Alternative Energy Forums

Parabolic reflectors are great (as long as they have good tracking) because they can catch the sun energy from a wide area and focus it.
In the real world, most parabolics have "manual" tracking.
This means the cook has to stand in the hot sun for an hour or more, tending the food and getting blinded by the sunlight.
That is not good! One answer is to have a reflector designed to focus the heat for an hour or more WITHOUT moving the dish.
Many people just flat out say it cannot be done. and that if it can, the dish will still look parabolic.
Check 5 minutes into this video for a design that might just change your mind!

Bill Gross probably spent hundreds of thousands to come up with that design!
And it is unlike anything you have ever seen before!
I think we can go a large way towards better unattended reflectors with low tech design methods. We can quickly devellop shapes similar to Grosses but better for our uses.
And do this devellopment very rapidly!
My "designer" is meant to produce a reflector that will be on equatorial mount so it will NOT look like Bill Gross's design.
I guess it will be one or 2 leaves or "long bowl flowers" that are in line with the sun's path.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Method-for-designing-reflectors-for-unattended-sol/ I have started the designer. The first design will follow as soon as I find suitable reflective material, "bendy""backing for it and suitable clamps to hold the bendy material in place.