Rollable and accordian foldable refractive concentrator space solar array panel
US9450131B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 24, 2013 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 24, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/52
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A rollable and accordion foldable refractive lens concentrator flexible solar array blanket structure assembly for a spacecraft/satellite application consisting of at least one or more rows of electrically interconnected solar cells and at least one or more rows of deployable elongated refractive lenses elevated and aligned from the top surface of the solar cells. The entire blanket assembly, inclusive of lenses and solar cell substrates, kinematically deploys by unrolling or unfolding the assembly for its stowed package configuration, and the final tensioning of the blanket assembly produces an aligned assembly where the solar cell substrate subassembly and the lens subassembly are coplanar. Deployment of the integrated blanket assembly (with refractive lenses) is directly coupled through the unrolling or the accordion unfolding deployment kinematics of the concentrator blanket assembly.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.