Status and Recommended Future of Plastic-Enclosed Heliostat Development

摘要

Tests have shown that biaxially oriented Kynar film has excellent weathering properties as an enclosure material and is practical to manufacture commercially. Reflectors using Kynar or weatherized polyester also appear to be feasible. The projected low cost of properly designed plastic-enclosed heliostats indicates that further development effort should be continued. Both Boeing's one-piece enclosure and General Electric's multi-piece enclosure concept should be pursued. Full-size enclosures and reflectors need to be fabricated and set up at several desert locations to verify the designs and obtain weathering data under actual use conditions. (ERA citation 05:037907)