Tower Illuminance Model (TIM): Interactive Real-Time Flyover Simulation Tool to Evaluate Glare and Avian-Flux Hazards
- Sims Industries, LLC
- Sandia National Laboratories
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Solar glare reflections and avian solar-flux hazards are an important concern for concentrating solar installations. Reflected sunlight from 'standby' heliostats has been noted by pilots as potentially hazardous, and reports of birds being singed by concentrated sunlight has created concern. This paper presents the Tower Illuminance Model ('TIM'), a software application developed to investigate glare and avian-flux hazards at concentrating solar power towers in a convenient and interactive manner. TIM simulates a field of heliostats in standby mode, wherein sunlight is not reflected toward the central receiver but at some location in the airspace around the receiver. The user can select a range of aiming strategies and field configurations and can navigate the simulated airspace above the heliostat field in real-time using an interactive 3D interface. As the user 'flies' through the airspace, TIM calculates the irradiance, glare hazard, and potential avian flux hazard. TIM is currently undergoing validation and industry testing.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1487318
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP-5500-72967
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Presented at SolarPACES 2017: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, 26-29 September 2017, Santiago, Chile
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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