Donald Arthur Schultz
Engineers in Tucson, AZ

4788555, Nov 29, 1988

Jul 29, 1985

6/760076

Donald G. Schultz - Tucson AZ
William R. Ferrell - Tucson AZ

H01Q 1910

343840

A parabolic reflector for combined use as a solar concentrator and communications antenna having both a shared and joint use mode. In both the joint and shared use mode, the dish concentrates the electromagnetic energy at the focal point where a signal receptor such as a feed horn and LNA captures the signal. In the shared use system, a heat exchanger is positioned to receive solar flux and the signal receptor is shielded or is in an out-of-the-way position during periods of high solar energy. In a joint use system, the location of the receptor of solar energy and the receptor of electromagnetic energy are separated by use of selective surfaces which selectively reflect and absorb energy. In one embodiment, a wire mesh having a mesh size of less than approximately one-sixteenth of the wavelength of the signal radiation is interposed to reflect electromagnetic energy to the signal receptor but allows solar energy to pass through to impinge upon the heat exchanger.