Xerox Corporation

Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Patrick C Cheung

Warren Bruce Jackson

David Kalman Biegelsen

Andrew A Berlin

Mark H Yim

Lars-Erik Swartz

Raj B Apte

Richard H Bruce

Philipp Helmut Schmaelzle

James G Chase

Eric Peeters

John Richard Andrews

David Joseph Gervasi

Patrick Yasuo Maeda

Sean Roark Garner

Stephen David White

Lars Erik Swartz

Michael Y Young

Alexander S Tuganov

Kenneth N Horne

Dave K Biegelsen

A solar tower system including an array of individually controlled carousel-type heliostats, where each heliostat includes a rotatable D-shaped carousel, a mirror array including horizontal, elongated flat mirrors supported in a tiltable (e.g., louvered) arrangement on the carousel, and a mirror positioning system that is disposed next to the carousel and controls the tilt position of each mirror and a rotational position of the carousel to reflect light onto a solar receiver. The heliostats are arranged in a closely-spaced (e.g., square or hexagonal) pattern that both maximizes the effective ground coverage ratio of solar power harvesting system and facilitates the formation of service pathways that allow access to any of the heliostats in the array (e.g., by aligning the straight peripheral wall portions of adjacent carousels in parallel with each other).

Solar tower system with carousel heliostats

A low profile heliostat with elongated louvered mirror segments is provided. Its envelope of revolution has the shape of a flat disc to enable heliostat fields with very high ground coverage ratio. The heliostat's disc-shaped footprint rotates around a substantially vertical axis (akin to a carousel). The short dimension of the mirror segments is drastically shorter than the disc's diameter. Embodiments are described in which the motion relies on two concentric rings, which are individually rotated around a vertical axis. The lower ring acts as a platform providing mainly azimuth tracking, carrying the upper ring. The differential rotation between the upper ring and the lower ring is translated into a rotation of the mirror segments around a second, perpendicular, axis and used for elevation tracking. Disc-shaped heliostat with D-shaped cut-offs are described, to facilitate the required maintenance access even in highly dense heliostat fields.

Carousel heliostat having louvered horizontal mirrors for solar tower systems

A solar-thermal concentrator for a expeditionary power generator system including a portable power plant that utilizes a hybridized solar/fuel Stirling engine to supply electric power in an expeditionary setting. The concentrator includes a collapsible dish assembly that is pivotably and tiltably mounted on a portable base assembly, where the dish assembly includes a lightweight frame including a central mounting structure and multiple truss-like radial arms that are rigidly connected to and extend radially from the central mounting structure, and a reflector panel assembly including multiple flat, fan-shaped reflector panels that are secured to the frame and disposed in a semi-circular pattern. Each reflector panel includes multiple reflectors that collectively form a substantially flat Fresnelized reflective surface that redirects incident sunlight into a focal region. The power plant is maintained in the focal region by a support structure that extends perpendicular to the flat reflective surface.

Collapsible solar-thermal concentrator for renewable, sustainable expeditionary power generator system

A drop generator having a via structure configured for electrical and fluidic interconnection. The via structure includes an electrically conductive layer and an electrically insulating layer disposed on the electrically conductive layer.

Drop generating apparatus

An apparatus capable of modification of an image prior to scanning by a scanning device having a scanning element, a viewing surface, a glass platen, and a controller having memory capability, includes opaque adjustable bounding strips. The bounding strips are viewable through the viewing surface of the scanning device and are located between the inside surface of the glass platen and the scanning element. The bounding strips are movable to identify a selected portion of an image to be scanned. The apparatus also includes software for performing a scan of the selected portion of the image and identifying its location, based on the location of the adjustable bounding strips.

Adjustable bounding box for transparent scanner

An actuator including a pneumatically distended elastomer membrane that is pressurized and depressurized using electrostatically actuated flap valves laminated onto a printed circuit board. The flap valves close only at zero pressure gradients and flows so that elevated closing and hold-off pressures are achieved. Fluid expelled from the elastomer membranes during collapse are vented through a wall of the actuator. An air jet object mover utilizes an array of the pneumatic actuators as valves to open and close air jet vents. A fiber optic micro-switch utilizes pneumatic actuators to position a mirror.

Pneumatic actuator with elastomeric membrane and low-power electrostatic flap valve arrangement

A PC board actuator that emulates a muscle fiber includes a first pressure source, a second pressure source lower than the first source, at least one expansion chamber alternately communicating with the first and second pressure sources, first and second valves mounted with the PC board that opens and closes the chamber with respect to the first and second pressure sources, and an actuator member interacting with the expansion chamber to apply a force to the object. The actuator is preferably formed using planar batch technology and the valves preferably comprise electrically controllable flap valves mounted on the PC board. Alternatively, the actuator includes antagonistically arranged expansion chambers that operatively apply reciprocating forces to the object. In other embodiments, the actuator includes plural expansion chambers arranged in series or in parallel in order to increase the overall extent of attainable displacement or to amplify the force generated by the actuator.

Muscle-emulating PC board actuator

Construction of fluid conduit systems in printed circuit boards or other dielectric laminate substrates is disclosed. The fluid conduits can be angled or curved to provide greater directional control of fluid flow. Conduits are created by lamination of a first laminate layer and a second laminate layer. The first laminate layer is composed of a dielectric base material impregnated with a resin, with a first aperture defined therethrough, while the second laminate layer has a second aperture. The second aperture is positioned with respect to the first aperture to only partially overlap, together defining an angled conduit. Fluid flow through the conduits can be controlled using microdevice valves.

Conduit system for a valve array

A cantilever valve useful for paper handling applications is disclosed. The valve can be batch fabricated in two dimensional valve arrays, with each valve in the array being controlled by passive matrix addressing. Typically, each valve includes a valve housing having an aperture plate defining an aperture therethrough, and an opposing port plate positioned in spaced apart relationship to the aperture plate. A flexible film or strip is attached at its first end between the aperture and port plates and is unattached so that it is free to move between the aperture and port plates at its second end. Valve action is provided by use of a single switching electrode for moving the flexible film between an aperture blocking position and an aperture open position, with the switching electrodes positioned adjacent to the port plate.

Fluid valves having cantilevered blocking films

A valve for redirecting fluid flow has a valve chamber supporting fluid flow, with the valve chamber having an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet. The valve chamber can be closed or partially open. The flap element is movable to alternatively block the first outlet and the second outlet. In or immediately adjacent to the valve chamber are opposing first and a second catch mechanisms for controllably latching the flap element to block respectively the first outlet and the second outlet. The first and second catch mechanisms have a disabled state and an activated state for holding and allowing release of the flap element. Once the first or second catch mechanism is disabled, the flap element is free to move to another position, provided it can overcome the mechanical fluid flow forces that tend to hold it in position. To counter and utilize such forces for moving the flap element, an impulse mechanism kicks the flap element into the valve chamber, away from one of the first and second catch mechanisms, after one of the first and second catch mechanisms is controllably brought into the disabled state. Since the flap element is unstable, oscillations of the flap element in the fluid flow will eventually bring the flap element into catchment range of one of the first and second catch mechanisms in an activated state.

Unstable flap valve for fluid flow control

A variable fluid flow valve is disclosed. The valve can be batch fabricated in two dimensional valve arrays, with all valves in the array being controlled in parallel to achieve high flow rates without increasing response time. Typically, each valve includes a valve housing having an aperture plate defining an elongated aperture therethrough, and an opposing plate positioned in spaced apart relationship to the aperture plate. In one embodiment a flexible film or strip is attached at its first end to the aperture plate and at its second end to the opposing plate. In another embodiment of the invention, the flexible film is attached at only one end and is free to move at the other end. In both types of valves, valve action is provided by using electrodes to variably move the flexible film from an aperture blocking to an aperture non-blocking position. The flexible film may be moved in a continuously variable manner or a discretely variable manner, depending upon the electrode configuration. Binary valves in matrixes may also be used with the elongated opening.

Fast variable flow microelectromechanical valves

A valve array for supporting objects such as paper with controlled fluid flow is disclosed. Optional valve arrays can be used to controllably eject marking agents for marking or coating a paper or other suitable substrate. Each valve in the valve array has one or more flap elements positioned in a valve chamber. These flap elements are movable to alternatively block the fluid flow through valve chamber outlets with the aid of various catch mechanisms for controllably latching the flap elements. The catch mechanisms have a disabled state and an activated state for holding and allowing release of the flap elements. Once the catch mechanism are disabled, the flap elements are free to move to another position, provided they can overcome the mechanical fluid flow forces that tend to hold it in position. To counter and utilize such forces for moving the flap elements, an impulse mechanism kicks the flap element into the valve chamber, away from the catch mechanisms. Since the position of the flap elements is unstable, oscillations of the flap elements in the fluid flow will eventually bring the flap element into catchment range of another catch mechanism in an activated state.

Paper handling flap valve array system

A valve array system including microelectromechanical valves embedded in a dielectric substrate is disclosed. These microelectromechanical valves can be batch fabricated using resin impregnated dielectric laminates having photolithographically formed circuitry for electrical connections. Movable components of valves, including electromagnetic or electrostatically actuated membranes, flaps, or beams, can be formed from laminate material using sacrifice layers and etching.

Microdevice valve structures to fluid control

A bistable valve useful for paper handling applications is disclosed. The valve can be batch fabricated in two dimensional valve arrays, with each valve in the array being controlled by passive matrix addressing. Typically, each valve includes a valve housing an electrically conductive movable element such as cantilever beam, diaphragm or film. Valve action is provided by use of housing embedded switching electrodes for moving the movable element between an aperture blocking position and an aperture open position. To reduce unswitched movement when the switching electrode bias is reduced or not present, electrostatic or mechanical catches can be used.

Growing community of inventors

Castro Valley, CA, United States of America

Patrick C Cheung