Heliostat optical assessment

A computing device for aligning heliostats in a heliostat field with a solar receiver, comprising:

• a radio module;
• and
• a processor coupled to the radio module and configured to:
• receive a measuring image of an assessed heliostat in the heliostat field, wherein the measuring image of the assessed heliostat includes an assessed facet forming a reflective surface of the assessed heliostat, wherein at least a portion of a reference heliostat is visible in a reflection on the assessed facet;
• determine a surface normal variance between a calculated surface normal of the assessed heliostat and a presumed surface normal of the assessed heliostat, wherein the calculated surface normal is determined from a point on the assessed facet that corresponds to one or more features of the reference heliostat identifiable in the reflection;
• and
• update the presumed surface normal of the assessed heliostat based on the determined surface normal variance.

A heliostat field alignment system, comprising:

• an assessed heliostat and a reference heliostat arranged in a heliostat field, wherein the assessed heliostat includes an assessed facet forming a reflective surface of the assessed heliostat;
• an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to collect a measuring image of the assessed heliostat, wherein at least a portion of the reference heliostat is visible in a reflection on the assessed facet;
• and
• a computing device configured to determine a surface normal variance between a calculated surface normal of the assessed heliostat and a presumed surface normal of the assessed heliostat, wherein the calculated surface normal is determined from a point on the assessed facet that corresponds to one or more features of the reference heliostat identifiable in the reflection, wherein the computing device is configured to update the presumed surface normal of the assessed heliostat based on the determined surface normal variance.