DIYbanter - View Single Post - Math help please

(in ) said:

| On 17-Jul-2005, "Morris Dovey" wrote:
|
|| I'm trying to build a circular parabolic dish solar
|| concentrator. So
|| far I've designed a simple hub to which I'll attach radial
|| ribs. These
|| ribs will support reflective "petals" and an outer support
|| ring.
||
|| I know that the general formula for a parabola is:
||
|| (x - h) ^ 2 = 4 * a * (y - k), where
|
| snip
|
| Answer is kinda mathy so I posted a jpg snapshot of the
| mathcad screen in abpw

Mark...

Thank you - that's *exactly* what I need!

It's been more than three decades since I last needed to work with
definite integrals; and a bit of review is in order - but your help
will allow me to complete a prototype in just a day or two.

"Mathy" is ok. Trial and error cutting with a 16-petal assembly would
have been really nasty. Having the general formula will allow me to
make reflectors with /any/ number of "petals" and even build accurate
reflectors with concentric rings of petals.

You made my day!

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html