Heat recuperator

Claim 2

A heat recuperator for returning an incident beam of radiative energy to its source, said beam incident from any direction within a predetermined solid angle, said recuperator comprising a main array of radiant heat reflecting cells each comprising a substrate defining at least three planar surfaces intersecting each other in angles of approximately 90°, each said planar surface being in the form of a geometric figure having at least four edges, front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns said incident beam of radiation having direction cosines (a,b,c) in the coordinate system oriented with the intersections of said planar surfaces, the recuperator further including at least one secondary array of said reflecting cells, said secondary array positioned with respect to said main array at a direction defined by a set of direction cosines chosen from the following group: ______________________________________ -a, b, c; -a, -b, c; a, -b, c; a, -b, -c; a, b, -c; -a, b, -c. ______________________________________

Claim 3

The recuperator of claim 1 wherein there are provided at least two said secondary arrays, said secondary arrays being symmetrically positioned with respect to said main array.

Claim 4

The recuperator of claim 2 wherein a secondary array of reflective cells is provided at each of the directions with respect to the main array defined by the direction cosines: ______________________________________ -a, b, c; -a, -b, c; a, -b, c; a, -b, -c; a, b, -c; -a, b, -c. ______________________________________

Claim 5

A heat recuperator for returning an incident beam of radiative energy to its source, said beam incident from any direction within a predetermined solid angle, said recuperator comprising a main array of radiant heat reflecting cells each comprising a substrate defining at least three planar surfaces intersecting each other in angles of (π/2-δ) radians and defining cells having an aperture dimension of λ, each said planar surface being in the form of a geometric figure having at least four edges, front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns, said recuperator being for use with a source of said incident beam that is located at a distance of about √3/2 (λ/4δ) from said main array.

Claim 6

A heat recuperator for returning an incident beam of radiative energy to its source, said beam incident from any direction within a predetermined solid angle, said recuperator comprising a main array of radiant heat reflecting cells each comprising a substrate defining at least three planar surfaces intersecting each other in angles of (π/2-δ) radians and defining cells having an aperture dimension of λ, each said planar surface being in the form of a geometric figure having at least four edges, front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns, said recuperator being for use with a source of said incident beam that is located at a distance of about √3/2 (λ/4δ) from said main array.

Claim 7

A heat recuperator for reflecting radiative energy in an incident beam, incident from any direction within a predetermined solid angle, into a reflected beam making an angle of substantially 180° with said incident beam in at least one plane, the recuperator comprising a first array of reflecting cells each comprising a substrate defining a plurality of planar surfaces intersecting each other in angles of approximately 90°, front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns, said incident beam having direction cosines (a, b, c) in the coordinate system oriented with the intersections of said cell planar surfaces, said recuperator further comprising a secondary array of reflecting cells constructed in the same manner as said first array and positioned with respect to said first array such that, with respect to said first array, said second array lies in a plane approximately perpendicular to a direction defined by direction cosines chosen from the following group: ______________________________________ -a, b, c; -a, -b, c; a, -b, c; a, -b, -c; a, b, -c; -a, b, -c. ______________________________________

Claim 8

A heat recuperator for reflecting radiative energy in an incident beam, incident from any direction within a predetermined solid angle, into a reflected beam making an angle of substantially 180° with said incident beam in at least one plane, the recuperator comprising a first array of reflecting cells each comprising a substrate defining a plurality of planar surfaces intersecting each other in angles of approximately 90°, front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns, said incident beam having direction cosines (a, b, c) in the coordinate system oriented with the intersections of said cell planar surfaces, said recuperator further comprising a secondary array of reflecting cells constructed in the same manner as said first array and positioned with respect to said first array such that, with respect to said first array, said second array lies in a plane approximately perpendicular to a direction defined by direction cosines chosen from the following group: ______________________________________ -a, b, c; -a, -b, c; a, -b, c; a, -b, -c; a, b, -c; -a, b, -c. ______________________________________

Claim 9

The heat recuperator of claim 5 wherein there are provided at least two secondary arrays of reflective cells, said secondary arrays being symmetrically disposed with respect to said first array.

Claim 10

The recuperator of claim 5 wherein there is provided a secondary array positioned at each of said directions defined by said direction cosines: ______________________________________ -a, b, c; -a, -b, c; a, -b, c; a, -b, -c; a, b, -c; -a, b, -c. ______________________________________

Claim 11

A heat recuperator for returning radiant heat to a source radiating into a predetermined solid angle from a predetermined location, the recuperator comprising a first array of reflective cells, each reflective cell comprising a substrate defining two planar surfaces intersecting each other in an angle of (π/2-δ) radians, the front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns, each said cell having an aperture dimension of about λ, said first array positioned at a distance of at least about (λ/4δ) and no greater than (λ/2δ) from said source with the cell apertures facing said source.

Claim 12

A heat recuperator for returning radiant heat to a source radiating into a predetermined solid angle from a predetermined location, the recuperator comprising a first array of reflective cells, each reflective cell comprising a substrate defining two planar surfaces intersecting each other in an angle of (π/2-δ) radians, the front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns, each said cell having an aperture dimension of about λ, said first array positioned at a distance of at least about (λ/4δ) and no greater than (λ/2δ) from said source with the cell apertures facing said source.

Claim 13

A heat recuperator for returning radiant heat to a source radiating into a predetermined solid angle from a predetermined location, the recuperator comprising a first array of reflective cells, each reflective cell comprising a substrate defining three planar surfaces intersecting each other in an angle of (π/2-δ) radians, the front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns, each said cell having an aperture dimension of about λ, said first array positioned at a distance of at least about [√3/2 (λ/4δ)] and no greater than [√3/2 (λ/2δ)] from said source with the cell apertures facing said source.

Claim 14

A heat recuperator for returning radiant heat to a source radiating into a predetermined solid angle from a predetermined location, the recuperator comprising a first array of reflective cells, each reflective cell comprising a substrate defining three planar surfaces intersecting each other in an angle of (π/2-δ) radians, the front substrate surfaces facing said solid angle being reflective of a major fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength band of about 1 micron to about 20 microns, each said cell having an aperture dimension of about λ, said first array positioned at a distance of at least about [√3/2 (λ/4δ)] and no greater than [√3/2 (λ/2δ)] from said source with the cell apertures facing said source.

Claim 15

The recuperator of claim 9 for use in conjunction with an incident beam of radiation having direction cosines (a, b, c) in the coordinate system oriented with the intersections of said planar surfaces, the recuperator further including at least one secondary array of said reflecting cells, said secondary array positioned with respect to said main array at a direction defined by a set of direction cosines chosen from the following group: ______________________________________ -a, b, c; -a, -b, c; a, -b, c; a, -b, -c; a, b, -c; -a, b, -c. ______________________________________

Claim 16

The recuperator of claim 10 wherein there are provided at least two said secondary arrays, said secondary arrays being symmetrically positioned with respect to said main array.

Claim 17

The recuperator of claim 11 wherein a secondary array of reflective cells is provided at each of the directions with respect to the main array defined by the direction cosines: ______________________________________ -a, b, c; -a, -b, c; a, -b, c; a, -b, -c; a, b, -c; -a, b, -c. ______________________________________

Claim 18

The heat recuperator of claim 9 wherein each of said planar surfaces has at least four edges.

Claim 23

The method of claim 15 wherein said first array is supported substantially at a distance from said source of [√3/2 (λ/4δ)].

Claim 24

The method of claim 15 further including the steps of assembling at least one secondary array of said reflective cells and supporting each said secondary array at a position such that it intercepts, and returns to said first array, radiant heat energy scattered from said first array.

Claim 25

The method of claim 17 wherein said first array is supported with respect to said source such that radiant heat energy is incident on said first array with direction cosines of (a, b, c) in the coordinate system oriented with the intersections of said cell reflective surfaces, and wherein each secondary array is supported with respect to said first array at a direction defined by a set of direction cosines chosen from the following group: ______________________________________ -a, b, c; -a, -b, c; a, -b, c; a, -b, -c; a, b, -c; -a, b, -c. ______________________________________