Patent ID: 8814372

Claim:
A stiffening rib for a reflector in a solar collector system, comprising: at least one area suitable for accommodating a polymer-based adhesive for bonding the rib to a side of the reflector facing away from the sun, wherein the stiffening rib is formed so as to substantially match a contour of the reflector, wherein at least two of the rib, the reflector, and the adhesive have respective coefficients of thermal expansion within about 50% of one another, and wherein the stiffening rib is sized and positionable on the reflector so as to increase an EI value of the reflector at least about 10 times or to at least about 9,180 pascal meters 4 , wherein the EI value is the value of the product of the Young's modulus, E, of the reflector and the second moment of area, I, of the reflector with respect to an axis of the reflector, the stiffening rib further comprising: a main body; at least two first spaced apart protrusions extending from the main body arranged to directly or indirectly contact the reflector, the space(s) between each said first protrusions being the at least one area suitable for accommodating a polymer-based adhesive; and at least two second spaced apart protrusions extending from the main body in opposite the at least two first spaced apart protrusions, the at least two second spaced apart protrusions being configured to engage with corresponding mounting features provided to the solar collector system.