A heliostat corner driving device and a reference position quick positioning method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a heliostat corner driving device, which comprises a motor, a first rotating assembly, a second rotating assembly and a transmission switching assembly, the motor is connected with the first rotating assembly or the second rotating assembly through the transmission switching assembly; the first rotating assembly has a fixed part and a rotating part which can rotate relative to the fixed part, the fixed part and the rotating part are connected with a fixed component and a rotating component of the heliostat respectively, the motor drives the first rotating assembly to rotate through the transmission switching assembly to drive the rotating component to rotate; the device further comprises a first zero point sensing point, a second zero point sensing point and a zero point sensor, the first zero point sensing point is arranged on the fixed part or the fixed component, the second zero point sensing point is arranged on the rotating part or the rotating component, and the zero point sensor is arranged on the second rotating assembly; the motor drives the second rotating assembly to rotate through the transmission switching assembly to drive the zero point sensor to rotate, and the rotating stroke of the zero point sensor passes through the first zero point sensing point and the second zero point sensing point and generates induction when passing through.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of heliostat technology, and particularly relates to a heliostat rotation drive device and a method for rapid positioning of its reference position. Background Technology

[0002] As the economy continues to develop, energy is becoming increasingly scarce, traditional non-renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly depleted, and economic development is increasingly constrained by the development and utilization of energy. The utilization of renewable energy has received widespread attention, especially the utilization of solar energy, which has gained more attention from people around the world.

[0003] Solar energy, as a clean and renewable energy source, is being increasingly utilized, especially concentrated solar power (CSP) technology, which is an emerging solar energy utilization technology following photovoltaic (PV) power generation. Among several CSP technologies, tower CSP uses numerous heliostats to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver located at the top of the tower. This heats the working fluid to generate steam, which drives a turbine to power a generator. The heliostat controller, acting as the actuator for the heliostats in the solar field control system, drives the heliostats to rotate and executes the strategy commands from the upper-level controller, playing a crucial role in the field control system.

[0004] The reference position, serving as the reference point for each heliostat to execute a series of strategic actions, is fundamental to the heliostat's control accuracy and is crucial for its calibration and sun tracking. Inaccurate reference positions will affect the field's power generation and, in more serious cases, could lead to safety accidents. Therefore, accurate reference positioning is paramount in the field's control system. Considering cost and economics, the use of large-format heliostats is becoming a trend. However, the transmission mechanisms of large-format heliostats often have high speed ratios. Each heliostat requires reference position repositioning after power outages or after a certain period of operation. The previous method, using a motor-driven transmission mechanism with a high speed ratio for reference position repositioning, suffered from low overall efficiency due to its slow rotational speed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems in the background art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a heliostat rotation drive device, including a motor, a first rotating component, a second rotating component, and a transmission switching component, wherein the motor is driven to connect to the first rotating component or the second rotating component through the transmission switching component;

[0006] The first rotating assembly has a fixed part and a rotating part that can rotate relative to the fixed part. The fixed part and the rotating part are respectively connected to the fixed member and the rotating member of the heliostat. The motor drives the first rotating assembly to rotate through the transmission switching assembly.

[0007] It also includes a first zero-position sensing point, a second zero-position sensing point, and a zero-position sensor. The first zero-position sensing point is disposed on the fixed part or the fixed member, the second zero-position sensing point is disposed on the rotating part or the rotating member, and the zero-position sensor is disposed on the second rotating assembly.

[0008] The rotation axis of the second rotating component is the same as that of the first rotating component. The motor drives the second rotating component to rotate through the transmission switching component to drive the zero-position sensor to rotate. The rotation stroke of the zero-position sensor passes through the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point and is sensed when it passes through them.

[0009] Preferably, the first rotating component is a speed reducer, the fixed part is the base of the speed reducer, and the rotating part is the housing of the speed reducer.

[0010] Preferably, the second rotating component is a rotating track disposed on the outer circumference of the rotating part.

[0011] Preferably, the transmission switching assembly includes a first clutch and a second clutch, wherein the first clutch connects the motor and the first rotating assembly, and the second clutch connects the motor and the second rotating assembly.

[0012] Preferably, the zero-position sensor includes a first probe and a second probe, wherein the first probe is used to sense the first zero-position sensing point and the second probe is used to sense the second zero-position sensing point.

[0013] Preferably, it includes a driver that is electrically connected to the motor, the zero-position sensor, and the transmission switching assembly, for driving the motor to operate and controlling the transmission switching assembly to switch transmissions;

[0014] The driver determines whether the first zero-position sensing point or the second zero-position sensing point is detected by detecting the signal level jump of the zero-position sensor.

[0015] Preferably, the transmission ratio of the second rotating component is smaller than that of the first rotating component.

[0016] Based on the same concept, the present invention also provides a method for rapid positioning of the reference position of a heliostat rotation drive device, which uses any one of the heliostat rotation drive devices described in the above embodiments and includes the following steps:

[0017] S1: A zero-position marker is provided on the rotating part or the rotating component. When the zero-position marker rotates to the position corresponding to the first zero-position sensing point, the angle of the heliostat is 0 degrees.

[0018] S2: The power of the motor is switched to the second rotating component via the transmission switching component;

[0019] S3: The motor drives the second rotating component to rotate through the transmission switching component, thereby causing the zero-position sensor to rotate;

[0020] S4: During the rotation of the zero-position sensor, the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point are sensed, and the rotation angle of the zero-position sensor when the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point are sensed are recorded respectively. When the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point are sensed, the motor stops rotating.

[0021] S5: Calculate the current angle value of the heliostat;

[0022] When X≤D, the current angle value of the heliostat is X+(360°-D);

[0023] When X≥D, the current angle value of the heliostat is XD;

[0024] in,

[0025] The plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first rotating component is used as the projection plane, and the projection of the rotation axis of the first rotating component on the projection plane is used as the rotation center.

[0026] X is the angle of rotation when the projection of the first zero-position sensing point on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position where the projection of the second zero-position sensing point on the projection surface is located.

[0027] D is the angle of rotation when the projection of the zero-position marker on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position where the projection of the second zero-position sensing point is located on the projection surface;

[0028] The current angle of the heliostat is the angle at which the projection of the first zero-position sensing point on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position of the projection of the zero-position marking point on the projection surface.

[0029] S6: The transmission switching component switches the power of the motor to the first rotating component, driving the heliostat to operate normally.

[0030] Preferably, in S4, the rotation angle of the zero-position sensor when the zero-position sensor senses the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point is obtained by recording the pulse count value of the motor and combining it with the transmission ratio of the second rotating component.

[0031] Preferably, in S4, if the zero-position sensor fails to detect the first zero-position sensing point and / or the second zero-position sensing point after rotating one revolution, it stops rotating, reports a fault, and waits for the next execution command of S4.

[0032] Because the present invention adopts the above technical solution, it has the following advantages and positive effects compared with the prior art:

[0033] This invention allows the power of the motor in the heliostat to be switched between the first rotating component and the second rotating component via a transmission switching assembly. By switching to the first rotating component, it can enter the normal working mode and drive the heliostat to adjust its angle; by switching to the second rotating component, it can drive the zero-position sensor to find the zero-position reference, thus realizing a dual function of one machine.

[0034] This invention switches the motor's power to the second rotating component via a transmission switching assembly, reducing the transmission ratio during reference positioning and enabling rapid rotational zeroing of the zero-position sensor. Because the heliostat is very large, the motor requires a speed reducer, resulting in a very slow rotation speed. If zeroing were still performed using a speed reducer, the efficiency would be too low. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the speed reducer of the present invention installed on the column;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the angle correction when the zero-position marker point of the present invention is set on the casing.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0041] 1: Column; 2: Reducer; 3: Frame; 4: Base; 5: Housing; 6: Rotating track; 7: Zero position sensor; 8: First zero position sensing point; 9: Second zero position sensing point; 10: Zero position marker; 11: Motor; 12: Driver; 13: First clutch; 14: Second clutch; 15: Track gearbox; 16: Reducer gearbox. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise ratios, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0043] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] See Figures 1 to 4 The core of this invention is to provide a heliostat rotation drive device, including a motor 11, a first rotating component, a second rotating component, and a transmission switching component. The motor 11 drives the first rotating component or the second rotating component through the transmission switching component, and the transmission ratio of the second rotating component is less than that of the first rotating component.

[0046] The first rotating assembly has a fixed part and a rotating part that can rotate relative to the fixed part. The fixed part and the rotating part are respectively connected to the fixed member and the rotating member of the heliostat. The motor 11 drives the first rotating assembly to rotate through the transmission switching assembly.

[0047] In this embodiment, the fixed component of the heliostat is the column 1, the rotating component is the frame 3, and the first rotating component is the reducer 2, which can specifically be a worm gear transmission mechanism, etc. The fixed part is the cylindrical base 4 of the reducer 2, and the rotating part is the cylindrical housing 5 of the reducer 2, which can rotate relative to the base 4. When the motor 11 is connected to the reducer 2 via the transmission switching component, the motor 11 drives the housing 5 of the reducer 2 to rotate, thereby rotating the frame 3 to adjust the angle.

[0048] It also includes a first zero-position sensing point 8, a second zero-position sensing point 9, and a zero-position sensor 7. The first zero-position sensing point 8 is located on a fixed part or a fixed component, the second zero-position sensing point 9 is located on a rotating part or a rotating component, and the zero-position sensor 7 is located on a second rotating assembly.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first zero-position sensing point 8 is located on the circumferential side wall of the base 4 of the reducer 2, and the second zero-position sensing point 9 is located on the circumferential side wall of the housing 5.

[0050] The rotation axis of the second rotating component is the same as that of the first rotating component. The motor 11 drives the second rotating component to rotate through the transmission switching component to drive the zero position sensor 7 to rotate. The rotation stroke of the zero position sensor 7 passes through the first zero position sensing point 8 and the second zero position sensing point 9 and is sensed when it passes through them.

[0051] Specifically, the second rotating component is a rotating track 6 located on the outer circumference of the housing 5 of the reducer 2. The rotating track 6 is connected to the transmission switching component through a track gearbox 15, and the transmission ratio of the track gearbox 15 is less than that of the reducer gearbox 16. The motor 11 drives the rotating track 6 to rotate through the transmission switching component to drive the zero-position sensor 7 to rotate.

[0052] The zero-position sensor 7 includes a first probe and a second probe. The second probe is used to sense the second zero-position sensing point 9, and the first probe is used to sense the first zero-position sensing point 8.

[0053] The transmission switching assembly includes a first clutch 13 and a second clutch 14. The first clutch 13 connects the reducer 2 and the motor 11, and the second clutch 14 connects the track gearbox 15 of the rotating track 6 and the motor 11.

[0054] It also includes a driver 12, mounted on the rear end cover of the motor 11. The driver 12 is electrically connected to both the motor 11 and the transmission switching assembly, and is used to drive the motor 11 to operate and control the transmission switching assembly to switch transmissions. The driver 12 is also electrically connected to the zero-position sensor 7, and the driver 12 determines whether the first zero-position sensing point 8 or the second zero-position sensing point 9 is detected by detecting the signal level change of the zero-position sensor 7. When the heliostat is viewed from above, the clockwise direction can be defined as the positive angle direction, and the counterclockwise direction can also be defined as the positive angle direction.

[0055] Example 2

[0056] Another core aspect of this invention is to provide a method for rapidly positioning the reference position of a heliostat rotation drive device, using the heliostat rotation drive device of Embodiment 1, comprising the following steps:

[0057] S1: A zero-position marker 10 is set on the rotating part or rotating component. When the zero-position marker 10 rotates to the position corresponding to the first zero-position sensing point 8, the angle of the heliostat is 0 degrees.

[0058] Specifically, the zero-position markers 10 are all located on the circumferential sidewall of the housing 5. The zero-position markers 10 can be located at any position on the circumference of the housing 5 for ease of design. The angle difference between the zero-position markers 10 and the second zero-position sensing point 9 will not change as the reducer 2 rotates, and the angle between the two is a constant value.

[0059] S2: Power switching, the power of motor 11 is switched to the second rotating component through the transmission switching component.

[0060] Specifically, the driver 12 controls the motor 11 to stop rotating, and then the driver 12 controls the first clutch 13 to disengage and the second clutch 14 to engage, so that the power of the motor 11 is output to the rotating track 6.

[0061] S3: Zero-position reference point detection. Motor 11 drives the second rotating component to rotate through the transmission switching component to drive the zero-position sensor 7 to rotate.

[0062] Specifically, the driver 12 controls the motor 11 to drive the rotating track 6 through the second clutch 14, thereby driving the zero-position sensor 7 to rotate.

[0063] S4: Angle correction process. During the rotation of the zero-position sensor 7, the first zero-position sensing point 8 and the second zero-position sensing point 9 are sensed, and the rotation angle of the zero-position sensor 7 when the first zero-position sensing point 8 and the second zero-position sensing point 9 are sensed are recorded respectively. When the first zero-position sensing point 8 and the second zero-position sensing point 9 are sensed, the motor 11 stops rotating.

[0064] Specifically, the rotation angle of the zero-position sensor 7 when it senses the first zero-position sensing point 8 and the second zero-position sensing point 9 is obtained by recording the pulse count value of the motor 11 and combining it with the transmission ratio of the track gearbox 15 of the rotating track 6. Furthermore, signals from both the first zero-position sensing point 8 and the second zero-position sensing point 9 must be detected simultaneously in a single operation.

[0065] If the zero-position sensor 7 fails to detect the first zero-position sensing point 8 and / or the second zero-position sensing point 9 after rotating one revolution, it will stop rotating, report a fault, and wait for the next execution command of S4.

[0066] S5: Angle correction process, calculates the current angle value of the heliostat;

[0067] When X≤D, the current angle value of the heliostat is X+(360°-D);

[0068] When X≥D, the current angle value of the heliostat is XD;

[0069] in,

[0070] The plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first rotating component is used as the projection plane, and the projection of the rotation axis of the first rotating component onto the projection plane is used as the rotation center.

[0071] X is the angle at which the projection of the first zero-position sensing point 8 on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position of the projection of the second zero-position sensing point 9 on the projection surface, and the clockwise direction mentioned above is the clockwise direction when looking down at the projection surface.

[0072] D is the angle at which the projection of the zero-position marker 10 on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position where the projection of the second zero-position sensing point 9 is on the projection surface. Since the angle difference between the zero-position marker 10 and the second zero-position sensing point 9 does not change with the rotation of the reducer 2, D is a known angle. The clockwise direction mentioned above is the clockwise direction when looking down at the projection surface.

[0073] The current angle of the heliostat is the angle at which the projection of the first zero-position sensing point 8 on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position of the projection of the zero-position mark point 10 on the projection surface, wherein the clockwise direction is the clockwise direction when looking down at the projection surface.

[0074] Specifically, let the rotation angles of the zero-position sensor 7 when it senses the first zero-position sensing point 8 and the second zero-position sensing point 9 be Z and Y, respectively. Let the pulse count value of the motor 11 when the zero-position sensor 7 senses the first zero-position sensing point 8 be A, and the pulse count value of the motor 11 when it senses the second zero-position sensing point 9 be B.

[0075] 1. When the projection of the zero-position sensor 7 on the above projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center:

[0076] When the zero-position sensor 7 first senses the first zero-position sensing point 8, X = YZ = C / M / N*360°, where M is the pulse count value of one revolution of motor 11, N is the transmission ratio of track gearbox 15, and C = |AB|.

[0077] When the zero-position sensor 7 first senses the second zero-position sensing point 9, X = 360° - (ZY) = 360° - C / M / N * 360°, where M is the pulse count value of one revolution of motor 11, N is the transmission ratio of track gearbox 15, and C = |AB|.

[0078] 2. When the projection of the zero-position sensor 7 on the above projection surface rotates counterclockwise around the rotation center:

[0079] When the zero-position sensor 7 first senses the first zero-position sensing point 8, X = 360° - (YZ) = 360° - C / M / N * 360°, where M is the pulse count value of one revolution of motor 11, N is the transmission ratio of track gearbox 15, and C = |AB|.

[0080] When the zero-position sensor 7 first senses the second zero-position sensing point 9, X = ZY = C / M / N*360°, where M is the pulse count value of one revolution of motor 11, N is the transmission ratio of track gearbox 15, and C = |AB|.

[0081] Finally, the angle data of the heliostat in the background is updated and corrected based on the determined actual angle value of the heliostat.

[0082] S6: Entering normal working mode, the transmission switching component switches the power of motor 11 to reducer 2, driving the heliostat to operate normally.

[0083] Specifically, the first clutch 13 is closed and the second clutch 14 is opened by the driver 12, so that the power of the motor 11 is output to the reducer 2.

[0084] The heliostat rotation drive device and method of the present invention uses a speed ratio switching mode. During reference position positioning, it switches to a low speed ratio mode to rapidly rotate the zero-position sensor 7 for positioning, greatly improving the efficiency of reference position positioning for a large-mirror, high-speed-ratio heliostat, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of the heliostat system. It has the following advantages:

[0085] (1) The heliostat reference position is quickly positioned by switching the gear transmission ratio of a single motor 11, which is efficient, flexible and reliable.

[0086] (2) By using the encoder built into the driver 12 and the speed ratio of the reducer 2 to calculate the angle corresponding to the reference position, high-precision and low-cost reference position positioning is achieved.

[0087] (3) By switching the power of the motor 11 to the track gearbox 15, the reduction ratio during the positioning of the reference position is reduced, which greatly improves the positioning efficiency of the heliostat reference position and enhances the overall performance of the heliostat system.

[0088] (4) The zero-position marker 10 can be marked at any position on the housing 5 of the reducer 2, that is, the positional relationship between the second zero-position sensing point 9 can be freely adjusted, which greatly improves the flexibility of the system structure design.

[0089] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Even if various changes are made to the present invention, if these changes fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, they shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heliostat rotation drive device, characterized in that, It includes a motor, a first rotating component, a second rotating component, and a transmission switching component, wherein the motor is driven to connect to either the first rotating component or the second rotating component via the transmission switching component; The first rotating assembly has a fixed part and a rotating part that can rotate relative to the fixed part. The fixed part and the rotating part are respectively connected to the fixed member and the rotating member of the heliostat. The motor drives the first rotating assembly to rotate through the transmission switching assembly. It also includes a first zero-position sensing point, a second zero-position sensing point, and a zero-position sensor. The first zero-position sensing point is disposed on the fixed part or the fixed member, the second zero-position sensing point is disposed on the rotating part or the rotating member, and the zero-position sensor is disposed on the second rotating assembly. The rotation axis of the second rotating component is the same as that of the first rotating component. The motor drives the second rotating component to rotate through the transmission switching component to drive the zero-position sensor to rotate. The rotation stroke of the zero-position sensor passes through the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point and is sensed when it passes through them. The transmission switching assembly includes a first clutch and a second clutch, wherein the first clutch connects the motor and the first rotating assembly, and the second clutch connects the motor and the second rotating assembly; The transmission ratio of the second rotating component is less than that of the first rotating component.

2. The heliostat rotation drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rotating component is a speed reducer, the fixed part is the base of the speed reducer, and the rotating part is the housing of the speed reducer.

3. The heliostat rotation drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second rotating component is a rotating track disposed on the outer circumference of the rotating part.

4. The heliostat rotation drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The zero-position sensor includes a first probe and a second probe, wherein the first probe is used to sense the first zero-position sensing point and the second probe is used to sense the second zero-position sensing point.

5. The heliostat rotation drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a driver that is electrically connected to the motor, the zero-position sensor, and the transmission switching assembly, and is used to drive the motor to operate and control the transmission switching assembly to switch transmissions. The driver determines whether the first zero-position sensing point or the second zero-position sensing point is detected by detecting the signal level jump of the zero-position sensor.

6. A method for rapidly positioning the reference position of a heliostat rotation drive device, characterized in that, The heliostat rotation drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 includes the following steps: S1: A zero-position marker is provided on the rotating part or the rotating component. When the zero-position marker rotates to the position corresponding to the first zero-position sensing point, the angle of the heliostat is 0 degrees. S2: The power of the motor is switched to the second rotating component via the transmission switching component; S3: The motor drives the second rotating component to rotate through the transmission switching component, thereby causing the zero-position sensor to rotate; S4: During the rotation of the zero-position sensor, the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point are sensed, and the rotation angle of the zero-position sensor when the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point are sensed are recorded respectively. When the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point are sensed, the motor stops rotating. S5: Calculate the current angle value of the heliostat; When X≤D, the current angle value of the heliostat is X+(360°-D); When X≥D, the current angle value of the heliostat is XD; in, The plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first rotating component is used as the projection plane, and the projection of the rotation axis of the first rotating component on the projection plane is used as the rotation center. X is the angle of rotation when the projection of the first zero-position sensing point on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position where the projection of the second zero-position sensing point on the projection surface is located. D is the angle of rotation when the projection of the zero-position marker on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position where the projection of the second zero-position sensing point is located on the projection surface; The current angle of the heliostat is the angle at which the projection of the first zero-position sensing point on the projection surface rotates clockwise around the rotation center to the position of the projection of the zero-position marking point on the projection surface. S6: The transmission switching component switches the power of the motor to the first rotating component, driving the heliostat to operate normally.

7. The method for rapid positioning of the reference position of the heliostat rotation drive device according to claim 6, characterized in that, In S4, the rotation angle of the zero-position sensor when it senses the first zero-position sensing point and the second zero-position sensing point is obtained by recording the pulse count value of the motor and combining it with the transmission ratio of the second rotating component.

8. The method for rapid positioning of the reference position of the heliostat rotation drive device according to claim 6, characterized in that, In S4, if the zero-position sensor fails to detect the first zero-position sensing point and / or the second zero-position sensing point after rotating one revolution, it stops rotating, reports a fault, and waits for the next execution command of S4.

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