Long range heliostat target using array of normal incidence pyranometers to evaluate a beam of solar radiation

DWPI Title: Apparatus for evaluating quality of beam reflected by heliostat, has sensors configured to capture beam reflected by heliostat and output measured values indicative of characteristic of beam reflected by heliostat
Abstract: Various technologies described herein pertain to evaluating a beam reflected by a heliostat. A portable target that has an array of sensors mounted thereupon is configured to capture the beam reflected by the heliostat. The sensors in the array output measured values indicative of a characteristic of the beam reflected by the heliostat. Moreover, a computing device can generate and output data corresponding to the beam reflected by the heliostat based on the measured values indicative of the characteristic of the beam received from the sensors in the array.
Use: Apparatus for evaluating quality of a beam reflected by a heliostat.
Advantage: The apparatus provides fast response time of the pyranometer, thus measuring variations in irradiance resulting from vibration of a heliostat in windy conditions.
Novelty: The apparatus has sensors (108) that are affixed to a portable target (106). The sensors are configured to capture a beam reflected by a heliostat (102) and output measured values indicative of a characteristic of the beam reflected by the heliostat, where the characteristic of the beam is irradiance of the beam reflected by the heliostat. The sensors comprise multiple silicon-detector-based collimated pyranometers or multiple silicon-detector-based pyrheliometers, where the portable target includes a top part and a bottom part.
Filed: 9/21/2011
Application Number: US13238431A
Tech ID: SD 11781.0
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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