Did You Know...
...that one person who claimed to be the inventor of the television is Russian emigre Vladimir Zworykin? In 1929 David Sarnoff, founder of RCA, asked Zworykin what it would take to develop TV for commercial use. He said: a year and a half and $100,000. In reality, it took 20 years and $50 million! Before his death in 1982 at the age of 92, Zworykin said of his invention: "The technique is wonderful. It is beyond my expectations. But the programs! I would never let my children even come close to this thing."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7975686 | High leverage trough solar collector This invention is a trough solar collector that uses the principles of high leverage in order to produce a lightweight, inexpensive thermal solar collector. The parabolic reflectors are held in proper shape by rigid ribs that are spaced apart along the length of the... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7665459 | Enclosed solar collector A solar collector includes a plurality of elongated parabolic reflectors mounted within a glass-topped enclosure for pivotal movement such that each reflector is incrementally pivoted throughout the course of a day to remain substantially perpendicular to the sun. T... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7395820 | Receiver tube with receiver tubular jacket and parabolic trough collector containing same The parabolic trough collector includes a single-axis parabolic mirror (1) and a receiver tube (2) arranged at the focal point (F) of the parabolic mirror (1). The receiver tube (2) includes an absorber tube (4) and an outer tubula... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7240675 | Parabolic trough collector The parabolic trough collector has a receiver formed by several single absorber tubes (13). The single absorber tubes (13) are supported by absorber tube supports (14) and surrounded by a glass tube (15). Because of different expansion be... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7192146 | Solar concentrator array with grouped adjustable elements A ground-based tracking heliostat array comprises a first plurality of elongate row mounts. The elongate row mounts are positioned at least partially between, and are supported by, a first side bracket and a second side bracket. The row mounts are rotatable in a fir... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7021338 | Separated sanitary and storm sewer system An apparatus and method for improving the operation of sewer systems includes a first set of sewer lines connected to a source of other water and a second set of sewer lines of smaller diameter than the first sewer lines connected to sources of sanitary effluent, th... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7013887 | Absorber pipe for solar heating applications The absorber pipe (1), especially for a parabolic collector for a solar heat collecting apparatus, is described. The absorber pipe (1) includes central metal pipe (3), a glass sleeve tube (2) surrounding the nine so that an annular space ... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6994082 | Lightweight, low-cost solar energy collector A lightweight solar concentrator of the reflecting parabolic or trough type is realized via a thin reflecting film, an inflatable structural housing and tensioned fibers. The reflector element itself is a thin, flexible, specularly-reflecting sheet or film. The film... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6953038 | Concentrating solar energy system A concentrating solar energy system with a reflector having a specularly reflecting inner side and realized as a parabolic mirror with two axis steering which is carried by a base frame arranged in a support plane and which is provided with a receiver arranged in op... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6915677 | Adjustable rail for shaping large single curvature parabolic membrane optic A system for shaping a single curvature parabolic membrane. The system includes a shaping rail and a bending rail. At least two rollers operably connect the shaping rail and the bending rail. The rollers are operable to alter a position of the shaping rail relative ... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6892724 | Solar energy collector for hot water A solar energy concentrating collector having a frame with bottom, end and side panels of corrugated material adapted to include secondary side panels that are folded inward and have vertical slots for containment of parabolic supports for a flexible reflective surf... | 05/17/2005 |
| 6696637 | Conversion of solar energy An array of elongated concave parabolic trough-shaped reflectors is disclosed. The orientation of the array is biaxially kept essentially perpendicular to rays of the sun by an optical control such that sunlight is reflected and concentrated along a focal... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6637428 | Collapsible light concentration device A collapsible light collection and/or transmission device having an axis of symmetry. The device includes opposing first and second body portions each having a curved inner reflective surface and an outer surface. The first body portion is pivotally coupl... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6541694 | Nonimaging light concentrator with uniform irradiance A nonimaging light concentrator system including a primary collector of light, an optical mixer disposed near the focal zone for collecting light from the primary collector, the optical mixer having a transparent entrance aperture, an internally reflectiv... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6498290 | Conversion of solar energy An array of elongated concave parabolic trough-shaped reflectors is disclosed. The orientation of the array is biaxially kept essentially perpendicular to rays of the sun by an optical control such that sunlight is reflected and concentrated along a focal... | 12/24/2002 |
| 6302099 | Modular solar tracking frame The present invention offers a low cost, modular structure with a continuous, horizontal, rotatable spine supported on posts fixed to the ground, providing one axis of rotation for pointing solar collectors in the North-South direction and vertical roll a... | 10/16/2001 |
| 6276359 | Double reflecting solar concentrator A double reflecting solar concentrator utilizing a primary parabolic reflective surface which reflects incident light toward a secondary surface. The incident light reflects off the secondary surface away from the primary parabolic surface's natural focus... | 08/21/2001 |
| 6205998 | Solar concentrator gap and receiver design A gap between absorber and reflector of a solar concentrator. A gap is required in a solar concentrator for thermal isolation reasons and the position of the receiver relative to reflector and a notch are optimized for best solar collection efficiency.... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6155250 | Heat gathering device having a reflection plate assembly A heat gathering device 1 is provided with a reflection plate assembly 2 and a heat gathering tube 3 with a glass tube 4 surrounding the reflection plate assembly 2 and the heat gathering tube 3. The reflection plate assembly 2 is designed to provide a st... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6047697 | Solar collector A solar collector comprising an evacuation envelope; an absorber housed inside the evacuated envelope and comprising plates which define an evaporation gap, the evaporation gap providing communication between a reservoir of heat transfer fluid at a first,... | 04/11/2000 |
| 5964216 | Trough-type parabolic concentrator A trough-type parabolic concentrator (1) for a solar thermal power plant comprises a reflector plate (3) bent in trough shape and a support structure (4) for supporting the reflector plate (3) and comprising a plurality of wooden segments (2) arranged in ... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5882434 | Solar concentrator having an offset parabolic configuration The solar concentrator system includes a generally parabolic-shaped primary reflector having a flat region at the center thereof, so that the focus of the primary reflector is a ring about the center axis of the reflector, in the plane of the rim thereof.... | 03/16/1999 |
| 5673684 | Tracking solar energy concentrating system having a circular primary reflector and a tracking secondary compound parabolic reflector The present invention relates to an improved solar energy concentrating system and to a preferred novel focal collection zone for such a system. In general, the system comprises a moveable solar energy collector supported above a cylindrically arcuate sol... | 10/07/1997 |
| 5592932 | Radiant energy collecting apparatus A radiant energy collecting apparatus for collecting and concentrating solar energy having a primary parabolic reflector which focuses the sun's rays on a focal line and has a principal axis passing through the focal line and a secondary concentrating ass... | 01/14/1997 |
| 5564411 | Roof module having an integral solar energy concentrator The present invention relates to a roof module having an integral solar energy concentrator. The present modules can be combined to form a weathertight roof with an integral solar concentrator. Radiant solar energy can be collected from this modular roof ... | 10/15/1996 |
| 5564410 | Roof having an integral solar energy concentrating system The present invention relates to a roof having an integral solar energy concentrating system. A combination of solar energy concentrating reflectors and reflected solar energy collectors is used, among other solar energy concentrating or energy transferri... | 10/15/1996 |
| 5540217 | Solar energy concentrating system having replaceable reflectors The present invention relates to an improved solar energy concentrating system incorporating replaceable solar energy concentrating reflectors. Prior systems typically required a structurally stable solar energy concentrating panel. The present invention ... | 07/30/1996 |
| 5507276 | Concentrating solar collector cross section The present invention is a cross-section arrangement for solar concentrators which is comprised of a concave reflective boundary, and of at least two receiver-converters extending outward within the concavity wherein the second receiver-converter is well ... | 04/16/1996 |
| 5505917 | Solar heat exchanger and concentric feedback tube system for disinfecting water A concentric receiver tube for passing water to be disinfected twice before the aperture path of a concentric solar reflector. The novel receiver tube uses the water that is heated by the reflector to additionally pre-heat fresh incoming water to maximize... | 04/09/1996 |
| 5479009 | Highly efficient collection optical systems for providing light detectors such as photodetectors and the like with hemispherical fields of view This invention involves a novel egg-shaped hollow dual-compound conical light-ray concentrator with mirror-like inner walls (preferably tandem substantially inverted paraboloidal and ellipsoidal conical sections) for receiving light through one aperture e... | 12/26/1995 |
| 5465708 | Trough-shaped collector A trough-shaped collector for solar radiation for steam generation. A trough-shaped mirror extending in a longitudinal direction receives and reflects radiation onto an absorber line enclosing within its interior a steam generator tube. Heat is transferre... | 11/14/1995 |
| 5374939 | Radiation gathering and focusing apparatus An apparatus for gathering and focusing or for transmitting radiation including a reflecting surface formed by portion of a right circular cone, a linear collector/transmitter located within the cone and connected to a vertex of the cone. An adjustable su... | 12/20/1994 |
| 5245985 | Effective and simple solar concentrator The present invention is a concentrating solar receiver-converter composed of at least two generally through-shape reflectors whose lengths run essentially north-south and which lean eastward and westward away from each other to a desired extent and each ... | 09/21/1993 |
| 5114101 | Modular distributed concentrating collector using power bus to route power to centralized converter A modular distributed concentrating collector using a low loss power bus to route solar radiation collected from a plurality of concentrating and collecting dishes to a centralized converted for conversion into electricity in space. The power bus may util... | 05/19/1992 |
| 5071243 | Tensioned cover for parabolic reflector A generally rectangular tensioned cover comprises a pair of end forms having end portions. They are generally parallel along their lengths. A pair of side rails which are generally orthogonal to the end forms have first and second end portions. They are s... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5069540 | Parabolic solar collector body and method A solar collector structure and method of fabrication are disclosed, the solar collector being of the linear, parabolic reflector-type. The parabolic reflector body includes an elongated layered structure having a concave parabolic reflective surface. The... | 12/03/1991 |
| 5058565 | Solar concentrator device and support structure therefor A solar concentrator device is disclosed. The device includes a solar concentrating panel having a longitudinal axis and defining a parabolic surface having a focal line substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis. The parabolic surface terminates in ... | 10/22/1991 |
| 4967730 | Constant absorption solar furnace A radiant energy concentrator is provided for heating a fluid and includes a solar reflector for concentrating an increasing flux of radiant energy against a conduit containing a heat-absorbing fluid so that the rate of absorption of heat energy by the fl... | 11/06/1990 |
| 4815443 | Solar energy focusing assembly and storage unit A power system heat source applicable to spacecraft and the like is realized in a combination of an integrated solar absorber-thermal storage assembly 10 and a solar energy focusing unit 50. The focusing unit is capable of selectively functioning inflatab... | 03/28/1989 |
| 4807592 | Solar tracking system A solar energy conversion apparatus which includes a reflective parabolic trough which tracks the sun the control means therefor being such that the trough rotates about a north-south axis alternately to east and west extreme positions until the driving m... | 02/28/1989 |
