Numerical analysis using SolTrace software to determine the size and position of a central receiver for ganged heliostat system

Abstract

Concentrated solar power (CSP) technology has become a promising technique for harnessing the sun’s energy. Ganged heliostat system, also called as central receiver system (CRS), a type of CSP system that uses a field of radially distributed heliostats (mirrors), which track the position of the sun in two axes and focus the sunlight on the centrally placed receiver. Heliostats are used to concentrate solar rays on the receiver, producing a huge amount of energy which can later get converted into electricity or heat. The receiver is kept at a sufficient height to absorb maximum reflected rays. In the present work, a numerical analysis method is used to optimize receiver design parameters such as receiver size, its position in horizontal and vertical planes, and to predict the heat flux intensity at the receiver surface. However, there is no direct method to decide these parameters and often results in a loss of time while optimizing them. In this research paper, a simple methodology has been proposed to design a central receiver for CRS consisting of ganged heliostat system using SolTrace 3.1.0 software. This method is effective in determining the size, the position of the receiver and heat flux distribution at the receiver surface in the initial phase of receiver system design.