Patent ID: 8307820

Claim:
A solar reflector assembly comprising: an inflatable elongated tube having a substantially circular cross section and two internal attachment points, the distance between the two attachment points forming a chord length of the substantially circular cross section, the tube having an upper portion formed at least partially of flexible material and a lower portion integrally formed with the upper portion, the lower portion being a ballast portion formed at least partially of flexible material, the lower ballast portion defining a reservoir containing liquid facilitating ballast, the ballast liquid having a top surface generally parallel to the surface of a supporting body of liquid; and a reflective sheet adapted to reflect solar radiation and being coupled to a wall of the tube at the two attachment points, the reflective sheet being shorter than the chord length such that the reflective sheet pulls in the walls of the tube at the two attachment points and the cross section of the tube becomes substantially egg shaped to reflect solar radiation, the upper portion and lower ballast portion of the elongated tube being separated only by the reflective sheet; wherein the elongated tube has an axis of rotation oriented generally parallel to a surface of the supporting body of liquid.