Error compensation method for heat absorption screen of tower type photo-thermal power station and automatic operation system for tower type photo-thermal power station

Abstract

The invention provides an error compensation method for a heat absorption screen of a tower type photo-thermal power station and an automatic operation system for the tower type photo-thermal power station. The method is applied to a control system of a tower-type photo-thermal power station, and comprises the following steps: dividing an annual time interval to obtain a plurality of characteristic time periods; according to corresponding target point positions configured by a control system, compensation parameters used for adjusting the target point positions in the different characteristic time periods are generated, and the compensation parameters are stored in the control system; in the preheating stage of the tower type photo-thermal power station, the compensation parameter of the corresponding target point is read according to the characteristic time period to which the current date belongs; and sending the compensation parameters to a control system of the tower-type photo-thermal power station, adjusting the target point positions of the heat absorption areas through the control system, and sending the target point positions to corresponding heliostat controllers so as to carry out attitude adjustment compensation on the heliostats. According to the technical scheme, the preheating efficiency can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of solar thermal utilization technology, specifically to an error compensation method for a heat absorber screen in a tower solar thermal power plant and an automatic operation system for a tower solar thermal power plant. Background Technology

[0002] Tower solar thermal power plants use large-scale heliostat fields to reflect and focus sunlight onto the heat-absorbing screen at the top of the collector tower, heating the molten salt working fluid flowing inside, thus achieving the conversion of light, heat, and electricity.

[0003] However, in actual operation, especially during the morning preheating phase, due to the low solar altitude angle, rapid azimuth changes, seasonal solar trajectory shifts, and optical errors of the heliostat itself (such as polarization, astigmatism, and shading), some heat-absorbing areas experience problems such as "a large number of mirrors but no temperature rise" or "too low temperature rise rate".

[0004] Current technologies typically employ manual adjustments for the adjustment and scheduling of heliostats, which is not only inefficient but also time-consuming, often adding extra maintenance costs. Furthermore, the preheating adjustment of the absorber screens in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants is highly time- and seasonal, greatly affected by the solar altitude angle; therefore, manual adjustments can also impact the subsequent operation of the CSP plant.

[0005] Therefore, a technical solution is needed to improve the safe and efficient operation of the heat absorption screen preheating process. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application aims to provide an error compensation method, a computer program product, and an automatic operation system for tower solar thermal power plants for absorbing heat shields, which can improve the safe and efficient operation of the absorbing heat shield preheating process.

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, an error compensation method for a heat-absorbing screen in a tower-type solar thermal power plant is provided, applied to the control system of the tower-type solar thermal power plant, wherein the tower-type solar thermal power plant includes multiple heat-absorbing screens, each heat-absorbing screen including multiple heat-absorbing zones, and the method includes: The entire year is divided into time intervals, resulting in multiple characteristic time periods; Based on the corresponding target point positions configured in the control system, compensation parameters are generated for adjusting the positions of each target point in different characteristic time periods, and the compensation parameters are stored in the control system. During the preheating phase of the tower solar thermal power plant, the compensation parameters of the corresponding target point are read according to the characteristic time period to which the current date belongs; The compensation parameters are sent to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant. The control system adjusts the target point position of each of the heat absorption zones and sends it to the corresponding heliostat controller to perform attitude adjustment compensation for the heliostat.

[0008] According to some embodiments, the compensation parameters include the target point x-coordinate offset value and / or the target point y-coordinate offset value.

[0009] According to some embodiments, before generating compensation parameters for adjusting the position of each target point at different said characteristic time periods, the method further includes: Perform no more than N feedback iterations, and proportionally adjust the compensation parameters, where N is an integer less than 4.

[0010] According to some embodiments, before generating compensation parameters for adjusting the position of each target point at different said characteristic time periods, the method further includes: The compensation parameters are corrected according to an empirical formula, which is as follows:

[0011] Among them, C x C represents the x-coordinate offset of the target point. y θ represents the ordinate offset of the target point, k1 and k2 are coefficients pre-calibrated using the least squares method. A The azimuth angle of the heliostat is calculated in the range of 0-360°, θ E The pre-calculated heliostat elevation angle ranges from 70 to 90°.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the method further includes: A camera positioned below the heat-absorbing screen on the heat-collecting tower captures real-time images of the heliostat light source reflection. Anomaly detection is performed through image analysis to correct the target point position in the heat-absorbing zone; and / or By detecting the temperature and / or temperature rise rate of the heat absorption zone, abnormal data in the temperature and / or temperature rise rate data are identified, and the target point position of the heat absorption zone is corrected.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the error compensation method described in any of the preceding claims is applied to automatically update the compensation parameters for the target point positions and corresponding heliostats of each of the abnormal heat-absorbing zones; and / or

[0014] The target point locations of each of the heat-absorbing zones where anomalies occur, along with the corresponding compensation parameters of the heliostat, are set manually.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the error compensation method includes: If the temperature of a certain heat-absorbing zone is higher than the maximum allowable temperature and / or the temperature rise rate is greater than the maximum allowable temperature rise rate, the target point position of the heat-absorbing zone is adjusted by the generated compensation parameters to avoid reducing the service life of the heat-absorbing screen due to excessively rapid temperature rise.

[0016] According to another aspect of this application, a computer program product is provided for the automatic operation of a tower solar thermal power plant, comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the error compensation method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0017] According to another aspect of this application, an automatic operation system for a tower solar thermal power plant is provided for the automatic operation of the preheating stage of the tower solar thermal power plant. The automatic operation system includes: a correction and compensation module, a detection and monitoring module, and a control module, wherein... The correction and compensation module is used to divide the year-round time interval to obtain multiple characteristic time periods. Based on the corresponding target point positions configured in the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, it generates compensation parameters for adjusting the positions of each target point in different characteristic time periods and stores the compensation parameters in the control system. The detection and monitoring module is used to detect and monitor the operating status, and then update the compensation parameters in the correction and compensation module according to the current detected and monitored operating status. The control module is used to acquire compensation parameters from the correction and compensation module, send the compensation parameters to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, adjust the target point position of each of the heat absorption zones through the control system and send it to the corresponding heliostat controller to perform attitude adjustment compensation for the heliostat.

[0018] According to some embodiments, the control module is configured as follows: When the solar altitude angle is greater than the first threshold and the DNI is greater than the second threshold, the automatic operation system is activated to preheat the heat absorption screen. When the temperature of the heat-absorbing screen exceeds the third threshold, a preheating completion signal is sent to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant.

[0019] According to another aspect of this application, a computing device is provided, comprising: Processor; and A memory storing a computer program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method described in any of the preceding methods.

[0020] According to another aspect of this application, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0021] According to embodiments of this application, by dividing the entire year into multiple characteristic time periods (e.g., by month) and configuring differentiated compensation parameters for different time periods, the system effectively adapts to the seasonal variations in solar altitude and azimuth angles. This solves the problem of insufficient heating in the heat-absorbing area caused by the heliostat's horizontal placement and light spot divergence due to the southeastward rise of the sun in autumn, significantly improving heating efficiency and temperature uniformity during the preheating stage. By combining historical operating data (temperature, temperature rise rate) with the preset target point of the control system to generate compensation parameters, and introducing empirical formulas based on the heliostat's azimuth and elevation angles for prior correction, optical nonlinear deviations are considered in the initial stage of compensation, reducing reliance on later feedback and improving initial focusing accuracy. This is particularly suitable for precise temperature control under low solar altitude angle conditions. Combined with a feedback iteration mechanism, the compensation parameters are dynamically corrected proportionally, achieving closed-loop correction of the deviation between the actual light spot position and the target position. This enables the system to have self-learning and adaptive capabilities, further improving the heliostat's target accuracy and the stability of the heat-absorbing screen's temperature control.

[0022] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0024] Figure 1 The image shows a target shooting diagram of a certain heliostat in the prior art at 09:38.

[0025] Figure 2 The image shows a target shooting diagram of the same heliostat at 14:45 in the prior art.

[0026] Figure 3 The flowchart illustrates an error compensation method for a heat absorber screen in a tower solar thermal power plant according to an example embodiment.

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an automated operation system for a tower solar thermal power plant is shown according to an example embodiment.

[0028] Figure 5 A block diagram of a computing device according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0030] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this application can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application.

[0031] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0032] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative and do not necessarily include all content and operations / steps, nor do they necessarily have to be performed in the described order. For example, some operations / steps can be broken down, while others can be combined or partially combined; therefore, the actual execution order may change depending on the specific circumstances.

[0033] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, the first component discussed below may be referred to as the second component without departing from the teachings of this application. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes all combinations of any one and more of the associated listed items.

[0034] The user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties. Furthermore, the collection, use and processing of the relevant data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions, and corresponding operation entry points are provided for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0035] Those skilled in the art will understand that the accompanying drawings are merely schematic diagrams of exemplary embodiments, and the modules or processes in the drawings are not necessarily essential for implementing this application, and therefore cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] Tower solar thermal power plants use large-scale heliostat fields to reflect and focus sunlight onto the heat-absorbing screen at the top of the collector tower, heating the molten salt working fluid flowing inside, thus achieving the conversion of light, heat, and electricity.

[0037] However, in actual operation, especially during the morning preheating phase, due to the low solar altitude angle, rapid azimuth changes, seasonal solar trajectory shifts, and optical errors of the heliostat itself (such as polarization, astigmatism, and shading), some heat-absorbing areas experience problems such as "a large number of mirrors but no temperature rise" or "an excessively low rate of temperature rise." For example, see... Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The image in, where, Figure 1 This is an image of a target being fired from a heliostat at 09:38. Figure 2 The image shows the same heliostat firing at a target at 14:45. As can be seen, some heliostats exhibit significant polarization in the morning, while the polarization decreases or disappears in the afternoon. This can cause these heliostats to be unable to accurately hit the target during the warm-up phase, preventing the temperature of the corresponding heat-absorbing zone from rising.

[0038] Current technologies typically employ manual adjustments for the adjustment and scheduling of heliostats, which is not only inefficient but also time-consuming, often adding extra maintenance costs. Furthermore, the preheating adjustment of the absorber screens in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants is highly time- and seasonal, greatly affected by the solar altitude angle; therefore, manual adjustments can also impact the subsequent operation of the CSP plant.

[0039] To address this, this application proposes an error compensation method, a computer program product, and an automatic operation system for tower-type solar thermal power plants' absorber screens. This system combines time characteristics, real-time temperature feedback, and empirical models to create a dynamic error compensation method that improves temperature uniformity across the absorber screen, extends equipment lifespan, and ensures safe and efficient operation during the preheating process. According to the embodiments, by dividing the year into multiple characteristic time periods (e.g., by month) and configuring differentiated compensation parameters for different time periods, the system effectively adapts to the seasonal variations in solar altitude and azimuth angles. This solves the problem of insufficient temperature rise in the absorber area caused by the heliostat's horizontal placement and diffused light spot due to the southeastward rise of the sun in autumn, significantly improving heating efficiency and temperature uniformity during the preheating stage. By combining historical operating data (temperature, temperature rise rate) with preset target points in the control system to generate compensation parameters, and introducing empirical formulas based on the heliostat's azimuth and elevation angles for prior correction, optical nonlinear deviations are considered in the initial compensation stage, reducing reliance on later feedback and improving initial focusing accuracy. This is particularly suitable for precise temperature control under low solar altitude angle conditions. With the feedback iteration mechanism, the compensation parameters are dynamically corrected proportionally, realizing closed-loop correction of the deviation between the actual spot position and the target position. This enables the system to have self-learning and self-adaptive capabilities, further improving the heliostat's target accuracy and the temperature control stability of the heat absorber.

[0040] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0041] Figure 3 The flowchart illustrates an error compensation method for a heat absorber screen in a tower solar thermal power plant according to an example embodiment.

[0042] See Figure 3 The figure illustrates an error compensation method for absorber screens in a tower-type solar thermal power plant. This method is applied to the control system of the tower-type solar thermal power plant, which includes multiple absorber screens, each comprising multiple absorber zones. Generally, each absorber screen is divided into 4-9 absorber zones to achieve zoned temperature control and directional light concentration.

[0043] In S101, the entire year's time interval is divided to obtain multiple characteristic time periods.

[0044] According to some embodiments, the entire year's time interval is divided into multiple characteristic time periods. Specifically, the entire year's time interval can be divided into at least 12 characteristic time periods based on geographical location and the characteristics of each season, for example, by month. This division method can effectively reflect the impact of solar altitude angle, azimuth angle, and atmospheric attenuation on the focusing effect of the heliostat under different seasons, providing a time reference for subsequent differential compensation.

[0045] In S103, compensation parameters for adjusting the position of each target point in different characteristic time periods are generated according to the corresponding target point positions configured in the control system, and the compensation parameters are stored in the control system.

[0046] According to some embodiments, based on the pre-configured original target point positions of each heat-absorbing zone in the control system (i.e., the theoretical center coordinates of the heliostat's target), and combined with historical or measured operational data of each heat-absorbing zone within each characteristic time period—including infrared thermometry results, temperature rise rate, and other key indicators—compensation parameters are generated to adjust the target point positions. These compensation parameters include the target point's horizontal coordinate offset (eastward) and / or vertical coordinate offset (elevation direction), used to correct for spot deviations caused by seasonal solar trajectory shifts, heliostat attitude limitations, or optical errors. The generated compensation parameters are stored in the control system's database according to the "time period - heat-absorbing zone - preheating" dimension for subsequent retrieval.

[0047] In S105, during the preheating stage of the tower solar thermal power plant, the compensation parameters of the corresponding target point are read according to the characteristic time period to which the current date belongs.

[0048] According to some embodiments, when a tower solar thermal power plant enters a specific operating stage such as preheating, the system automatically obtains the current date and determines the characteristic time period to which it belongs, and then reads the compensation parameters of each heat absorption zone corresponding to that time period from the database.

[0049] In S107, the compensation parameters are sent to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant. The control system adjusts the target point position of each of the heat absorption zones and sends it to the corresponding heliostat controller to perform attitude adjustment compensation for the heliostat.

[0050] According to some embodiments, the system sends the read compensation parameters to the central control system of the tower solar thermal power plant. Based on this, the control system dynamically corrects the target point coordinates of each heat-absorbing zone and sends the updated target position command to the controllers of the relevant heliostats. The heliostat controllers calculate the azimuth and elevation angles based on the new target points and drive the mirrors to adjust their attitude, thereby achieving precise compensation for the position of the light spot and ensuring that heat is effectively concentrated in the desired heating area.

[0051] According to some embodiments, before generating compensation parameters for adjusting the position of each target point at different characteristic time periods, no more than N feedback iterations are performed to proportionally correct the compensation parameters, where N is an integer less than 4. Specifically, the process includes the following steps: Perform no more than N feedback iterations (N is an integer less than 4, such as 1, 2, or 3 times) to proportionally adjust the compensation parameters. This step aims to progressively optimize the compensation parameters based on data collected during actual operation, such as the actual spot position determined by infrared differential images, so that the spot can hit the predetermined target point more accurately.

[0052] In each iteration, the corrected compensation parameters are calculated using the following formula:

[0053] Among them, C k+1 C represents the preheating compensation parameters for the target point after the (k+1)th iteration correction; k γ is the preheating compensation parameter for the target point before the k-th iteration; γ is the proportional coefficient used to adjust the correction magnitude of the compensation parameter in each iteration; p Indicates the position of the target light spot; P obs,k This represents the actual observed position of the light spot during the k-th iteration.

[0054] The aforementioned feedback iteration can, to some extent, compensate for system errors caused by environmental changes, equipment aging, and other factors, thereby ensuring that the heliostat can more accurately focus sunlight onto the designated target area, improving the overall efficiency and stability of the tower solar thermal power plant. This process not only enhances the system's adaptability but also improves operational flexibility and reliability.

[0055] According to some embodiments, before generating compensation parameters for adjusting the position of each target point at different characteristic time periods, the compensation parameters can be corrected according to an empirical formula, which is as follows:

[0056] Among them, C x C represents the x-coordinate offset of the target point. y θ represents the ordinate offset of the target point, k1 and k2 are coefficients pre-calibrated using the least squares method. A The azimuth angle of the heliostat is calculated in the range of 0-360°, θ E The pre-calculated heliostat elevation angle ranges from 70 to 90°.

[0057] According to some embodiments, the method further includes acquiring real-time images of the heliostat light source reflection by a camera positioned below the heat absorber screen on the solar collector tower, performing image analysis for anomaly detection, and correcting the target point position of the heat absorber zone; and / or identifying abnormal data in the temperature and / or temperature rise rate data by detecting the temperature and / or temperature rise rate of the heat absorber zone, and correcting the target point position of the heat absorber zone. Specifically, during the operation of the tower solar thermal power plant, to achieve real-time monitoring of the heat absorber screen status and rapid anomaly location, this invention installs a dedicated camera (e.g., a high-resolution visible light camera or an infrared thermal imager) on the solar collector tower below the heat absorber screen. This camera can continuously acquire images of the heliostat light source reflection. The acquired images are analyzed in real time using image processing algorithms, including but not limited to image preprocessing such as noise reduction, contrast enhancement, and background subtraction to highlight the light spot areas. Edge detection, threshold segmentation, or deep learning models are used to identify the light spot contours within each absorber zone, and their geometric center position, brightness distribution, area size, and temperature gradient (for infrared images) are calculated. Then, by comparing the area of ​​the reflected brightness region in the reflected image, significant deviations are determined. Simultaneously, combined with historical data, the system assesses whether the heliostats at the corresponding locations exhibit abnormal divergence, large or small light spots (heliostats outside the 10th ring have smaller and more concentrated light spots when not facing the sun), thus determining if an operational anomaly exists in that area. Furthermore, through a mapping database between heliostats and absorber zones, the specific heliostat number and its control parameters causing the anomaly can be traced back and precisely located. This not only identifies "which absorber zone has a problem" but also clarifies "which heliostats may have experienced polarization, obstruction, correction failure, or communication interruption," providing accurate data for subsequent automatic compensation or manual intervention. On the other hand, temperature and / or temperature rise rate data for each heat-absorbing zone can be acquired in real time through a temperature monitoring system (e.g., from infrared temperature arrays or embedded sensors), and analyzed based on preset thresholds or historical trend models. If the temperature of a heat-absorbing zone is significantly lower than expected, fails to rise, rises suddenly beyond safety limits, or has an abnormally high / low temperature rise rate, the system will determine that there is an operational anomaly in that area. By further combining the heliostat scheduling records associated with that heat-absorbing zone, the relevant heliostats causing the temperature anomaly can be traced back and located. This mechanism significantly improves the fault detection capability and response speed of tower solar thermal power plants in critical stages such as preheating, effectively avoiding equipment damage caused by insufficient local heating or overheating, and ensuring the safe and stable operation of the system.

[0058] According to some embodiments, the error compensation method described above can also be applied to automatically update the compensation parameters of the target point positions and corresponding heliostats of the various heat-absorbing areas that have experienced anomalies; and / or the compensation parameters of the target point positions and corresponding heliostats of the various heat-absorbing areas that have experienced anomalies can be manually set. Specifically, when image analysis detects anomalies in certain heat-absorbing areas of the heat-absorbing screen (such as spot deviation, low temperature, insufficient heating rate, or local overheating), the system can adopt one or a combination of the following two methods to update the compensation parameters of the relevant target point positions and heliostats: On the one hand, the system can automatically apply the aforementioned error compensation method to perform dynamic correction on the heat-absorbing areas that have experienced anomalies. The control system will retrieve the initial compensation parameters corresponding to the area based on the characteristic time period of the current date, and combine the real-time collected temperature data, spot position deviation, and heliostat attitude information to initiate a feedback iteration mechanism (no more than 3 times) to calculate a new horizontal coordinate offset value C proportionally. x and / or the vertical axis offset value C y The updated compensation parameters are then automatically sent to the relevant heliostat controller, which adjusts the azimuth and elevation angles to refocus the light spot on the effective heating area, thus achieving closed-loop adaptive compensation.

[0059] On the other hand, it also supports manual intervention by operators through a human-machine interface. Operators can manually input the offsets in the east (X), north (Y), and elevation (Z) directions, or directly specify the coordinates of a new target point to manually set compensation parameters. Manually set compensation parameters will take precedence over automatically calculated values ​​and can be used temporarily or saved as new benchmark parameters for the current time period for reference in subsequent similar operating conditions. This ensures the system's autonomous operation capability under unattended or normal operating conditions while retaining the flexibility of human intervention in complex anomalies, debugging phases, or emergencies, thus achieving an organic unity between intelligence and operational safety.

[0060] According to some embodiments, the error compensation method further includes adjusting the target point position of the heat-absorbing zone by generating the compensation parameters if the temperature of a certain heat-absorbing zone is higher than the maximum allowable temperature and / or the temperature rise rate is greater than the maximum allowable temperature rise rate, thereby avoiding a reduction in the service life of the heat-absorbing screen due to excessively rapid temperature rise. Specifically, the system continuously monitors the real-time temperature and temperature rise rate of each heat-absorbing zone during operation and compares them with preset safety thresholds. When it is detected that the temperature of a certain heat-absorbing zone is higher than the maximum allowable temperature and / or its temperature rise rate is greater than the maximum allowable temperature rise rate, the system will immediately trigger a protective compensation action to avoid molten salt decomposition or heat-absorbing tube material exceeding limits and sudden increase in thermal stress leading to metal fatigue or coating peeling. The target point position of the heat-absorbing zone is actively adjusted by calling or dynamically generating corresponding compensation parameters. Optional typical adjustment strategies include: lateral offset of the target point: offsetting the target point east, west, or north-south by several meters, causing part of the heliostat's spot to move out of the heat-absorbing zone, reducing the local heat flux density; reducing the target height (reducing C y The system guides the heliostats to tilt slightly downwards, causing the light spot to fall on the lower, cooler area of ​​the heat absorber, thus redistributing heat. Temporary mirror withdrawal involves instructing some heliostats to switch to standby mode, reducing incident energy, based on compensation parameters. These adjustments are based on a stored library of compensation parameters for specific time periods and can be overlaid with real-time feedback corrections to ensure that overall heat absorption efficiency is maintained as much as possible while suppressing overheating. After adjustment, the system continues to monitor temperature changes in the area. If the temperature returns to normal, the original target point is gradually restored; if it still exceeds the limit, the offset is further increased or the mirror withdrawal range is expanded.

[0061] Through this mechanism, the present invention can effectively prevent damage to the heat absorption screen caused by local overheating or excessively rapid temperature rise during high-risk stages such as preheating, significantly extend the service life of the equipment, and improve the safety and reliability of power plant operation.

[0062] According to some embodiments, the technical solution of the present invention can also be applied to the development of computer program products for the automatic operation of tower solar thermal power plants. These computer program products include a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the error compensation method described in any of the preceding claims. The computer program products can be deployed in the form of software modules, embedded system firmware, cloud service applications, or industrial control scripts, supporting seamless integration with existing DCS (Distributed Control System), SCADA systems, or heliostat control platforms. Through standardized interfaces (such as OPC UA, Modbus TCP, etc.), data interaction with heliostat actuators, infrared cameras, weather stations, and molten salt circulation systems is achieved.

[0063] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an automated operation system for a tower solar thermal power plant is shown according to an example embodiment.

[0064] See Figure 4 The present invention also provides an automatic operation system for a tower solar thermal power plant, for the automatic operation of the tower solar thermal power plant in the preheating stage. The automatic operation system includes: a correction and compensation module, a detection and monitoring module, and a control module. The modules work together to form a complete control link of "perception-decision-execution".

[0065] According to some embodiments, the correction and compensation module is used to divide the entire year into multiple characteristic time periods. Based on the corresponding target point positions configured in the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, it generates compensation parameters for adjusting the positions of each target point in different characteristic time periods and stores these compensation parameters in the control system. The correction and compensation module is responsible for the generation and management of error compensation parameters. First, the entire year is divided into multiple characteristic time periods (e.g., by month). Combining the preset target point positions in the control system, historical temperature data and temperature rise rates of each heat-absorbing zone in different time periods, initial compensation parameters applicable to each time period and each heat-absorbing zone are calculated. In addition, this module also supports the introduction of empirical formulas for prior correction of the compensation parameters and can perform no more than three feedback iterations for optimization. All generated compensation parameters are stored in the system database for subsequent use.

[0066] According to some embodiments, the detection and monitoring module is used to detect and monitor the operating status, thereby updating the compensation parameters in the correction and compensation module based on the currently detected and monitored operating status. The detection and monitoring module undertakes the tasks of real-time perception and anomaly identification of the operating status. It continuously acquires images of the heliostat's reflected light spots using cameras (such as infrared thermal imagers or high-definition visible light cameras) installed on the heat collection tower and below the heat absorption screen, and uses image analysis algorithms to identify the location, shape, and brightness distribution of the light spots, thereby locating the abnormal heat absorption area and its associated heliostat. Simultaneously, it compares in real-time whether the temperature and temperature rise rate of each heat absorption area exceed a set threshold. Once an anomaly or exceeding the limit is detected, the detection and monitoring module immediately sends an update request to the correction and compensation module, triggering dynamic adjustment of the compensation parameters, realizing a shift from "passive response" to "active intervention."

[0067] According to some embodiments, the control module is used to acquire compensation parameters from the correction and compensation module, send the compensation parameters to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, and adjust the target point positions of each of the heat-absorbing zones through the control system and send them to the corresponding heliostat controllers to perform attitude adjustment compensation for the heliostats. The control module, as the execution center, is responsible for converting the optimized compensation parameters into actual control commands. This module reads the currently applicable compensation parameters from the correction and compensation module and automatically superimposes them onto the original target point coordinates during the preheating stage to generate new target positions. Subsequently, the control module sends the updated target point information to the central control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, which further distributes it to the local controllers of the relevant heliostats. The heliostat controllers calculate the azimuth and elevation angles accordingly and drive the mirrors to complete attitude adjustment, ensuring that the solar spot is accurately focused on the required heating area, thus achieving fine-grained control of the temperature field of the heat-absorbing screen.

[0068] According to some embodiments, the automatic operation system provided by the present invention achieves fully autonomous operation capability of tower solar thermal power plants under critical unsteady conditions through the close cooperation of three major modules. It not only effectively solves the temperature control problem caused by seasonal changes, optical errors or thermal stress, but also significantly reduces the frequency of manual intervention and improves the overall reliability and intelligence level of the power plant.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the control module is configured to: activate the automatic operation system to preheat the absorber screen when the solar altitude angle is greater than a first threshold and the DNI (Direct Normal Irradiance) is greater than a second threshold; and send a preheating completion signal to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant when the temperature of the absorber screen is greater than a third threshold. Specifically, the control module receives solar altitude angle data from a meteorological station or a solar position algorithm, as well as DNI (Direct Normal Irradiance) data from a radiation sensor in real time. When the solar altitude angle is greater than the first threshold (e.g., 12°–15°) and the DNI is greater than the second threshold (e.g., 400 W / m²–500 W / m²), the control module automatically activates the automatic operation system, enters the absorber screen preheating stage, and begins to perform operations such as target point compensation, heliostat scheduling, and temperature monitoring, thereby avoiding limited heliostat adjustment or severe light path obstruction at low angles in the early morning, and ensuring sufficient direct solar energy for effective heating.

[0070] During the preheating process, the control module continuously collects temperature data from each heat-absorbing zone. When the overall temperature of the heat-absorbing screen reaches a stable level and meets operational requirements, a preheating completion check is triggered. Specifically, at least 80% of the heat-absorbing zones in the heat-absorbing screen must have a temperature greater than the third threshold (e.g., 500℃ or a specific temperature set according to the requirements for molten salt loading onto the tower), and the temperature rise trend must be stable, with no localized overheating or stagnation. Once these conditions are met, the control module immediately sends a "preheating complete signal" to the main control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, and can simultaneously output voice prompts or operation interface notifications (such as "Full tank allowed" or "Switch to power generation mode"), indicating the successful completion of the preheating phase and the system can then transition to normal heat collection or storage operation.

[0071] Through the aforementioned threshold linkage mechanism, the control module effectively avoids blindly starting the preheating process under unfavorable conditions such as insufficient sunlight or low solar angle, which not only ensures equipment safety but also improves energy utilization efficiency, providing reliable support for the intelligent and unmanned operation of tower solar thermal power plants.

[0072] According to some embodiments, the technical solution of the present invention effectively adapts to the seasonal changes in solar altitude angle and azimuth angle by dividing the year into multiple characteristic time periods (such as by month) and configuring differentiated compensation parameters for different time periods. This solves the problem of insufficient heating in the heat absorption area caused by the horizontal placement of the heliostat and the dispersion of light spots due to the southeastward rise of the sun in autumn, and significantly improves the heating efficiency and temperature uniformity in the preheating stage.

[0073] According to some embodiments, the technical solution of the present invention generates compensation parameters by combining historical operating data (temperature, rate of temperature rise) with the preset target point of the control system, and introduces empirical formulas based on the heliostat's azimuth and elevation angles for prior correction. Optical nonlinear deviation is considered in the initial stage of compensation, reducing reliance on later feedback and improving initial focusing accuracy, making it particularly suitable for precise temperature control under low solar altitude angle conditions. Combined with a feedback iteration mechanism, the compensation parameters are dynamically corrected proportionally, achieving closed-loop correction of the deviation between the actual spot position and the target position. This enables the system to have self-learning and adaptive capabilities, further improving the heliostat's target accuracy and the stability of the heat absorber's temperature control.

[0074] According to some embodiments, the technical solution of the present invention, by setting a camera below the heat-absorbing screen of the heat-collecting tower and performing real-time image analysis, realizes online monitoring of the shape, position, and brightness of the light spot. This enables rapid identification of anomalies such as light spot deviation, defocusing, or missing spots, and precise location of specific heat-absorbing areas and associated heliostats, providing an intuitive and reliable basis for fault diagnosis and rapid response. Combined with synchronous monitoring of the temperature and / or temperature rise rate of each heat-absorbing area, it identifies abnormal data such as overheating, excessively slow temperature rise, or sudden rate changes, assisting in judging the operating status from the perspective of thermal response results. This, together with image analysis, forms an "optical + thermal" dual-source fusion anomaly detection mechanism, significantly improving the accuracy and robustness of anomaly identification.

[0075] According to some embodiments, the technical solution of the present invention, by supporting an "and / or" intervention mode that combines automatic compensation parameter updates with manual settings, not only ensures the system's fully automatic operation capability under normal working conditions, but also retains the operator's flexible handling authority in debugging, emergency or complex scenarios, thus taking into account both the level of intelligence and operational safety.

[0076] According to some embodiments, the technical solution of the present invention sets a dual start threshold of solar altitude angle and DNI, and uses the overall temperature of the heat absorption screen to meet the preheating standard as the criterion for preheating completion. This ensures that the system starts the preheating process only when there is sufficient light and effective heat energy, and automatically transfers control after the process requirements are met, thereby avoiding invalid operation and misoperation, and improving energy utilization efficiency and operational safety.

[0077] Figure 5 A block diagram of a computing device according to an example embodiment of this application is shown.

[0078] like Figure 5 As shown, the computing device 30 includes a processor 12 and a memory 14. The computing device 30 may also include a bus 22, a network interface 16, and an I / O interface 18. The processor 12, memory 14, network interface 16, and I / O interface 18 can communicate with each other via the bus 22.

[0079] Processor 12 may include one or more general-purpose CPUs (Central Processing Units), microprocessors, or application-specific integrated circuits, for executing relevant program instructions. According to some embodiments, computing device 30 may also include a high-performance display adapter (GPU) 20 for accelerating processor 12.

[0080] Memory 14 may include a machine-readable medium in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or cache memory. Memory 14 is used to store one or more programs containing instructions, as well as data. Processor 12 may read the instructions stored in memory 14 to perform the methods described above according to embodiments of this application.

[0081] The computing device 30 can also communicate with one or more networks via the network interface 16. The network interface 16 can be a wireless network interface.

[0082] Bus 22 can include address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. Bus 22 provides a path for exchanging information between components.

[0083] It should be noted that, in specific implementations, the computing device 30 may also include other components necessary for normal operation. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the device described above may only include the components necessary for implementing the embodiments of this specification, and not necessarily all the components shown in the figures.

[0084] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the above-described method. The computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, any type of disk, including floppy disks, optical disks, DVDs, CD-ROMs, microdrives, as well as magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, DRAMs, VRAMs, flash memory devices, magnetic cards or optical cards, nanosystems (including molecular memory ICs), network storage devices, cloud storage devices, or any type of medium or device suitable for storing instructions and / or data.

[0085] This application also provides a computer program product including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program operable to cause a computer to perform some or all of the steps of any of the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0086] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that the technical solutions of this application can be implemented using software and / or hardware. In this specification, "unit" and "module" refer to software and / or hardware capable of independently performing or cooperating with other components to perform a specific function, where the hardware may be, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), integrated circuit, etc.

[0087] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously according to this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0088] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0089] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some service interface; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical or other forms.

[0090] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0091] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0092] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage device. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a memory and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application.

[0093] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0094] The exemplary embodiments of this application have been specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the detailed structures, arrangements, or implementation methods described herein; rather, this application is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements contained within the spirit and scope of the appended provisions.

Claims

1. An error compensation method for a heat-absorbing screen in a tower-type solar thermal power plant, applied to the control system of the tower-type solar thermal power plant, wherein the tower-type solar thermal power plant includes multiple heat-absorbing screens, and each heat-absorbing screen includes multiple heat-absorbing zones, characterized in that... The method includes: The entire year is divided into time intervals, resulting in multiple characteristic time periods; Based on the corresponding target point locations configured in the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, compensation parameters are generated for adjusting the locations of each target point in different characteristic time periods, and the compensation parameters are stored in the control system. During the preheating phase of the tower solar thermal power plant, the compensation parameters of the corresponding target point are read according to the characteristic time period to which the current date belongs; The compensation parameters are sent to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant. The control system adjusts the target point position of each of the heat absorption zones and sends it to the corresponding heliostat controller to perform attitude adjustment compensation for the heliostat.

2. The error compensation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The compensation parameters include the target point's horizontal coordinate offset value and / or the target point's vertical coordinate offset value.

3. The error compensation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before generating compensation parameters for adjusting the position of each target point at different characteristic time periods, the method further includes: Perform no more than N feedback iterations, and proportionally adjust the compensation parameters, where N is an integer less than 4.

4. The error compensation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before generating compensation parameters for adjusting the position of each target point at different characteristic time periods, the method further includes: The compensation parameters are corrected according to an empirical formula, which is as follows: Among them, C x C represents the x-coordinate offset of the target point. y θ represents the ordinate offset of the target point, k1 and k2 are coefficients pre-calibrated using the least squares method. A The azimuth angle of the heliostat is calculated in the range of 0-360°, θ E The pre-calculated heliostat elevation angle ranges from 70 to 90°.

5. The error compensation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: A camera positioned below the heat-absorbing screen on the heat-collecting tower captures real-time images of the heliostat light source reflection. Anomaly detection is performed through image analysis to correct the target point position in the heat-absorbing zone; and / or By detecting the temperature and / or temperature rise rate of the heat absorption zone, abnormal data in the temperature and / or temperature rise rate data are identified, and the target point position of the heat absorption zone is corrected.

6. The error compensation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each heat-absorbing screen is divided into an average of 4-9 zones.

7. The error compensation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The entire year is divided into time intervals, resulting in several characteristic time periods, including: The year is divided into 12 time periods based on the months.

8. A computer program product for the automated operation of a tower solar thermal power plant, characterized in that, It includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the error compensation method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. An automated operation system for a tower-type solar thermal power plant, characterized in that, The automatic operation system for the preheating stage of the tower solar thermal power plant includes: a correction and compensation module, a detection and monitoring module, and a control module. The correction and compensation module is used to divide the year-round time interval to obtain multiple characteristic time periods. Based on the corresponding target point positions configured in the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, it generates compensation parameters for adjusting the positions of each target point in different characteristic time periods and stores the compensation parameters in the control system. The detection and monitoring module is used to detect and monitor the operating status, and then update the compensation parameters in the correction and compensation module according to the current detected and monitored operating status. The control module is used to acquire compensation parameters from the correction and compensation module, send the compensation parameters to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant, adjust the target point position of each of the heat absorption zones through the control system and send it to the corresponding heliostat controller to perform attitude adjustment compensation for the heliostat.

10. The automated operation system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control module is configured as follows: When the solar altitude angle is greater than the first threshold and the DNI is greater than the second threshold, the automatic operation system is activated to preheat the heat absorption screen. When the temperature of the heat-absorbing screen exceeds the third threshold, a preheating completion signal is sent to the control system of the tower solar thermal power plant.

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