Effects of Optical Loss Factors on Heliostat Field Layout for Beam-Down Solar Concentrating Systems

Abstract

A methodology to give an optimal layout of a group of heliostats has been developed for beam-down concentrating solar tower systems. Given the maximum solar power together with optical parameters, the method determines an optimal configuration of a heliostat field around a tower. Various optical losses such as cosine factor, shadowing and blocking at heliostats are considered in the calculation. Furthermore, spillage at the receiver is taken into account due to the spread of light caused by the effects of a finite solar disk, flat facet and various stochastic errors in optical hardware and control. It is found the effect of spillage becomes significant at heliostats from the tower at the distance farther than four times of upper focus height of the reflector when receiver diameter is one fifteenth of the height and dominates the configuration of the optimal heliostat layout.