Can anyone explain how this solar panel assembly works?

[RainDreamer]

Browsing random stuff through google and came across this patent: http://www.google.com/patents/US8720830

(not sure if I can link image from a patent, legal stuff and all that, hope you don't mind clicking the link)

The patent, if I understand all the technical jargon correctly, is for a design of efficient solar panel assembly where the solar panels is stored within the adapter between the booster stage and the upper stage, saving space comparing to storing solar panels on the sides of the craft. In KSP term, that would mean this is an inline solar panel assembly instead of a radial attached solar panel.

What I can't see, from the diagram they have, is how they are going to deploy the solar panels. On one of the diagram, it apparently shows a set up where the adapter/solar panel assembly docks to the side of a craft and deploy the solar panels up and down, but that doesn't seems terribly efficient. I can't understand how this work exactly.

Anyone with better technical reading skill can explain to me how this thing work?

Edited March 18, 2015 by RainDreamer

[Acemcbean]

Basically, from what I gather, your assumption that it extends vertically seems about right. I can imagine that there would be more than one set of solar panels into it, so that it could essentially cover the outside of the craft with solar panels. Basically, it might look something like the following (and admittedly horrible) ASCII drawing:

| = Solar Panel

[ ] = Fueltank/Assorted "Stuff" in Main Fuselage

{ } = Solar Panel Stowage

| [ ] |

| [ ] |

| [ ] |

{ }

| [ ] |

| [ ] |

| [ ] |

Should be something like that. I hope.

P.S. I have absolutely no technical knowledge, and just went off of the pictures and a quick skim of the background. I'm just imagining it like a vertical part in KSP that deploys solar panels vertically

[magnemoe]

http://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/US8720830B1/US08720830-20140513-D00007.png

this image shows it pretty clear for me, panel is an stack of circles like an stack of coins or dvd, they are hinged on opposite sides like normal rectangular ones and folds out. the innermost pannel has a cutout to allows the asembly to rotate without hitting the edge.

I think this should work pretty well,

[Nibb31]

I think the idea is to use a payload adapter as a secondary satellite by providing a means of deploying its own solar panels. It doesn't dock to anything, it has modules attached radially around it.

The idea reminds me a bit of Beagle 2.

[RainDreamer]

So it is not meant to be used to supply power to the main craft, but as a separate, autonomous secondary payload?

[Nibb31]

That's what is says in the description.

It is an aspect of the present disclosure to stow a solar panel in an unused space within a launch vehicle adapter assembly. Unused space in a launch vehicle may result in unrealized revenue for the launch vehicle contractor. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure offer increased revenue for the launch vehicle contractor while meeting the power requirements of secondary and/or tertiary payloads.

[RainDreamer]

I see, that makes sense. I was hoping it would slides out in a circular formation like a fan, as that would be interesting as a mod for KSP.

[Kerbart]

What I can't see, from the diagram they have, is how they are going to deploy the solar panels. On one of the diagram, it apparently shows a set up where the adapter/solar panel assembly docks to the side of a craft and deploy the solar panels up and down, but that doesn't seems terribly efficient. I can't understand how this work exactly.

Isn't that how patents work? You just file the concept, let others do the dirty work of figuring out how to actually make it work, and then cash a check by claiming they're using your "invention?"

[KSK]

Isn't that how patents work? You just file the concept, let others do the dirty work of figuring out how to actually make it work, and then cash a check by claiming they're using your "invention?"

Nope. Your application should include at least one embodiment of that concept. In other words you need to describe at least one way of getting the concept to work and describe it in sufficient detail that a suitably skilled person could read the patent and also get it to work. The key words there are 'suitably skilled person'. In principle they're included so that your patent application can take some things as read and doesn't need to describe absolutely everything in mind-numbing detail (which is good because they're not exactly a riveting read at the best of times, and I say this as somebody who's worked with them for over 15 years).

Unfortunately, how much you should take as read is a matter of interpretation. I've seen brick-thick chemical patents that reference Pauling's 'The Nature of the Chemical Bond' and at the other absurd extreme, I've seen patents that pretty much do just describe the concept. Sometimes that can be enough - if the invention really is coming up with the concept and the implementation (once the concept has been pointed out) is entirely obvious to the skilled reader, then the patent will be OK.

That might sound a bit contradictory but how often have you looked at something and thought 'I can't believe nobody has done that before'? You can instantly see how it works but figuring out that it would work at all was the clever bit.