CATARACT: Computer code for improving power calculations at NREL`s high-flux solar furnace

Conference · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:10116170

Scholl, K.; Bingham, C.; Lewandowski, A.

The High-Flux Solar Furnace (HFSF), operated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, uses a camera-based, flux-mapping system to analyze the distribution and to determine total power at the focal point. The flux-mapping system consists of a diffusively reflecting plate with seven circular foil calorimeters, a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, an IBM-compatible personal computer with a frame-grabber board, and commercial image analysis software. The calorimeters provide flux readings that are used to scale the image captured from the plate by the camera. The image analysis software can estimate total power incident on the plate by integrating under the 3-dimensional image. Because of the physical layout of the HFSF, the camera is positioned at a 20{degree} angle to the flux mapping plate normal. The foreshortening of the captured images that results represents a systematic error in the power calculations because the software incorrectly assumes the image is parallel to the camera`s array. We have written a FORTRAN computer program called CATARACT (CAmera/TARget Angle CorrecTion) that we use to transform the original flux-mapper image to a plane that is normal to the camera`s optical axis. A description of the code and the results of experiments performed to verify it are presented. Also presented are comparisons of the total power available from the HFSF as determined from the flux mapping system and theoretical considerations.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 10116170
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP-471-5543; CONF-940326-6; ON: DE94000267; BR: WM1020000
• Resource Relation: Conference: ASME/JSME/JSES international solar energy conference, San Francisco, CA (United States), 27-30 Mar 1994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
SOLAR FURNACES
C CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
CALORIMETRY
CAMERAS
HIGH-FLUX SOLAR FURNACE
SOLAR
MAPPING
CATARACT
140900
990200
SOLAR THERMAL UTILIZATION
MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS