Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona

Justin J Hyatt

Brian M Wheelwright

Roger P Angel

Dmitry Reshidko

Christian Davila-Peralta

Nicholas J Didato

A method and system are provided for using induction heating to shape a work piece panel into a preselected shape. The method includes positioning a work piece panel near or in abutment with at least a first induction coil. Alternating current (AC) having a preselected amplitude and frequency can be passed through at least the first induction coil while the work piece panel is subjected to at least one preselected shaping condition. An alternating electromagnetic field produced by the AC current, can cause eddy current in the work piece panel that can heat it to a preselected temperature for a preselected period of time while subjected to the preselected shaping condition, thereby causing the work piece panel to attain the preselected shape. The alternating electromagnetic field can also create a repelling electromagnetic force between the coil and the work piece panel, which could be a shaping condition.

Method and system for using induction heating to shape objects

An apparatus for generating electricity from solar energy has a large dish reflector with a fly's eye receiver positioned near the focus of the dish reflector, held by a dual axis tracking structure. The fly's eye receiver includes a field lens that concentrates sunlight into an image of the dish reflector, a two-dimensional fly's eye array of contiguous convex lenses extending across the dish image, and a photovoltaic cell behind each convex lens of the fly's eye array. Two imaging stages are provided. First, the dish reflector and the field lens concentrate the sunlight in the form of an image of the dish that is stabilized against pointing errors of the tracking mechanism. Second, the contiguous array of convex lenses divides the sunlight energy of the dish image into portions, one per convex lens, each portion being further concentrated by the respective convex lens onto a corresponding photovoltaic cell.

Solar PV generator with dish reflector and fly's eye receiver

A solar concentrator may have a horizontal circular track on the ground, a tower centered on a vertical axis of the track, and a rotatable structure around the track having an upper, concave mounting surface approximating the shape of part of a sphere centered on the top of the tower. Articulated concave mirrors are attached to the rotatable structure, and the mirrors have a focal length approximately equal to the radius of a sphere portion formed by the concave mounting surface. Sunlight is focused at a receiver mounted atop the tower, and the receiver may convert sunlight into thermal or electrical energy. As the position of the Sun changes, sunlight is maintained on the receiver by turning the rotatable structure toward the Sun, turning the receiver about said vertical axis to face the mirrors, and articulating the mirrors toward the receiver in response to the changing elevation of the Sun.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Justin J Hyatt