a thermomechanical actuator and a cleaning system implementing the thermomechanical actuator. The thermomechanical actuator includes a solar heat collector (SHC) housing shape memory alloy springs connected between a piston movably disposed therein and one end of the SHC. A cable extending from the piston through an opposite end of the SHC is connected to a bias load that develops returning force on the springs. In presence of solar radiation, the springs contract and cause linear movement of the piston in a direction of contraction and, in absence of the solar radiation, the springs expand and cause linear movement of the piston in direction of expansion. Useful power and work is extracted in form of the cleaning system from such linear movement of the piston.

A robotic actuator comprises a mass manufactured bellows, wherein the mass manufactured bellows allows a volume change by localized bending, and wherein the mass manufactured bellows is formed from a material that has a higher strength in at least two axes relative to at most one other axis, and an end effector, wherein the end effector is coupled to the manufactured bellows.

A solar actuator comprises a top coupler, a bottom coupler, and a plurality of fluidic bellows actuators, wherein a fluidic bellows actuator of the plurality of fluidic bellows actuators moves the top coupler relative to the bottom coupler.