Abstract: Provided herein are solar collectors having reflective sheets which are slidably insertable and/or removable for quick installation, construction, removal, repair, and/or replacement. Also provided are solar collectors having reflective sheets under tension. Further provided are methods for constructing solar collectors. In another aspect, provided herein are guide rails for guiding and/or retaining slidably removable reflective sheets and holding the reflective sheets in a prescribed shape.

Abstract: A space frame connector is provided for attaching an oblique strut tube to an axial chord of a space frame. The space frame connector includes a collar adapted to fit over an axial chord. The collar is equipped with one or more attachment flanges. The space frame connector also includes a strut tube having an extrusion flange formed in at least one of its ends. The extrusion flange is made up of two parallel leaves that define a slot between them. The slot is sized and shaped to fit over an attachment flange on the collar that is positioned over the axial chord. The extrusion flange can be formed using simple press and punch tools. Space frames used to support solar energy collector arrays can be assembled in the field, including formation of the extrusion flanges on the oblique strut tubes, or multiple strut tubes can be attached to axial chords and compactly packed and transported to the field for use in constructing space frames, for example for supporting large parabolic trough solar collectors.

Abstract: Provided herein are solar collectors having reflective sheets which are slidably insertable and/or removable for quick installation, construction, removal, repair, and/or replacement. Also provided are solar collectors having reflective sheets under tension. Further provided are methods for constructing solar collectors. In another aspect, provided herein are guide rails for guiding and/or retaining slidably removable reflective sheets and holding the reflective sheets in a prescribed shape.

Abstract: Provided herein are solar collectors having reflective sheets which are slidably insertable and/or removable for quick installation, construction, removal, repair, and/or replacement. Also provided are solar collectors having reflective sheets under tension. Further provided are methods for constructing solar collectors. In another aspect, provided herein are guide rails for guiding and/or retaining slidably removable reflective sheets and holding the reflective sheets in a prescribed shape.

Abstract: Provided herein are solar collectors having reflective sheets which are slidably insertable and/or removable for quick installation, construction, removal, repair, and/or replacement. Also provided are solar collectors having reflective sheets under tension. Further provided are methods for constructing solar collectors. In another aspect, provided herein are guide rails for guiding and/or retaining slidably removable reflective sheets and holding the reflective sheets in a prescribed shape.

Abstract: A space frame connector is provided for attaching an oblique strut tube to an axial chord of a space frame. The space frame connector includes a collar adapted to fit over an axial chord. The collar is equipped with one or more attachment flanges. The space frame connector also includes a strut tube having an extrusion flange formed in at least one of its ends. The extrusion flange is made up of two parallel leaves that define a slot between them. The slot is sized and shaped to fit over an attachment flange on the collar that is positioned over the axial chord. The extrusion flange can be formed using simple press and punch tools. Space frames used to support solar energy collector arrays can be assembled in the field, including formation of the extrusion flanges on the oblique strut tubes, or multiple strut tubes can be attached to axial chords and compactly packed and transported to the field for use in constructing space frames, for example for supporting large parabolic trough solar collectors.