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Alignment method for solar collector arrays

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1079238
The present invention is directed to an improved method for establishing camera fixture location for aligning mirrors on a solar collector array (SCA) comprising multiple mirror modules. The method aligns the mirrors on a module by comparing the location of the receiver image in photographs with the predicted theoretical receiver image location. To accurately align an entire SCA, a common reference is used for all of the individual module images within the SCA. The improved method can use relative pixel location information in digital photographs along with alignment fixture inclinometer data to calculate relative locations of the fixture between modules. The absolute locations are determined by minimizing alignment asymmetry for the SCA. The method inherently aligns all of the mirrors in an SCA to the receiver, even with receiver position and module-to-module alignment errors.
Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
Patent Number(s):
8,294,886
Application Number:
12/689,798
OSTI ID:
1079238
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (10)

Photogrammetry: An Available Surface Characterization Tool for Solar Concentrators, Part II: Assessment of Surfaces journal November 1997
Test results: SEGS LS-2 solar collector report December 1994
A New High-Temperature Solar Research Furnace journal August 1983
Development and Characterization of a Color 2F Alignment Method for the Advanced Dish Development System conference January 2009
Optical Evaluation of Composite-Based Reflector Facets for Parabolic Trough Concentrators conference December 2008
Improved Alignment Technique for Dish Concentrators conference January 2009
3D Reconstruction of Cameras and Structure book January 2011
Optical Evaluation Techniques For Reflecting Solar Concentrators conference October 1977
Advances in Parabolic Trough Solar Power Technology journal April 2002
The Helios model for the optical behavior of reflecting solar concentrators report March 1979

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Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY