Heliostat wireless control system and method based on multiple frequency bands

Abstract

The invention discloses a heliostat wireless control system and method based on multiple frequency bands. The system comprises an in-situ layer, a convergence layer and an application layer. The in-place layer is a heliostat in-place control layer and comprises a communication gateway, an in-place controller and corollary equipment of the in-place controller; the in-situ layer is based on a cable-free design, and the communication gateway and the in-situ controller are in communication connection through a wireless network; the convergence layer comprises a control center, a switch and a wireless management platform; the control center manages the communication gateway, distributes frequency bands for the communication gateway, and accesses the mirror field optical fiber ring network through the switch to communicate with the mirror field control system; the application layer comprises a mirror field operator station, an engineer station and a mirror field control and scheduling system, and is used for data collection, display and scheduling of the whole mirror field control system. According to the invention, the cost of the mirror field in the aspects of power distribution equipment, cable purchase and construction is obviously reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of solar thermal utilization technology, and in particular to a multi-band wireless control system and method for heliostats. Background Technology

[0002] In concentrated solar thermal systems, the mirror field communication network acts as the nervous system of the entire control system, enabling the effective transmission of crucial data such as heliostat status information and upper-level control commands between the upper-level control system and the heliostat controller. Its network quality is closely related to the overall system's operational efficiency and safety. Currently, domestic solar thermal projects typically employ wired communication networks such as industrial Ethernet or industrial RS-485 buses to ensure high-speed and reliable data transmission. However, the large-scale engineering application of traditional wired communication networks has the following limitations.

[0003] First, traditional wired communication networking methods and their associated centralized power supply solutions are costly to implement, mainly including initial construction costs (involving land excavation, long-distance laying, and complex wiring) and high material costs (covering a large number of cables and network switches). Second, after the completion of the site's civil engineering and cable laying work, the replacement of locally damaged cables or the adjustment of the network topology will result in high maintenance costs, which is not conducive to the maintenance and optimization of the network structure. In addition, the commissioning of the wired control system can only be carried out after the completion of the entire site construction work, thus extending the construction period of the entire power station.

[0004] To address the aforementioned limitations, the field of photothermal energy is gradually exploring the potential application of wireless communication networking in mirror field control systems. Wireless communication networking offers advantages such as flexible network configuration and holds promise as a replacement for traditional wired communication networks, providing a less-cable-intensive networking solution for mirror fields.

[0005] However, wireless communication networking still faces the following technical challenges in engineering applications at present: First, wireless communication is susceptible to complex electromagnetic environments, multipath effects, and co-channel interference, leading to signal attenuation or packet loss. In addition, once the communication frequency band is blocked or the equipment fails, it may cause systemic communication interruption, threatening the real-time performance and stability of the mirror field control. Second, wireless networking needs to adopt wireless power distribution schemes simultaneously to maximize its economic advantages of fewer cables. The currently widely used "photovoltaic + battery" distributed power distribution scheme places high demands on the efficiency of photovoltaic panels and the capacity and lifespan of batteries, further increasing the pressure on project investment costs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, this application provides a multi-band wireless control system and method for heliostats.

[0007] This application discloses a multi-band heliostat wireless control system, which includes a local layer, a convergence layer and an application layer; The local layer is the local control layer of the heliostat, including a communication gateway, a local controller and its supporting equipment; the local layer is based on a cableless design, and the communication gateway and the local controller communicate with each other via a wireless network; The aggregation layer includes a control center, switches, and a wireless management platform; the control center manages communication gateways and allocates frequency bands for them, and communicates with the mirror field control system through the switches to access the mirror field fiber optic ring network. The application layer includes a field operator station, an engineer station, and a field control and scheduling system, which is responsible for the data collection, display, and scheduling of the entire field control system.

[0008] Furthermore, the communication gateway has built-in communication management, local controller management, and system management, and is configured with several wireless communication modules for managing several local controllers and completing data transmission with the control center, and for monitoring the status of several local controllers, sending data down and uploading data; The wireless communication modules operate in different frequency bands, namely the main operating frequency band and the backup operating frequency band. When the communication module operating in the main operating frequency band experiences a communication failure, the communication gateway will negotiate with the control center to use the idle backup operating frequency band for data transmission to ensure communication stability. The communication gateway uses a wireless communication module to communicate with the aggregation layer control center, or it directly connects to the aggregation layer ring network and communicates and transmits data with the host computer via an Ethernet interface.

[0009] Furthermore, the local controller and its supporting equipment include a local controller, a driver, an actuator, a photovoltaic module, a battery, and a photovoltaic controller; wherein, the local controller has a built-in solar tracking algorithm and a heliostat control algorithm; the driver is used to distribute and control the actuator; the actuator is used to adjust the attitude of the heliostat mirror as needed; the photovoltaic module, i.e., a solar photovoltaic panel, is used to convert solar energy into DC power; the battery is used to store excess power and provide stable power output, and together with the photovoltaic panel, provides a dual-channel power supply mode for the load; the photovoltaic controller is used to manage and optimize the power distribution of the photovoltaic module, the battery, and the load.

[0010] Furthermore, the local controller is equipped with several wireless communication modules, each responsible for communication verification, main operation, redundancy backup, and maintenance functions. The communication verification function refers to authentication with the communication gateway. The main operation function initiates communication with the communication gateway after the communication verification module completes authentication. The redundancy backup function is activated when the main module malfunctions or the packet loss rate exceeds a preset value. The maintenance function establishes communication connections between designated communication modules and the heliostat debugging software to facilitate convenient debugging and maintenance. The main module and the redundant backup module operate on different frequency bands. When the main module experiences a communication failure, the local controller will negotiate with the communication gateway to use the idle redundant backup operating frequency band for data transmission, ensuring communication stability.

[0011] Furthermore, the local controller is equipped with several wireless communication modules that operate on different wireless frequency bands to avoid co-channel interference. The controller has a built-in encryption chip that supports multiple encryption algorithms. The driver is arranged independently and communicates with the local controller via wired or wireless means, or it is highly integrated with the local controller. The driver has actuator power acquisition and feedback functions.

[0012] Furthermore, the photovoltaic controller has the function of collecting the power generation of the photovoltaic module, and communicates with the driver to obtain the power consumption requirements of the heliostat in real time, and controls the charging and discharging mode of the battery. The photovoltaic controller has a hybrid discharge management function, which can coordinate the joint power supply of photovoltaic panels and batteries to achieve a dual-channel load power supply mode based on photovoltaic panels and batteries, reducing the requirements for photovoltaic panel power and battery capacity. When the output power of photovoltaic panels is greater than the load demand, the controller prioritizes the use of photovoltaic power and stores the excess energy in the battery. When the output power of photovoltaic panels is insufficient, the photovoltaic controller automatically starts the battery to discharge, outputting synchronously with the photovoltaic panels to jointly meet the load demand. When the output of photovoltaic panels is insufficient, the photovoltaic controller switches to a battery-only power supply mode to meet the standby cleaning and restart power requirements of the heliostat. The photovoltaic controller includes a short-range wireless communication module, which facilitates quick connection of maintenance personnel's mobile devices to complete on-site inspection and maintenance.

[0013] Furthermore, the wireless management platform is used to manage the wireless communication frequency bands of local controllers and local gateways, monitor the wireless communication quality of local controllers, local gateways, and control centers in real time, and perform whitelist management of control centers, local gateways, and local controllers. The wireless management platform allocates frequency points for each control center, communication gateway, and local controller with an independent ID; detects relevant data of the communication network and completes wireless communication quality monitoring; communication devices can only communicate after being registered and authorized on the wireless communication platform, realizing whitelist management function; relevant data includes signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, channel occupancy rate, carrier sensing collision count, protocol packet loss rate, and throughput.

[0014] This application also discloses a multi-band-based wireless control method for heliostats, applicable to the aforementioned multi-band-based wireless control method for heliostats, comprising: Step 1: The communication gateway or local controller uploads the heliostat data via the frequency of the main module; Step 2: The wireless management platform monitors the channel status, obtains relevant parameters of the transmission channel, calculates the channel gain based on the channel response frequency and noise power when the local controller uploads data, and compares the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain with a preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold. If the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain is less than the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold, it is considered as packet loss; otherwise, it is considered as no packet loss. Relevant parameters include response frequency, noise power, and transmission power. Step 3: Compare the data packet loss rate with the preset ratio, or use the specific QoS (Quality of Service) requirements of the control system data communication to determine whether the current channel is reliable. If it is unreliable, the wireless management platform will negotiate with the primary and backup communication modules in the communication gateway or local controller to switch to the frequency band of the backup module to complete the data packet transmission in the current time period. That is, the communication gateway or local controller completes the heliostat data upload through the frequency of the backup module. Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all data packets have been transmitted.

[0015] Furthermore, in step 2, the first The data packet is at the main module frequency point. The channel gain during the next transmission is: (1) in, This represents the number of times each data packet is transmitted. For the first The first data packet Channel frequency response during the next transmission For noise power, This represents the operating frequency of the current communication module, and its value is determined based on the actual transmission conditions. Judge the first Whether a data packet is lost is indicated as follows: (2) in, As an indicator variable, A positive result indicates packet loss, while a negative result indicates no packet loss. This represents the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold. If the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain is less than the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold, packet loss will occur. p is the transmission power.

[0016] Furthermore, in step 3, the first The packet loss rate is: (3) Where I represents the total number of data points.

[0017] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, this application has the following advantages: 1. The heliostat control system proposed in this application adopts a three-layer hierarchical wired + wireless hybrid networking method. While maximizing the preservation of the existing topology, it significantly reduces the cost of power distribution equipment, cable procurement and construction for the heliostat field. It is preliminarily estimated that it can reduce the overall cost of communication and power distribution cables, communication and power distribution equipment procurement and related construction costs for the heliostat field by about 30%.

[0018] The adoption of wireless communication solutions on the local side significantly reduces the dependence of the solar thermal power plant equipment on power distribution and communication cables and related nodes, enabling commissioning and installation to be carried out simultaneously. The construction cycle of the entire solar thermal power plant is expected to be shortened by more than 6 months.

[0019] 2. This application proposes a multi-band wireless control method for heliostats. By deploying a multi-band switching algorithm, it solves the problem of communication interruption caused by interference or failure of a single wireless band, thus improving network reliability and security. Simultaneously, it enables on-site maintenance of control equipment through a wireless module, simplifying the maintenance process of heliostat equipment and significantly improving the overall operation and maintenance efficiency and intelligence level of the heliostat field.

[0020] This application proposes a multi-band wireless control method for heliostats, which adds a photovoltaic controller between the photovoltaic module, the battery, and the load, realizing hybrid power supply management of the photovoltaic panel and the battery. Compared with the single-channel power supply method, the dual-channel power supply scheme is expected to reduce the battery capacity requirement by 40% when selecting equipment. With the maturity of battery energy storage technology, it will effectively reduce the cost of battery purchase and replacement. Attached Figure Description

[0021] 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. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the communication network architecture of the low-cable mirror field control system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a self-sustaining power distribution system based on dual-channel power supply, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a multi-band-based wireless control method for heliostats according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present application will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0025] In response to the technical difficulties and challenges of engineering applications of wireless communication networks, this application proposes a heliostat control system and implementation method with minimal cabling. This method can not only retain the existing mature control system topology to the greatest extent and reduce the cost and risk of rebuilding a completely new network, but also reduce early investment and shorten the power plant construction cycle through local deployment with minimal cabling.

[0026] First, unlike control systems using traditional wired networks, the heliostat control system proposed in this application employs a three-layer hierarchical wired + wireless hybrid networking approach. Specifically, the heliostat control system adopts and implements a fully wireless communication design at the local control layer, using a discrete "photovoltaic module + battery" distributed local power distribution scheme, which is expected to significantly reduce the wiring cost of the heliostat field, optimize the initial investment structure, and better adapt to terrain undulations and the expansion needs of the heliostat array. At the aggregation layer and application layer, flexible wired / wireless modes are available, allowing for the deployment of fiber optic ring networks or a network structure combining "wireless + fiber optic ring networks." This provides wireless communication options for the heliostat control system while maximizing the preservation of the existing main communication network topology. Furthermore, a wireless management platform is configured at the aggregation layer to achieve integrated management of frequency band allocation, quality monitoring, and security access (whitelist), improving the efficiency and controllability of large-scale wireless network deployment.

[0027] The heliostat control system proposed in this application adopts a wireless networking communication and distributed power distribution scheme at the local control layer. Each heliostat can be regarded as an independent unit, and commissioning can be carried out immediately after installation. This allows commissioning and installation to be carried out simultaneously, thereby greatly shortening the construction cycle of the entire solar thermal power plant. In addition, the wireless communication module enables the rapid establishment of a connection between the heliostat commissioning and maintenance software and the heliostat controller, greatly simplifying the maintenance process of the heliostat equipment and significantly improving the operation and maintenance efficiency and intelligence level of the entire heliostat field.

[0028] Second, to overcome the problems of susceptibility to interference and poor stability that may exist in wireless communication applications, this application configures multiple wireless communication modules in devices such as local controllers, communication gateways, and control centers to achieve multi-band redundancy isolation. At the same time, a multi-band heliostat control algorithm is deployed in the wireless management platform, enabling the controller to switch to the backup frequency band without disturbance when the main frequency band transmission is abnormal. This helps to improve network reliability, increase the availability of heliostats, and enhance the overall reliability of the system.

[0029] Finally, unlike the conventional "photovoltaic module + battery" power distribution method, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 The heliostat control system proposed in this application adds a photovoltaic controller (inverter) between the photovoltaic modules, the battery, and the load. This controller can precisely manage the charging and discharging process of the battery, realizing dual-channel power supply to the load from both the battery and the photovoltaic panel. This improvement allows for a reduction in the requirements for photovoltaic panel power and battery capacity during system selection, further reducing power distribution costs.

[0030] Specifically, see Figure 1 This application provides an embodiment of a heliostat control system and implementation system with minimal cabling, which includes a local layer, a convergence layer and an application layer; The local layer is the local control layer of the heliostat, including a communication gateway, a local controller and its supporting equipment; the local layer is based on a cableless design, and the communication gateway and the local controller communicate with each other via a wireless network; The aggregation layer includes a control center, switches, and a wireless management platform; the control center manages communication gateways and allocates frequency bands for them, and communicates with the mirror field control system through the switches to access the mirror field fiber optic ring network. The application layer includes a field operator station, an engineer station, and a field control and scheduling system, which is responsible for the data collection, display, and scheduling of the entire field control system.

[0031] Optionally, the communication gateway has built-in communication management, local controller management and system management, and is configured with several wireless communication modules for managing several local controllers and completing data transmission with the control center, and for monitoring the status of several local controllers, sending data and uploading data. The wireless communication modules operate in different frequency bands, namely the main operating frequency band and the backup operating frequency band. When the communication module operating in the main operating frequency band experiences a communication failure, the communication gateway will negotiate with the control center to use the idle backup operating frequency band for data transmission to ensure communication stability. The communication gateway uses a wireless communication module to communicate with the aggregation layer control center, or it directly connects to the aggregation layer ring network and communicates and transmits data with the host computer via an Ethernet interface.

[0032] Optionally, the local controller and its supporting equipment include a local controller, a driver, an actuator, a photovoltaic module, a battery, and a photovoltaic controller; wherein, the local controller has a built-in solar tracking algorithm and a heliostat control algorithm; the driver is used to distribute and control the actuator; the actuator is used to adjust the attitude of the heliostat mirror as needed; the photovoltaic module, i.e., a solar photovoltaic panel, is used to convert solar energy into DC power; the battery is used to store excess power and provide stable power output, and together with the photovoltaic panel, provides a dual-channel power supply mode for the load; the photovoltaic controller is used to manage and optimize the power distribution of the photovoltaic module, the battery, and the load.

[0033] Optionally, the local controller is configured with several wireless communication modules, each responsible for communication verification, main operation, redundancy backup, and maintenance functions. The communication verification function refers to authentication with the communication gateway. The main operation function initiates communication with the communication gateway after the communication verification module completes authentication. The redundancy backup function is activated when the main module malfunctions or the packet loss rate exceeds a preset value. The maintenance function establishes communication connections between designated communication modules and the heliostat debugging software to facilitate debugging and maintenance. The main module and the redundant backup module operate on different frequency bands. When the main module experiences a communication failure, the local controller will negotiate with the communication gateway to use the idle redundant backup operating frequency band for data transmission, ensuring communication stability.

[0034] Optionally, the local controller is equipped with several wireless communication modules that operate in different wireless frequency bands to avoid co-channel interference. The controller has a built-in encryption chip that supports multiple encryption algorithms. The driver is arranged independently and communicates with the local controller via wired or wireless means. Alternatively, it can be highly integrated with the local controller and has actuator power acquisition and feedback functions.

[0035] Optionally, the photovoltaic controller has the function of collecting the power generation of the photovoltaic module, and communicates with the driver to obtain the power consumption requirements of the heliostat in real time, and controls the charging and discharging mode of the battery. The photovoltaic controller has a hybrid discharge management function, which can coordinate the joint power supply of photovoltaic panels and batteries to achieve a dual-channel load power supply mode based on photovoltaic panels and batteries, reducing the requirements for photovoltaic panel power and battery capacity. When the output power of photovoltaic panels is greater than the load demand, the controller prioritizes the use of photovoltaic power and stores the excess energy in the battery. When the output power of photovoltaic panels does not meet the requirements, the photovoltaic controller automatically starts the battery to discharge, outputting synchronously with the photovoltaic panels to jointly meet the load demand. When the output of photovoltaic panels is insufficient due to continuous cloudy days, the photovoltaic controller switches to a battery-only power supply mode to meet the standby cleaning and restart power requirements of the heliostat. The photovoltaic controller includes a short-range wireless communication module, which facilitates quick connection of maintenance personnel's mobile devices to complete on-site inspection and maintenance.

[0036] Optionally, the wireless management platform has the function of managing the wireless communication frequency bands of local controllers and local gateways; the function of real-time monitoring of the wireless communication quality (rate, failure rate, collision rate, etc.) of local controllers, local gateways, and control center; and the function of whitelist management of control center, local gateways, and local controllers. The wireless management platform allocates frequency points for each control center, communication gateway, and local controller with an independent ID; it monitors the signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, channel occupancy, carrier sensing collision count, protocol packet loss rate, and throughput of the communication network in real time using probe technology, thus completing wireless communication quality monitoring; communication devices can only communicate after being registered and authorized on the wireless communication platform, realizing whitelist management function.

[0037] See Figure 3 This application also provides an embodiment of a multi-band heliostat wireless control method, applicable to the multi-band heliostat wireless control method described in the above embodiments, comprising: Step 1: The communication gateway or local controller uploads the heliostat data via the frequency of the main module; Step 2: The wireless management platform monitors the channel status, obtains relevant parameters of the transmission channel, calculates the channel gain based on the channel response frequency and noise power when the local controller uploads data, and compares the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain with a preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold. If the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain is less than the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold, it is considered as packet loss; otherwise, it is considered as no packet loss. Relevant parameters include response frequency, noise power, and transmission power. Step 3: Compare the data packet loss rate with the preset ratio, or use the specific QoS (Quality of Service) requirements of the control system data communication to determine whether the current channel is reliable. If it is unreliable, the wireless management platform will negotiate with the primary and backup communication modules in the communication gateway or local controller to switch to the frequency band of the backup module to complete the data packet transmission in the current time period. That is, the communication gateway or local controller completes the heliostat data upload through the frequency of the backup module. Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all data packets have been transmitted.

[0038] Optionally, if the data packet loss rate is greater than a preset ratio, the current channel is determined to be unreliable.

[0039] Optionally, in step 2, the first The data packet is at the main module frequency point. The channel gain during the next transmission is: (1) in, This represents the number of times each data packet is transmitted. For the first The first data packet Channel frequency response during the next transmission For noise power, This represents the operating frequency of the current communication module, and its value is determined based on the actual transmission conditions. Judge the first Whether a data packet is lost is indicated as follows: (2) in, As an indicator variable, A positive result indicates packet loss, while a negative result indicates no packet loss. This represents the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold. If the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain is less than the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold, packet loss will occur. p is the transmission power.

[0040] Optionally, in step 3, the first The packet loss rate is: (3) Where I represents the total number of data points.

[0041] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this patent, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] Taking an 800,000-square-meter heliostat field as an example: The entire telescope field can be divided into 4 areas, each with M control centers, N communication gateways and 50N local controllers; the entire telescope field has a total of 1 wireless management platform; Furthermore, each heliostat is equipped with a self-sufficient power distribution system capable of supplying power through a dual-channel hybrid power supply of "photovoltaic + battery"; Furthermore, if wireless transmission is used, the control commands issued by the host computer are transmitted to the wireless management platform through a wireless communication protocol; Furthermore, the wireless management platform receives control commands and performs whitelist management for the control center, local gateways, and local controllers. Only devices that are legally registered on the wireless management platform can communicate. It also allocates wireless frequency bands for local controllers and local gateways and sends control commands to the control center. Furthermore, the control center receives control commands and manages the communication of approximately N / M communication gateways under its control via wireless communication, transmitting the control commands to the communication gateways. Specifically, if the wireless communication method supports more than N / M frequency bands, then N / M control centers can simultaneously transmit data using frequency division. If the wireless communication method does not support more than N / M frequency bands, control centers operating on different frequency bands can transmit simultaneously, while control centers operating on the same frequency band need to transmit in a time-sharing manner with modules operating on the same frequency. If a communication failure occurs in the main module, the communication gateway or local controller can negotiate with the upper-level communication equipment to operate on a backup frequency band. Furthermore, the communication gateway receives control commands and manages the communication of approximately 50 local controllers under its control via wireless communication, transmitting the control commands to the local controllers. Specifically, if the wireless communication method supports X (X≤50) frequency bands, then X local controllers can communicate simultaneously, and the remaining local controllers wait for the first round of local controller communication to be completed before proceeding to the next round of communication, until all local controllers have completed polling communication. If a transmission anomaly occurs in the frequency band where the main module is located during communication, the proposed multi-band heliostat control method will be used to switch the main and backup modules.

[0043] Furthermore, the local controller sends signals to the heliostat drive board to complete control commands such as heliostat attitude control.

[0044] The self-sustaining power supply system for a heliostat includes a photovoltaic controller, photovoltaic modules, lead-carbon batteries, a wired / wireless switching device, and a communication module. The communication module features a communication chip and a Bluetooth module, consistent with the local communication method; the Bluetooth module is used for local maintenance. The lead-carbon batteries and photovoltaic modules form a dual-channel power supply mode, which can be simultaneously discharged via the controller to power the heliostat. Taking a high-power heliostat as an example, specific parameters are listed to describe the relationship between photovoltaic panel power, battery capacity, and heliostat power consumption. If the selected photovoltaic panel has an output power of approximately 80W and the selected battery capacity is approximately 2Ah, then the dual-channel self-sustaining power supply system based on the photovoltaic panel and battery can provide the heliostat with no less than 128Wh of power, meeting the heliostat's maximum power consumption and the standby cleaning and restart power requirements during cloudy days. In contrast, a single-channel power supply system requiring a capacity of at least 5.3Ah to provide 128Wh of power to the heliostat based on an energy storage battery would need to do so. Compared to a single-channel power supply method that uses photovoltaic modules for power supply and batteries for energy storage, the dual-channel power supply solution can reduce battery capacity by about 37%. As battery energy storage technology matures, it will effectively reduce battery purchase and replacement costs.

[0045] The above-mentioned network configuration does not require large-capacity transformers and UPS equipment, and can significantly reduce the cost of power cable procurement, trenching and laying, and other construction expenses.

[0046] This application proposes a low-cable-weighted networking architecture for a heliostat control system, comprising a local layer, a convergence layer, and an application layer. The local layer includes key control equipment such as local heliostat controllers and local gateways; the convergence layer includes key control equipment such as a control center, switches, and a wireless management platform; and the application layer includes upper-level computer equipment such as the field control system, field operator stations, and engineer stations. Devices in the local layer are interconnected via a wireless communication network. The convergence and application layers can add wireless communication options to the existing wired communication methods, enabling flexible switching between wired and wireless networking modes. In particular, the wireless management platform introduced in the convergence layer enables low-level wireless communication management, achieving integrated management of frequency band allocation, quality monitoring, and security access (whitelisting), thus improving the efficiency and controllability of large-scale wireless network deployment.

[0047] This application proposes a multi-band-based wireless control method for heliostats. On the one hand, multiple wireless communication modules are configured in the local controller, communication gateway, and control center, and the functions of the wireless modules are differentiated. Multi-band redundancy is achieved through frequency band isolation. On the other hand, a multi-band-based heliostat control algorithm is deployed in the wireless management platform. When a transmission anomaly occurs in the frequency band where the communication module is located, the frequency band is switched for transmission. The primary and backup modules in the local controller, communication gateway, and control center respond in a timely manner. This solves the problem that a single wireless frequency band is susceptible to interference or failure, which can lead to communication interruption. This improves the reliability and security of the network, and is especially suitable for heliostat environments that require high reliability and convenient maintenance.

[0048] This application proposes a cable-free mirror field control system, which adds a photovoltaic controller between the photovoltaic module, the battery, and the load, realizing hybrid power supply management of the photovoltaic panel and the battery. This includes: real-time acquisition of photovoltaic power generation and heliostat power consumption requirements, dynamic adjustment of charging and discharging strategies, and dual-channel power supply mode, thereby optimizing energy utilization and reducing the reliance on a single path for power supply.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the specific implementation of this application. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of this application should be covered within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-band wireless control system for a heliostat, characterized in that, It includes the local layer, the aggregation layer, and the application layer; The local layer is the local control layer of the heliostat, including a communication gateway, a local controller and its supporting equipment; the local layer is based on a cableless design, and the communication gateway and the local controller communicate with each other via a wireless network; The aggregation layer includes a control center, switches, and a wireless management platform; the control center manages communication gateways and allocates frequency bands for them, and communicates with the mirror field control system through the switches to access the mirror field fiber optic ring network. The application layer includes a field operator station, an engineer station, and a field control and scheduling system, which is responsible for the data collection, display, and scheduling of the entire field control system.

2. The multi-band heliostat wireless control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication gateway has built-in communication management, local controller management and system management, and is configured with several wireless communication modules for managing several local controllers and completing data transmission with the control center, and for monitoring the status of several local controllers, sending data down and uploading data. The wireless communication modules operate in different frequency bands, namely the main operating frequency band and the backup operating frequency band. When the communication module operating in the main operating frequency band experiences a communication failure, the communication gateway will negotiate with the control center to use the idle backup operating frequency band for data transmission to ensure communication stability. The communication gateway uses a wireless communication module to communicate with the aggregation layer control center, or it directly connects to the aggregation layer ring network and communicates and transmits data with the host computer via an Ethernet interface.

3. The multi-band heliostat wireless control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The local controller and its supporting equipment include a local controller, a driver, an actuator, a photovoltaic module, a battery, and a photovoltaic controller. The local controller incorporates a solar tracking algorithm and a heliostat control algorithm. The driver is used for power distribution and control of the actuator. The actuator is used to adjust the heliostat's mirror attitude as needed. The photovoltaic module, i.e., a solar photovoltaic panel, is used to convert solar energy into direct current (DC) power. The battery is used to store excess energy, provide stable power output, and, together with the photovoltaic panel, provide a dual-channel power supply mode for the load. The photovoltaic controller is used to manage and optimize the power distribution of the photovoltaic module, battery, and load.

4. The multi-band heliostat wireless control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The local controller is equipped with several wireless communication modules, which are respectively responsible for communication verification, main operation, redundancy backup, and maintenance functions. The communication verification function refers to authenticating with the communication gateway. The main operation function is to initiate communication with the communication gateway after the communication verification module completes the authentication. The redundancy backup function is activated when the main module malfunctions or the packet loss rate exceeds a preset value. The maintenance function is to establish communication connections between designated communication modules and the heliostat debugging software to facilitate debugging and maintenance. The main module and the redundant backup module operate on different frequency bands. When the main module experiences a communication failure, the local controller will negotiate with the communication gateway to use the idle redundant backup operating frequency band for data transmission, ensuring communication stability.

5. The multi-band heliostat wireless control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The local controller is equipped with several wireless communication modules that operate on different wireless frequency bands to avoid co-channel interference. The controller has a built-in encryption chip that supports multiple encryption algorithms. The driver is arranged independently and communicates with the local controller via wired or wireless means, or it can be highly integrated with the local controller. The driver has actuator power acquisition and feedback functions.

6. The multi-band heliostat wireless control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The photovoltaic controller has the function of collecting the power generation of the photovoltaic module, and communicates with the driver to obtain the power consumption requirements of the heliostat in real time, and controls the charging and discharging mode of the battery. The photovoltaic controller has a hybrid discharge management function, which can coordinate the joint power supply of photovoltaic panels and batteries to achieve a dual-channel load power supply mode based on photovoltaic panels and batteries, reducing the requirements for photovoltaic panel power and battery capacity. When the output power of photovoltaic panels is greater than the load demand, the controller prioritizes the use of photovoltaic power and stores the excess energy in the battery. When the output power of photovoltaic panels is insufficient, the photovoltaic controller automatically starts the battery to discharge, outputting synchronously with the photovoltaic panels to jointly meet the load demand. When the output of photovoltaic panels is insufficient, the photovoltaic controller switches to a battery-only power supply mode to meet the standby cleaning and restart power requirements of the heliostat. The photovoltaic controller includes a short-range wireless communication module, which facilitates quick connection of maintenance personnel's mobile devices to complete on-site inspection and maintenance.

7. The multi-band heliostat wireless control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wireless management platform is used to manage the wireless communication frequency bands of local controllers and local gateways, monitor the wireless communication quality of local controllers, local gateways, and control centers in real time, and perform whitelist management of control centers, local gateways, and local controllers. The wireless management platform allocates frequency points for each control center, communication gateway, and local controller with an independent ID; detects relevant data of the communication network and completes wireless communication quality monitoring; communication devices can only communicate after being registered and authorized on the wireless communication platform, realizing whitelist management function; relevant data includes signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, channel occupancy rate, carrier sensing collision count, protocol packet loss rate, and throughput.

8. A multi-band-based wireless control method for heliostats, applicable to the multi-band-based wireless control method for heliostats as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, include: Step 1: The communication gateway or local controller uploads the heliostat data via the frequency of the main module; Step 2: The wireless management platform monitors the channel status, obtains relevant parameters of the transmission channel, calculates the channel gain based on the channel response frequency and noise power when the local controller uploads data, and compares the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain with a preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold. If the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain is less than the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold, it is considered as packet loss; otherwise, it is considered as no packet loss. Relevant parameters include response frequency, noise power, and transmission power. Step 3: Compare the data packet loss rate with the preset ratio, or use the specific QoS (Quality of Service) requirements of the control system data communication to determine whether the current channel is reliable. If it is unreliable, the wireless management platform will negotiate with the primary and backup communication modules in the communication gateway or local controller to switch to the frequency band of the backup module to complete the data packet transmission in the current time period. That is, the communication gateway or local controller completes the heliostat data upload through the frequency of the backup module. Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all data packets have been transmitted.

9. The multi-band-based heliostat wireless control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step 2, the first The data packet is at the main module frequency point. The channel gain during the next transmission is: （1） in, This represents the number of times each data packet is transmitted. For the first The first data packet Channel frequency response during the next transmission For noise power, This represents the operating frequency of the current communication module, and its value is determined based on the actual transmission conditions. Judge the first Whether a data packet is lost is indicated as follows: （2） in, As an indicator variable, A positive result indicates packet loss, while a negative result indicates no packet loss. This represents the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold. If the product of the channel transmission power and the channel gain is less than the preset signal-to-noise ratio threshold, packet loss occurs. p is the transmission power.

10. The multi-band-based heliostat wireless control method according to claim 9, characterized in that, In step 3, the first The packet loss rate is: （3） Where I represents the total number of data points.

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