Team Members
Gurgen Saakian, Maxwell Schreiber, Kent Snelson, Davis Whitfield
Abstract
The Makeup Mirror Heliostat was designed by the four engineers in Group 12. Each engineer has a similar educational background but brings their own ideas to the design. Our team has a passion for providing innovative, environmentally sound solutions to economically expensive problems. We applied this passion by using creative design, engineering analysis, and our expertise in CAD to minimize the cost of a small–scale heliostat. The focal point of our design is the ‘makeup mirror’ support system. This specific design allowed for the team to integrate a two–axis gimbal system without adding any additional parts, besides motors and gears. This mechanical system was used to ensure maximum solar reflection onto a central receiver as the day progresses. These heliostats will be implemented as a field of modules providing sufficient thermal energy to generate renewable energy. Each module contains four heliostats installed on concrete foundation and is built to withstand 20 years of weather and general wear. Group 12 produced a final design that meets all of the customer needs and will provide renewable energy for years to come.