Patent ID: 8220941

Claim:
A solar simulator comprising: a housing having an opening formed therein; a light source located inside the housing; a plurality of concave minors located inside the housing, the plurality of concave minors being positioned and configured to reflect images of the light source through the opening and toward a target area outside the housing, the plurality of concave mirrors being further reconfigurable to be in a plurality of different arrangements with respect to the light source, wherein certain ones of the plurality of concave minors are individually coated such that an overall spectral content of light reaching the target area is cooperatively selectable, wherein cooperatively selectable comprises reconfigurable, and wherein the plurality of concave mirrors further includes: a first plurality of concave mirrors located approximately in a first direction from the light source, the first plurality of concave minors arranged into a first set of concave mirrors and a second set of concave minors, and wherein the first set of concave mirrors and the second set of concave minors are disposed symmetrically with respect to an axis defined by a line between the light source and a center of the target area; a second plurality of concave minors located approximately in a second direction from the light source; a third plurality of concave minors located approximately in a third direction from the light source, wherein the second plurality of concave minors and the third plurality of concave minors are disposed symmetrically with respect to the axis; a fourth plurality of flat minors located approximately in the second direction; a fifth plurality of flat minors located approximately in the third direction, wherein the fourth plurality of flat minors and the fifth plurality of flat mirrors are disposed symmetrically with respect to the axis; a sixth flat mirror located approximately in a fourth direction from the light source and further located about at the opening; and a seventh flat minor located approximately in a fifth direction from the light source and further located about at the opening, wherein the sixth flat minor and the seventh flat minor are disposed symmetrically with respect to the axis, and wherein the sixth flat minor and the seventh flat minor together form exit mirror assemblies.