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AbstractIn Central Receiver Systems (CRSs), thousands of heliostats track the sunrays and reflect beam
radiation on to a receiver surface. The size of the reflected image and the extent of reflection from the helio-
stats are one of the important criteria that need to be taken into account while designing a receiver, since spill-
age losses may vary from 2 to 16% of the total losses. The present study aims to determine the size of an exter-
nal cylindrical receiver, such that the rays reflected from all the heliostats in the field are intercepted. A
dimensionless correlation with respect to tower height and receiver size (diameter and height) as a function
of heliostat size and its position is discussed in the paper. This correlation could be used as a first-order
approximation to estimate the receiver dimensions. When applied to the Ivanpah Solar Electricity Generating
Station (ISEGS) plant, the correlation yields satisfactory estimation of receiver dimensions.
DOI: 10.3103/S0003701X17030124
258
CORRELATION BETWEEN CENTRAL RECEIVER SIZE AND SOLAR FIELD 259
(a) (b)
Zg , Yr Yr
Zr
T
Xr Xrm
Yrm
Yrpm
Yr
Yrp
Xr
t) T Xrp Xr
X g (Eas
0
Yg Xrpm
(N
ort
h ) R
h
Fig. 1. Schematic representation of the (a) reflected image of a heliostat (b) enlarged view of the receiver plane.
dimensionless correlation is developed to estimate the axis, normal to the heliostat position is considered to
receiver size based on heliostat size and position, and estimate the reflected image. Since the heliostat is
tower height. Further, this correlation also considers located far from this plane, compared to the cylindri-
the conical effect of the sunrays. This correlation cal surface, the error due to the imaginary plane
enables preliminary sizing of the receiver, which could instead of the cylindrical surface is negligible. It is a
then be subjected to detailed study. The receiver good approximation to estimate the cylindrical
dimensions thus obtained have been compared for an receivers diameter and height.
existing plant. Tracking errors and mirror slope and specularity
errors neglected: In general, heliostats will have some
tracking errors and also will have slope and specularity
METHODOLOGY TO ESTIMATE THE EXTER-
errors.
NAL CYLINDRICAL RECEIVER DIMENSIONS
Assumptions
Reflected Image of the Heliostat
The procedure involves the following assumptions:
Figure 1a shows a schematic representation of the
The centers of all heliostats in the field are in a reflected image of a heliostat and Fig. 1b shows an
horizontal plane (reference plane): In practical cases, enlarged view of the reflected image for the corner
the slope of the land and the slant height of the helio- points of the heliostat and a generic point T inside
stats will be considered while calculating the heliostat the heliostat.
tilt angles. Since the principle of tracking is to reflect
the principal ray from the center of the heliostat to For simplicity of formulation, we may adopt the
center of the receiver, it will not make a difference if all following two coordinate systems:
centers are considered to be in the same plane. Global Coordinate System (GCS) (refer to Fig. 1a)
Flat heliostats: The heliostats used in ST plants defined such that the origin O ( 0,0,0) is on the tower
are either flat or slightly curved. To estimate the max- axis at the reference plane. X g is towards East, Y g is
imum reflected image, flat heliostats are considered towards North, and Z g is in the Zenith direction
for this study. However, the receiver size will be less (upwards). It may be noted that X g , Y g and Z g are
when curved heliostats are used instead of flat ones.
made dimensionless with respect to tower height
An imaginary vertical plane that is always per- ( H T ) . The coordinates of the target point (T ) are
pendicular to the heliostat location: Since the objec-
tive is to determine the size of an external cylindrical (0,0, Z t ) , where Z t = 1. The coordinates of the helio-
receiver, an imaginary vertical plane on the cylindrical stat center (M ) in polar coordinates are ( Rh , ) .
The tracking principle usually followed is that the Y r , respectively. Detailed expressions for these are
principal reflected ray from the center of the heliostat given in the second section of the supplementary
(M) will impinge on T . The tilt angles of the heliostat notes. They may be simplified without much loss in
are given in the first section of the supplementary accuracy using the following expressions:
notes [7]. The derivation of necessary expressions to
find the reflected image of the heliostat on the image
plane is given in the second section of the supplemen- X rm =
( 2) ( Rh2 + 1 ),
1 ( 2)
tary notes. The comparison of the reflected image 2
(a) (b)
0.520 0.8
AR = 0.5 AR = 1.0
0.515 0.7 AR = 2.0
0.510
0.6
0.505
Xrp max/dl
Yrp max/dl
0.500 0.5
0.495 0.4
0.490 AR = 0.5 AR = 1.0
AR = 2.0 0.3
0.485
0.480 0.2
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Radial distacne, Rh Radial distacne, Rh
(a) (b)
0.05 0.05
0.04 0.04
0.03 0.03
Xrm
Yrm
0.02 0.02
0.01 0.01
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Radial distacne, Rh Radial distacne, Rh
ation of Y rpmax d l is steeper for AR = 0.5 as compared and Y rm with Rh using the correct expressions (refer
to AR = 2. The data for different AR s are converge for to the second section of the supplementary notes) for
low values of Rh and spread as Rh increases. a heliostat with dimensions of hw = 0.1 and hl = 0.1 for
= 26 were determined (but not shown). It was
found that the maximum difference between the
Variation of Xrm and Yrm with Rh detailed computation and Eq. (1) was less than 3% at
Figures 3a, 3b show the variation of X rm and Rh = 0.5 and decreased to 0.15% at Rh = 10. The very
good agreement indicates that Eq. (1) is sufficiently
Y rm with Rh [refer to Eq. (1)]. The variations of X rm accurate.
R
Zm H Reflected ray altitude angle:
Origin
kg 1
Zt
H S R = sin
( X + Y + Z )
j Yg (North) . (3)
g 2 2 2
Ym h h t
ig Rh
R
M
S North Reflected ray azimuth angle:
Xg (East)
AR
AR = + h ;
Xm (4)
East AH if( AR > 2), then AR = AR 2.
AS
Angle of incidence is half the angle between the
suns ray (S ) and the reflected ray (R ) and is given as
Fig. B1. Schematic representation of heliostat sun tracking i = 1 cos 1 ( cos S sin AS cos R sin AR
mechanism. 2 (5)
+ cos S cos AS cos R cos AR + sin S s in R ) .
Heliostat altitude angle:
sin R + sin S
Zg (Zenith) H = sin 1 . (6)
2 cos i
Heliostat azimuth angle ( AH ) is calculated as fol-
Parallel to Yrl lows:
Zrl
1 cos R cos AR + cos S cos AS
Find AH' = cos ,
2 cos i cos H
Yg (North) North
cos R sin AR + cos S sin AS
Yrl and sin AH =
Parallel to Xrl 2 cos i cos H (7)
M AH = AH' if sin AH 0,
kg Pl
j
g
AR AH = 2 AH' if sin AH < 0.
Rh Xrl
Xg (East)
0 (0, 0, 0) ig Estimation of the Reflected Image on the Receiver Plane
A Mirror Coordinate System (MCS) is defined to
Fig. B2. Schematic representation of reflected ray coordi- represent a point on the heliostat, from which the
nate system. reflected image of the impinging conical rays from
suns disc is considered. Figure 1 shows the impinging
and reflected cones from the center of the heliostat.
towards North and Z g is in the Zenith direction The same is valid for any point on the heliostat. Matrix
(upwards). The unit vectors in the direction of X g , Y g transformations to represent the mirror coordinates in
GCS are performed. In order to identify a particular
and Z g are ig, j g and kg , respectively, as shown in conical ray among the bundle of conical rays in the
Fig. B1. reflected cone, a Reflected ray Coordinate System
(RCS) is defined. Subsequently, matrix transforma-
Solar altitude angle: tions to determine the direction cosines of this conical
ray in GCS are performed. The impingement of a par-
S = sin 1(sin sin + cos cos cos ), (1) ticular reflected conical ray from a particular point on
the heliostat on to the image plane and its coordinates
where is latitude, is declination of the day and is in GCS is considered. Through matrix transforma-
hour angle (morning ve and afternoon +ve). tions, its coordinates in the image plane are deter-
mined. Considering all relevant points on the heliostat to Z rl with an angle of ( AR ) . The direction cosines
and the reflected conical rays from them, the reflected of the reflected ray from local RCS in GCS are
image is determined.
cos rg = cos AR cos rl sin AR sin R cos rl
Mirror Coordinate System (MCS) + sin AR cos R cos rl,
M is the origin of the MCS ( X m ,Y m , Z m ). Z m is in cos rg = sin AR cos rl cos AR sin R cos rl (10)
the direction of H . Y m is perpendicular to Z m towards + cos AR cos R cos rl,
the upward direction. X m is perpendicular to both Z m cos rg = cos R cos rl + sin R cos rl.
and Y m , forming a right-handed coordinate system as
shown in Fig. B1.
Let Pl ( X m ,Y m ,0) be any point on the mirror in the Coordinates of the Intersection of the Reflected Ray
MCS. The coordinates of the same point in the GCS with the Image Plane in GCS
( X mg,Ymg, Z mg ) can be found using coordinate rota-
tions. The mirror coordinate system is first rotated The image plane which makes an angle of with
about X m in the anticlockwise direction by an angle of the X g Z g plane is shown in Fig. B1. The direction
( 2
H )
. Then it is rotated anticlockwise about the cosines of the image plane normal in GCS are
(sin ,cos ,0) . Therefore, the equation of the image
new Z m direction by an angle of ( AH ) . plane in GCS can be written as follows:
X mg = X h cos AH X m sin AH sin HY m
sin X g + cos Y g = 0 . (11)
+ sin AH cos H Z m ,
Y mg = Y h + sin AH X m cos AH sin HY m (8) The equation of the reflected ray from the point
+ cos AH cos H Z m , Pg ( X mg,Y mg, Z mg ) on the heliostat [corresponding to
Z mg = Z h + cos HY m + sin H Z m . Pl ( X m ,Y m ,0) and conical ray and ] is expressed as
follows:
Reflected Ray Coordinate System (RCS)
X X mg Y Y mg Z Z mg
For the RCS ( X rl,Y rl, Z rl ) , Pl ( X m ,Y m ,0) is the ori- = = . (12)
cos rg cos rg cos rg
gin and Z rl is in the direction of the principal reflected
ray. Y rl is perpendicular to Z rl and pointing in the The coordinates corresponding to the point of inter-
upward direction. X rl is parallel to the reference plane section of the reflected ray and the image plane
and perpendicular to both Y rl and Z rl such that it forms ( X rg,Yrg, Z rg ) can be found by solving Eqs. (11) and (12):
a right-handed coordinate system as shown in Fig. B2.
The angle made by the ray with respect to Z rl is X rg = X mg + K cos rg,
denoted by . The angle made by this plane containing
Y rg = Y mg + K cos rg,
the ray and Z rl with the X rl Z rl plane is .
varies from 0 to 4.8 mrad and varies from 0 to Z rg = Z mg + K cos rg, (13)
2. Therefore, the direction cosines of the reflected where
ray defined by the angles and can be written as fol- ( sin X mg + cos Y mg )
lows [8, 18]: K = .
( sin cos rg + cos cos rg )
cos rl cos where
cos = sin , 0 2 , (9)
rl
Coordinates of the Intersection of the Reflected Ray
( )
cos rl 1 2 0 2
0.5
with the Image Plane in Image Plane
Coordinates System (ICS)
where is the angle subtended by the cone of suns
rays (9.6 mrad) at any point on the earth surface. Coordinates ( X r ,Y r , Z r ) of ICS are defined as
The direction cosines of the reflected ray in the shown in Fig. B1 (also in Fig. 1 of main text). To deter-
GCS can be found using coordinate rotations. The
mine the image in ICS, the GCS is shifted up by Z t ,
first rotation is in anticlockwise direction about X rl by
( )
rotated clockwise about X g by 2 and then rotated
an angle of R and then clockwise with respect about the new Y g anticlockwise by an angle of .
2
APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 53 No. 3 2017
CORRELATION BETWEEN CENTRAL RECEIVER SIZE AND SOLAR FIELD 265
Rh
(
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