SolarPACES Task III Project: Analyze Heliostat Field:
Results of Methodologies Comparison, Gaps to be Filled and Next Steps to Further Improve the Solar Central Receiver Technology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52825/solarpaces.v2i.903Keywords:
Heliostat Performance, Heliostat Field, Testing Guideline, Measurement, Characterization, Commissioning, ReliabilityAbstract
In recent years, great efforts have been made to reach a consensus on heliostat testing best practices. A specific SolarPACES task was launched to provide a Heliostat Testing Guidelines document for single heliostat evaluation with a focus on prototype validation and qualification. Such guidelines are not well-suited for heliostat evaluation in operating commercial heliostat fields. The commercial implementation of the Central Receiver technology is burdened by the lack of a demonstrated cost-effective methodology to test solar fields, particularly during the commissioning and operation phases of the plant.
To address heliostat characterization challenges, the SolarPACES funded Project “Analyze Heliostat Field” aims to set the basis towards a SolarPACES guideline for Heliostat Field Performance testing under a common framework. This is by means of a review of the existing methodologies, R&D and industrial stakeholders information sharing and preparation of a future quantitative comparison and validation plan.
As part of the development of this project, several meetings and a workshop involving the SolarPACES community was organized to share knowledge and experience in the measurement and characterization of heliostat fields using a range of technologies and procedures. Research centers and companies from 5 different and distant countries have actively participated in these meetings, sharing their experiences, needs and interests. This paper summarizes the outcome of this international collaborative effort and the prospects for future close collaborations sustained over time.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Adrián Peña-Lapuente, Marcelino Sánchez, Charles-Alexis Asselineau, Kenneth Miguel Armijo, Marc Röger, Cristóbal Villasante, Jesús Fernández, Rafael Monterreal, Antonio Ávila-Marín, John Pye, Kypros Milidonis, José Gonzalez-Aguilar, Guangdong Zhu, Steffen Ulmer, Gregor Bern
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2024-07-15
Published 2024-09-16
