Alignment system and method for dish concentrators

An apparatus for aligning a facet on a parabolic dish concentrator having a plurality of facets, each of said plurality of facets having a reflective surface for reflecting an incident energy towards a plurality of aimpoints on a receiver coupled to said concentrator, said apparatus comprising:

• a light assembly having a plurality of essentially identical light sources, each of said light sources being spaced apart and individually illuminable for illuminating a selected location on the reflective surface of the facet surface with light, said light assembly being spaced apart from the plurality of facets;
• a camera having a lens for detecting light images and creating light image data, said camera being positioned at a fixed distance from the plurality of facets and oriented to receive and detect at least a portion of the light reflected from each of the locations of the reflective surface of the facet;
• an alignment device supported relative to the concentrator and adapted for aligning the lens with a fixed position on said concentrator and for ensuring the lens does not deviate from said fixed position;
• a support member for rigidly supporting the camera and the light assembly relative to the plurality of facets;
• and
• a process or in electrical connection with the camera and the light assembly for controlling the camera and each of the plurality of lights and for determining an actual angular position and an optimum alignment position for the facet based on data received from the camera relative to the illumination of the light assembly.

A method for aligning a facet on a dish concentrator having a plurality of facets and adapted for reflecting and concentrating an incident electromagnetic radiation, each facet having an optimum alignment orientation such that a portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation is accurately reflected to an aimpoint on a receiver coupled to the concentrator, said method comprising the steps of:

• supporting a camera and light assembly having a plurality of substantially identical light sources and a camera with an adjustable iris, in a position spaced apart from the plurality of facets;
• supporting a controller adjacent the camera and light assembly for controlling the adjustable iris and the illumination of each of the plurality of light sources;
• electrically coupling the controller box to a processor having a display;
• aligning the camera with a fixed position relative to the concentrator;
• determining an initialization data;
• illuminating a plurality of locations on the facet using at least some of the plurality of individual light sources, each of the respective light sources emitting a light of essentially equivalent intensity, one at a time in sequence;
• receiving light reflected from the plurality of different locations on the facet in response to the illuminating light, the light being received by the camera;
• identifying the different locations on the facet illuminated by the respective light source using the light assembly in conjunction with the camera and processor;
• calculating an actual angular position for the facet relative to the aligned camera position;
• determining an optimum alignment position for the facet which accurately reflects the incident electromagnetic radiation from the facet to the aimpoint on the receiver;
• determining an adjustment necessary to move the facet into the optimum alignment position by comparing the actual angular position of the facet with the optimum facet position;
• and
• aligning the facet into the optimum alignment position.