The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 16, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 02, 2001
Herbert T. Hayden, Tempe, AZ (US);
James C. Warrick, Prescott, AZ (US);
Jefferson G. Shingleton, Auburn, NY (US);
Raymond S. Zuckerman, Scottsdale, AZ (US);
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Abstract
A celestial tracking apparatus ( ) has a support ( ), a tracking assembly ( ) coupled to the support ( ) by an azimuth pivot ( ), a collector assembly ( ) coupled to the tracking assembly ( ) by an elevation pivot ( ), a wind-speed sensor ( ), and a controller ( ) coupled to the azimuth and elevation pivots ( ) and configured to cause the collector assembly ( ) to assume a wind-stow position ( ) when the sensor ( ) detects a wind having a speed greater than a predetermined speed, upon failure of a component of the apparatus ( ), or upon receipt of a wind-stow command. The collector assembly ( ) has a solar collector ( ) with a substantially flat surface ( ), a center of gravity ( ), and a target axis ( ) substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat surface ( ) and passing through the center of gravity ( ). The elevation pivot ( ) is displaced from the target axis ( ) and the center of gravity ( ) so that the collector assembly ( ) is predisposed to pivot to the wind-stow position.