Related papers: Origami Inspired Solar Panel Design
Deployable mechanical systems such as space solar panels rely on the intricate stowage of passive modules, and sophisticated deployment using a network of motorized actuators. As a result, a significant portion of the stowed mass and volume…
A solar panel harvests the most energy when pointing in the direction that maximizes the total illumination (irradiance) falling on it. Given an arbitrary panel orientation and an arbitrary environmental illumination, we address the problem…
Origami describes rules for creating folded structures from patterns on a flat sheet, but does not prescribe how patterns can be designed to fit target shapes. Here, starting from the simplest periodic origami pattern that yields one…
Current architectured cellular cushion materials rely mainly on damage and/or unpredictable collapse of their unit cells to absorb and dissipate energy under impact. This prevents shape recovery and produces undesirable force fluctuations…
Shape-morphing finds widespread utility, from the deployment of small stents and large solar sails to actuation and propulsion in soft robotics. Origami structures provide a template for shape-morphing, but rules for designing and folding…
The design of effective and compact energy absorption systems is key to the survivability and durability of many man-made structures and machines. To this end, this work presents the design, assessment, and implementation of a novel…
Use of lighter than air platforms (aerostats and airships) for reconnaissance and surveillance over long periods can be facilitated by generation of power on-board through solar photovoltaic arrays. Attempts to integrate solar photovoltaic…
Here we describe an ultra-low-cost origami-based approach for large-scale manufacturing of microscopes, specifically demonstrating brightfield, darkfield, and fluorescence microscopes. Merging principles of optical design with origami…
All over the world the peak demand load is increasing and the load factor is decreasing year-by-year. The fossil fuel is considered insufficient thus solar energy systems are becoming more and more useful, not only in terms of installation…
Origami-inspired mechanisms can transform flat sheets into functional three-dimensional dynamic structures that are lightweight, compact, and capable of complex motion. These properties make origami increasingly valuable in robotic and…
The active layer microstructure of organic solar cells is critical to efficiency. By studying the photovoltaic properties of organic solar cell's microstructure, it is possible to increase the efficiency of the solar cell. A graph-based…
Using wind to disperse microfliers that fall like seeds and leaves can help automate large-scale sensor deployments. Here, we present battery-free microfliers that can change shape in mid-air to vary their dispersal distance. We design…
Parabolic Trough solar fields are among the most prominent methods for harnessing solar energy. However, continuous sun-tracking movements leads to wear and degradation of the tracking system, raising the question of whether the rotations…
There is a desire to observe the sun's poles to further deepen our understanding of solar activity. However, because of the large speeds needed to perform out-of-ecliptic plane maneuvers, chemical and electric rocket propulsion mechanisms…
With the effects of global climate change impacting the world, collective efforts are needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The energy sector is the single largest contributor to climate change and many efforts are focused on reducing…
Low cost, highly efficient, and stable solar cells demand low temperature processing, less stringent criteria on materials, and possibility of dynamic recovery from long term degradation: a combination of features unachievable from the…
Classical monofacial solar photovoltaic systems have gained prevalence and are widely reported in the literature because they have a lower initial cost compared with bifacial systems. However, limited investigation of both systems has been…
We propose a novel computational framework for modeling and simulating origami structures. In this framework, bilinear solid-shell elements are employed to model the origami panels while crease folding is considered through the angle…
Our simulation-based experiments are aimed to demonstrate a use case on the feasibility of fulfillment of global energy demand by primarily relying on solar energy through the integration of a longitudinally-distributed grid. These…
We formulate, solve computationally and study experimentally the problem of collecting solar energy in three dimensions(1-5). We demonstrate that absorbers and reflectors can be combined in the absence of sun tracking to build…