US 2013/0239952 A1 · METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR OPERATING SOLAR TOWER SYSTEMS

Abstract

A solar energy system can be controlled and operated responsively to detected and/or predicted changes in insolation conditions. By placing an imaging aperture of an imaging device as part of an external surface of a solar receiver, an orientation of each heliostat in a heliostat field can be determined. The imaging device can be used to image at least a portion of the heliostat field based on light passing through the imaging aperture, which is proximate to, adjacent to, or at least partially within the capture area of the solar receiver so as to acquire at least one image indicating a change in a distribution of insolation levels falling on the portion of the field. Characteristics of heliostats within the portion of the field can be calculated based on the at least one image. Aiming directions of one or more can be changed based on the calculated characteristics.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method of controlling a solar energy system, the system having a tower-based first receiver and a field of heliostats controlled to direct insolation toward a capture area of the first receiver, a subset of the heliostats being controlled to direct insolation at respective aiming points within the capture area, the method comprising:

using at least one camera, imaging said field from light passing through an imaging aperture, which is proximate to, adjacent to, or at least partially within the capture area of the first receiver, to acquire at least one image indicating a change in a distribution of insolation levels falling on said field;
using an image processor, responsively to said at least one image, calculating characteristics of heliostats within the field of heliostats;
and
responsively to said characteristics, changing aiming direction of one or more heliostats in said field.

1 more element

A method of controlling a solar energy system, the system having a receiver mounted on a tower and a field of heliostats arranged to direct insolation toward a capture aperture of the receiver, the method comprising:

generating at least one image from light received through an imaging aperture from insolation reflected from a region coinciding with locations of at least a subset of the heliostats within the field of heliostats,
the at least one image indicating a change in a distribution of insolation levels falling on the at least a subset of the heliostats,
the imaging aperture being located adjacent to or fully or partially within the capture aperture,
the generating including imaging a scene, containing the at least a subset of heliostats,
the change in a distribution of insolation levels resulting in a change in a flux distribution across the capture aperture;
using at least one programmable controller that is connected to control positions of the at least a subset of the heliostats within said field of heliostats, calculating characteristics of heliostats within the field of heliostats responsively to said at least one image;
and
using said at least one programmable controller, responsively to at least a result of said calculating, changing aiming directions of one or more heliostats to effect a target flux distribution responsively to data stored in the at least one programmable controller.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and systems for operating solar tower systems

Life of this patent

Methods and systems for operating solar tower systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33