SunCone: Concentrating Sunlight With An Inflatable Cone
by Justin Thomas, Virginia 
on 05.27.06
The Suncone is a prototype solar collector that uses an inflatable, cone-shaped apparatus to concentrate sunlight. It's made with thin aluminized nylon with a transparent film over the end facing the sun.
It maintains its shape through air pressure. The system, if successfully completed, will be less expensive and labor-intensive than standard parabolic dish or trough design and require less precise placement, according to the developer, Open Energy Corporation. Apparently the Suncone can achieve a temperature of 2000° C (3632° F) and has a collection efficiency of 90% at 600 ° C (1112 ° F).
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