The Scheffler reflector is a new solar concentrator design which maintains a fixed focus while only having a single axis tracking mechanism. This design makes the construction and operation of high temperature solar concentrators accessible to developing nations. In this project, I wrote computer simulation codes to better understand the dynamics and the effect of deformation or deviations from ideal conditions in order to define necessary manufacturing and operational tolerances. These tools and knowledge drove the prototyping of new reflector concepts by myself and other students on my team. A fiberglass prototype was able to drive the cost of a reflector to sub-$50 and a wood reflector was manufactured with accessible materials and techniques used in boat building.
","abstract_html":"<p>The Scheffler reflector is a new solar concentrator design which maintains a fixed focus while only having a single axis tracking mechanism. This design makes the construction and operation of high temperature solar concentrators accessible to developing nations. In this project, I wrote computer simulation codes to better understand the dynamics and the effect of deformation or deviations from ideal conditions in order to define necessary manufacturing and operational tolerances. These tools and knowledge drove the prototyping of new reflector concepts by myself and other students on my team. A fiberglass prototype was able to drive the cost of a reflector to sub-$50 and a wood reflector was manufactured with accessible materials and techniques used in boat building.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Alberti, Simone"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Mechanical Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Andrew Davol"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:31:35Z","subjects":["Solar","Concentration","Reflector","Scheffler","Energy","Energy Systems","Engineering Physics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2014.183"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2014.183","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2014.183","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1335","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Andrew Davol"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Alberti, Simone"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-12-12T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Mechanical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Solar","Concentration","Reflector","Scheffler","Energy","Energy Systems","Engineering Physics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1335","10.15368/theses.2014.183"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The Scheffler reflector is a new solar concentrator design which maintains a fixed focus while only having a single axis tracking mechanism. This design makes the construction and operation of high temperature solar concentrators accessible to developing nations. In this project, I wrote computer simulation codes to better understand the dynamics and the effect of deformation or deviations from ideal conditions in order to define necessary manufacturing and operational tolerances. These tools and knowledge drove the prototyping of new reflector concepts by myself and other students on my team. A fiberglass prototype was able to drive the cost of a reflector to sub-$50 and a wood reflector was manufactured with accessible materials and techniques used in boat building.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Analysis and Optimization of the Scheffler Solar Concentrator"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Andrew Davol"],"dc:creator":["Alberti, Simone"],"dc:date.available":["2014-12-12T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The Scheffler reflector is a new solar concentrator design which maintains a fixed focus while only having a single axis tracking mechanism. This design makes the construction and operation of high temperature solar concentrators accessible to developing nations. In this project, I wrote computer simulation codes to better understand the dynamics and the effect of deformation or deviations from ideal conditions in order to define necessary manufacturing and operational tolerances. These tools and knowledge drove the prototyping of new reflector concepts by myself and other students on my team. A fiberglass prototype was able to drive the cost of a reflector to sub-$50 and a wood reflector was manufactured with accessible materials and techniques used in boat building.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1335","10.15368/theses.2014.183"],"dc:subject":["Solar","Concentration","Reflector","Scheffler","Energy","Energy Systems","Engineering Physics"],"dc:title":["Analysis and Optimization of the Scheffler Solar Concentrator"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Mechanical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Mechanical Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:31:35Z"}