Areva Solar, Inc.

Scott P Phillips

Alexander F Hoermann

Seung Mo Lim

David R Mills

Forest Ray

Matthew Lawrence

James Louis Barnhart

David B DeGraaf

Scott J Sharpe

David John McKay

Daniel Crenshaw

A mirror is shaped using a shaping apparatus including a crossbar and a horizontal array of members (wheels in some embodiments) attached to a bottom of the crossbar. The height of the array of members is adjusted to form a predetermined shape. The shaping apparatus is positioned over a mirror such that the members contact the mirror. The shaping apparatus is moved along a length of the mirror such that the members remain in contact with the mirror. A frame is attached to the mirror such that when the shaping apparatus is removed from the mirror, the mirror substantially retains the predetermined shape.

Method of shaping a reflector

A measuring device comprising a base, feet connected to the base, and an inclinometer mounted on the base is used to characterize a surface. The feet are placed in direct contact with the surface at a predetermined position. The inclinometer measures the angle of the surface relative to gravity at the predetermined position. In some embodiments, multiple measuring devices are connected to an arm, in order to measure different positions on the surface simultaneously. The arm may be moved by an actuator to the next predetermined position on the surface. In some embodiments, multiple measuring devices are connected to a frame that is substantially the same size as the surface to be characterized, such that the entire surface can be characterized without moving the frame.

Methods and devices for characterizing a surface

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Marina Del Rey, CA, United States of America

Scott P Phillips