Abstract: Systems and methods of heliostat reflector cleaning via a vehicle in a heliostat field.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 12, 2010
Date of Patent:
May 28, 2013
Assignee:
Esolar, Inc.
Inventors:
Jason Blair, Stephen Brawner, Brian Coleman, Alan Greaney, Christian Gregory, Marc Grossman, Gregg Luconi, Carter Moursund, Ulrik Pilegaard, Steven Schell, Craig Tyner
Abstract: A suntracking system for a central receiver solar power plant includes a heliostat field for reflecting sunlight to a receiver, cameras directed toward at least a subset of the heliostats, and a controller. The cameras are configured to produce images of sunlight reflected from multiple heliostats. The heliostats include a mirrored surface having a settable orientation and have a geometry modeled by a set of parameters. A method of estimating heliostat parameters for open-loop suntracking includes acquiring pointing samples by setting the direction of reflection of the heliostats and detecting concurrent sunlight reflections into the cameras. The method uses the acquired pointing samples and surveyed locations of the cameras to estimate the heliostat parameters. The method accurately maintains the sun's reflection directed toward the receiver open-loop utilizing the estimated tracking parameters.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 21, 2011
Date of Patent:
June 5, 2012
Assignee:
Esolar, Inc.
Inventors:
Dan S. Reznik, Adam D. Azarchs, Ambrus Csaszar, Matthew B. Hartshorn
Abstract: A system (100) for directing incident sun light to a receiver (150) based on an integral imager (116) is disclosed. The system includes an imager (116) mounted to a reflector (112); a tracking controller (226) coupled to the imager; and one or more actuators (114) connected to the reflector and tracking controller. The tracking controller (226) is configured to receive and process image data from the imager (116); determine angular positions of a radiation source and target relative to the mirror normal vector (N) based on the image data; and orient the reflector with the axis bisecting the angular positions of the sun and receiver (150). When the optical axis of the imager is precisely aligned with the vector normal to the reflector, the source and target will be detected as antipodal spots (320, 330) with respect to the center of the imager's field of view, which may be used to effectively track the sun or like object.
Abstract: A suntracking system for a central receiver solar power plant includes a heliostat field for reflecting sunlight to a receiver, cameras directed toward at least a subset of the heliostats, and a controller. The cameras are configured to produce images of sunlight reflected from multiple heliostats. The heliostats include a mirrored surface having a settable orientation and have a geometry modeled by a set of parameters. A method of estimating heliostat parameters for open-loop suntracking includes acquiring pointing samples by setting the direction of reflection of the heliostats and detecting concurrent sunlight reflections into the cameras. The method uses the acquired pointing samples and surveyed locations of the cameras to estimate the heliostat parameters. The method accurately maintains the sun's reflection directed toward the receiver open-loop utilizing the estimated tracking parameters.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 23, 2008
Date of Patent:
January 31, 2012
Assignee:
Esolar, Inc.
Inventors:
Dan S. Reznik, Adam D. Azarchs, Ambrus Csaszar, Matthew B. Hartshorn
Abstract: Systems and methods of calibrating heliostat parameters for subsequent open-loop sun-tracking, the calibration based on driving artificial light source reflections from one or more heliostats into one or more image sensors.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 18, 2009
Date of Patent:
August 9, 2011
Assignee:
Esolar, Inc.
Inventors:
Maximilian Zavodny, Dan S. Reznik, Michael James Forte
Abstract: A system (100) for directing incident sun light to a receiver (150) based on an integral imager (116) is disclosed. The system includes an imager (116) mounted to a reflector (112); a tracking controller (226) coupled to the imager; and one or more actuators (114) connected to the reflector and tracking controller. The tracking controller (226) is configured to receive and process image data from the imager (116); determine angular positions of a radiation source and target relative to the mirror normal vector (N) based on the image data; and orient the reflector with the axis bisecting the angular positions of the sun and receiver (150). When the optical axis of the imager is precisely aligned with the vector normal to the reflector, the source and target will be detected as antipodal spots (320, 330) with respect to the center of the imager's field of view, which may be used to effectively track the sun or like object.