Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – Plural mirrors or reflecting surfaces
Patent
1997-12-09
2000-03-28
Shafer, Ricky D.
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
Plural mirrors or reflecting surfaces
855857, 855865, 855556, 126685, 126687, 244158R, 244165, G02B 508, F24J 216, B64G 100, B64G 128
Patent
active
060422408
ABSTRACT:
A reflector for focusing sunlight upon a single location. The reflector is preferably positioned in orbit about a celestial body to focus sunlight on objects such as space debris to heat up and vaporize such debris. The reflector includes a plurality of units in an array, with each of the units including a plurality of subunits. Each of the units rotates about a first axis and each of the subunits is tiltable about a second axis which is perpendicular to the second axis. A reflecting surface is mounted on each of the subunits such that the reflecting surface rotates with its respective unit and tilts with its respective subunit. Such rotation and tilting permits sunlight to be directed theoretically anywhere on one side of a plane. Each of the units and each of the subunits is independently controllable, and this permits each of the units directs sunlight to a single location onto a single object, which then heats up rapidly to a relatively great temperature until it vaporizes under the intense heat. A second reflecting structure having a massive flat planar reflecting surface may be positioned off to the rear side of the array to reflect sunlight onto the rear side. The rearwardly directed sunlight may then be focused by the reflecting surfaces of the units since the array is one unit thick and since the reflecting surfaces rotate into and out of front and rear positions. Accordingly, this second reflecting structure permits sunlight to be focused behind the array.
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Alpert, M., "Killing Asteroids," Popular Mechanics, Apr. 1997, pp. 40-43.
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