From research to industry: Development of a high-resolution measurement system for mirrored heliostats in series production

Schedler, Steffen; Ulmer, Steffen; Koch, Henning; Röger, Marc; Benitez, Daniel; Prahl, Christoph; Weinrebe, Gerhard

doi:10.1063/1.5117563

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Optical quality can be quantified by deflectometry. Measurements were performed with the system QDEC-H [6] by CSP Services. In comparison to the evaluation of calibration images which give a good and easy to capture impression of the optical quality (see Figures 5 and 6), key figures and the exact shape of the mirrors can be derived from the results of deflectometric measurements (see Figure 11).…”

Section: Optical Mirror Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Operational experiences with the heliostat field at the Juelich solar towers

Göhring,

Kaufhold,

Maldonado Quinto

et al. 2023

Advances in Solar Energy: Heliostat Systems Design, Implementation, and Operation

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The heliostat field at the Juelich solar towers meanwhile has a history of 15 years of operation experience. This paper gives a short overview over the problems and improvements since the first erection of the field. Reflectors had to be replaced after just 5 years of operation and have been refitted with a high quality four facet reflector system with individual canting. Results of deflectometric measurements will be demonstrated. The poor tracking performance of the initial heliostat design led to a retrofit of the tracking system in the years 2019 to 2023. With the current system precise tracking could be achieved since mid-2021. This paper will show different technological approaches to reach the desired quality improvements. Tracking results from the first days of operation to the current day will be presented. The whole field is operated by the heliostat field control system HeliOS. The control system has some specific functionalities which are uncommon to standard single tower systems but are a requirement for the research focused field in Juelich and for the simultaneous operation of multiple receivers in two adjacent towers by multiple operators. We will demonstrate some features of the system in this paper.

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Section: Optical Mirror Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Operational experiences with the heliostat field at the Juelich solar towers

Göhring,

Kaufhold,

Maldonado Quinto

et al. 2023

Advances in Solar Energy: Heliostat Systems Design, Implementation, and Operation

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“…Metrology Laboratory techniques (slope error): QDec-M [57] Commercial Laboratory techniques (slope error and/or canting error):…”

Section: Opto-mechanical Errorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roadmap to Advance Heliostat Technologies for Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power

Zhu¹,

Augustine²,

Mitchell³

et al. 2022

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Heliostat-based concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems can offer immense potential to provide low-cost, dispatchable renewable thermal and electrical energy to help achieve 100% decarbonized energy infrastructure in the United States. Heliostats are a major determinant of both capital cost and performance of state-of-the-art commercial molten salt towers and Generation 3 CSP systems. 1 In 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) launched the Heliostat Consortium (HelioCon), a five-year initiative to advance heliostat technologies. The HelioCon mission is threefold: (1) establish strategic core testing and modeling capabilities and infrastructure at national labs; (2) support heliostat technology development in relevant industries; and (3) serve as a central repository to integrate industry, academia, and other stakeholders for heliostat technology research, development, validation, and deployment. In this report, HelioCon presents a roadmapping study on advancing heliostat technologies, intended as a central reference for the entire CSP community.1 More information on Gen3 technologies can be found at https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/generation-3concentrating-solar-power-systems-gen3-csp. vii This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications. Metrology and StandardsAppropriate measurement techniques and industry standards are fundamental for product design, prototyping, engineering, and improvement. Gaps in metrology:Opto-mechanical metrology (mirror slope error, mirror facet canting error, and heliostat tracking error) is complex, error-prone, and requires high optical precision, necessitating rigorous validation of different technologies using the same measurement parameter(s). Current metrology gaps include:• Lack of at least two viable metrology techniques for a given measurement parameter (such as heliostat tracking error, available for the global CSP industry)• Insufficient or missing validation of any viable metrology technique against a different, trusted metrology technique or ground-truth article. Gaps in standards:Gaps in community-wide standards for site characterization and heliostat design, testing, field design, and field acceptance test protocols result in significant barriers for new developers, extended design cycles, lower investor confidence, and more complicated arbitration between project parties. Gaps include:• Heliostat terminology • Heliostat design guidelines • Heliostat solar field design/simulation guidelines • Heliostat test guidelines • Heliostat solar field acceptance test guidelines • Site characterization guidelines (e.g., wind, topography, soiling characteristics). Recommended pathway forward: Addressing these gaps requires continuing development of new metrology tools and round-robin tests of existing/to-be-developed tools. More importantly, ix This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.o...

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A New Reflected Target Optical Assessment System

Kesseli,

Keshiro,

Mitchell

et al. 2023

SolarPACES Conf Proc

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NREL has completed stage 1 development of an indoor optical measurement tool for fully assembled heliostats and single facets. This tool began as an indoor version of NREL’s outdoor Non-Intrusive Optical (NIO) measurement technique [1]. It uses similar techniques to other available tools (deflectometry, photogrammetry, etc.), but is designed to require very little infrastructure, labor, and time to set up and collect surface slope and canting measurements, making it a valuable tool for quality assurance and laboratory measurement of heliostat optics. It accomplishes this by using computer vision, photogrammetry, and multiple images stitched together to minimize the printed target size and required setup precision. This adaptable setup is useful for taking measurements at a variety of heliostat pointing angles, and for measuring fully assembled heliostats on the assembly line. In this paper, we describe the methodology behind the measurement system, present an initial analysis of its uncertainty and sensitivity, and compare it with established optical measurement systems.

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From research to industry: Development of a high-resolution measurement system for mirrored heliostats in series production

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Operational experiences with the heliostat field at the Juelich solar towers

Operational experiences with the heliostat field at the Juelich solar towers

Roadmap to Advance Heliostat Technologies for Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power

A New Reflected Target Optical Assessment System

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