TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject matter described herein relates to a solar parabolic reflector trough and more particularly to a support arm for aligning at least two mirrors of a solar parabolic reflector trough.
BACKGROUND
The increasing energy consumption and depleting fossil fuel has tossed up the need of some alternate source of energy such as solar energy. The need of such alternate sources has resulted in the development of various solar collecting devices like solar parabolic reflectors.
A solar parabolic reflector essentially includes various support structures to hold mirrors aligned adjacent to each other. It is desirable in solar parabolic reflectors to align these mirrors to increase the solar exchange so as to maximize the efficiency of the solar parabolic reflectors. However such solar parabolic reflectors demand constant focusing of reflection rays onto a focal point to continue the solar exchange action. The support structures known in the art provides less accuracy in the alignment of mirrors of a solar parabolic reflector. Moreover, the conventional support structures require more assembly time which is also expensive.
Various methods have been proposed in prior arts (exemplary prior arts include US 4611575, US 4423719, US 20080121226, US 20100018520 and US 5964216) to provide the support structures for aligning the mirrors. However, conventional structures pose difficulties in on-site assemblies, material handling and assembly accuracy.
Therefore, there is a need for a support structure of a solar parabolic reflector trough that overcomes the above and other shortcomings present in the conventional technologies.

SUMMARY
The subject matter described herein is directed to a nodal glass fixing support arm for a solar parabolic reflector trough comprising a longitudinal support member (15) configured for aligning at least two mirrors (12) of a solar parabolic reflector trough.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, at least one flat land (18) is provided on opposite ends of the longitudinal support member (15) to support adjacent mirrors (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, each flat land (18) is inclined transversally at a predetermined angle (9) (3) to align with the tangent point of the corresponding mirror (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the longitudinal support member (15) includes at least one opening (16,19, 20) for enclosing a main member (21).
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the opening (16, 19, 20) is provided at the center of the longitudinal support member (15).
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the cross section of the opening (16, 19, 20) includes circular, square, or the like.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the main member (21) is welded to the longitudinal support member (15).
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the tangent point of each mirror (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough corresponds to the point for fixing the flat land of the longitudinal support member (15) to the mirror (12).

In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the predetermined angle (9) (3) of each flat land is non-adjustable.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, each flat land (18) includes a fixing section (14) for fixing the flat land (18) with the mirror (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the flat lands (18) are fixed with corresponding mirrors (12) through fixing means.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the fixing means further includes nut and bolt arrangement, rivet, cotter pin, or the like.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the solar parabolic reflector trough is provided with a plurality of mirrors (12) aligned in arrays and a central tube (5) located at the focal point of the plurality of mirrors (12).
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, each support arm (100) of the solar parabolic reflector trough is configured to support at least two mirrors (12).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The aforementioned aspects and other features of the present disclosure will be explained in the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure la illustrates a front view of a support arm (100) of a solar parabolic reflector trough, according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure lb illustrates a side view of a support arm (100) of Fig.1 of a solar parabolic reflector trough, according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the long support arm (100) of Fig.1 showing a predetermined angle (9) (3) formed by flat lands (18) with respect to the transverse axis (4) of the support arm (100), according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 3 illustrates a front view of the solar parabolic reflector trough depicting plurality of mirrors aligned along the tangential points of support arms (100), according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 4 illustrates a top view of the solar parabolic reflector trough of Figure 3, according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 5 to 7 illustrate three dimensional views of the support arm (100) of the solar parabolic reflector trough, according to different embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 8 illustrates a sectional view of a support arm (100) of the solar parabolic reflector trough, according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

Figure 9 illustrates an assembled view of a main member with the support arm (100) of the solar parabolic reflector trough, according to yet another embodiment of the present subject matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The embodiments of the present subject matter are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present subject matter is not limited to these embodiments which are only provided to explain more clearly the present subject matter to the ordinarily skilled in the art of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals are used to indicate like components.
A solar parabolic reflector trough essentially includes, but not limited to, a plurality of mirrors which when assembled with corresponding support arms (100) form a trough having a curved section running its entire length. FIGS. 3 & 4 depict a solar parabolic reflector trough according to one embodiment of the present subject matter, which demonstrates a plurality of mirrors (12) aligned along the tangential points of the support arm (100). The solar parabolic reflector trough further comprises a central tube (5), which is positioned at the focal point of the plurality of mirrors (12).
In one embodiment of the present subject matter, FIG. 1 illustrates a support arm (100) which is capable of sustaining static and dynamic load of at least two mirrors (not shown in FIG. 1) of the solar parabolic reflector trough. The support arm (100) comprises a longitudinal support member (15) and flat lands (18) provided on opposite ends of the longitudinal support member (15). The longitudinal support member (15) includes at least one opening (16,19, 20) for enclosing a main member (21) as shown in FIG. 9.
In one preferred embodiment of the present subject matter, the opening (16, 19, 20) is provided at the center of the longitudinal support member (15). In different embodiments of the present subject matter, the opening can have a circular cross section (16), a square cross

section (19), or a pentagonal cross section (20) as can be seen from FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. It should be noted that the cross section of the opening (16,19, 20) is not limited to the cross sections described above and can vary as is obvious to a person skilled in the art.
Similarly, in one preferred embodiment of the present subject matter, the main member (not shown) is welded to the longitudinal support member (15) in the opening (16, 19, 20) (as shown in FIG. 9) to support and hold the plurality of support arms (100) as shown in FIG. 4
As shown in FIG. 1, the flat lands (18) provided on the opposite ends of the longitudinal support member (15) support adjacent mirrors (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough. Each of the flat lands (18) of the support arm (100) is inclined transversally at a predetermined angle (9) (3) with respect to the transverse axis (4) of the support arm (100) as shown in FIG.2. The inclination of flat lands (18) ensures alignment of flat lands with the tangent point of the corresponding mirror (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough.
The predetermined angle (9) (3) of each flat land is non-adjustable, in an embodiment of the present subject matter. The angles (9) (3) of flat lands (18) of a support arm (100) are identified during the design of the solar parabolic reflector trough. This prevents the need to align angles of the support arm during assembly. The predetermined angle (9) (3) of each flat land (18) is non-adjustable during assembly, thereby ensuring optimum accuracy in alignment of mirrors of the solar parabolic reflector trough. The pre-creation of flat lands (18) advantageously increases the overall efficiency by concentrating approximately 99% of the light onto the central tube (5).
As can be seen in FIG. 5, the each flat land (18) of the support arm (100) includes a fixing section (14) for fixing the mirrors (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough with the flat lands (18). The flat lands (18) are fixed with the corresponding mirrors through fixing means (not shown). The fixing means includes but not limited to nut and bolt arrangement,

rivet, cotter pin, or the like in a different embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment of the present subject matter, the longitudinal support member further comprises slots (17) in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
The solar parabolic reflector trough according to the present subject matter facilitates pre-creation of flat lands (18) that avoid obsolete method of post work for mirror (12) alignment. The solar parabolic reflector trough further minimizes the component variants, thereby ensuring decrease in the complexity during manufacturing and assembly of the structure. Furthermore, the solar parabolic reflector trough requires minimum assembly time on the site which consecutively results in decreasing the overall start up time of the solar collecting devices too. Additionally, such solar parabolic reflector trough reduces the overall structural weight of the solar parabolic reflector without affecting the performance and cost of the solar parabolic reflector trough. Moreover, the solar parabolic reflector trough as per the present subject matter is pertinent to very long structures of solar parabolic reflector trough too.
FIGS. 1 through 9 illustrate the solar parabolic reflector trough in accordance with the present subject matter being used in a simplified solar parabolic reflector. The details of the features of the solar parabolic reflector are not important to the present subject matter. Therefore, the present subject matter can be used in various other similar applications subject to combinations of different material and thickness of support arms (100).
Although the subject matter has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternate embodiments of the subject matter, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the subject matter. It is therefore contemplated that such modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present subject matter as defined.

claim:
1. A support arm (100) for aligning at least two mirrors (12) of a solar parabolic
reflector trough, the support arm (100) comprising:
a longitudinal support member (15); and
at least one flat land (18) provided on opposite ends of the longitudinal support member (15), the opposing flat lands (18) supporting adjacent mirrors (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough, each flat land (18) being inclined transversally at a predetermined angle (9) (3) to align with the tangent point of the corresponding mirror (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough.
2. The support arm (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal support member (15) comprises at least one opening (16,19,20) for enclosing a main member (21).
3. The support arm (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one opening (16,19, 20) is provided at the center of the longitudinal support member (15).
4. The support arm (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cross section of the at least one opening (16,19, 20) includes circular, square, or the like.
5. The support arm (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the main member (21) is welded to the longitudinal support member (15).
6. The support arm (100) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tangent point of each mirror (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough corresponds to the point for fixing the flat land of the support arm (100) to the mirror (12).

7. The support arm (100) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the predetermined angle (9) (3) of each flat land is non-adjustable.
8. The support arm (100) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein each flat land comprises a fixing section (14) for fixing the flat land (18) with the mirror (12) of the solar parabolic reflector trough.
9. The support arm (100) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein flat lands (18) are fixed with corresponding mirrors (12) through fixing means.
10. The support arm (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein fixing means comprises nut and bolt arrangement, rivet, cotter pin, or the like.
11. A solar parabolic reflector trough comprising:
a plurality of mirrors (12) aligned in arrays;
a central tube (5) provided at the focal point of the plurality of mirrors (12); a plurality of support arms (100) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, each support arm (100) being configured to support at least two mirrors (12).
12. A support arm (100) for aligning at least two mirrors (12) of a solar parabolic reflector trough substantially as herein above described in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A solar parabolic reflector trough substantially as herein above described in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of June 2011
Of Anand and Anand, Advocates Agents for the Applicants