Auxiliary calibration apparatus and method for heliostat, and photothermal power generation system

Abstract

An auxiliary calibration apparatus and method for a heliostat, and a photothermal power generation system. The auxiliary calibration apparatus for a heliostat comprises a calibration body and a detection assembly (30). The detection assembly (30) is located on the calibration body, and the detection assembly (30) is provided with a first sensing surface (301) and a second sensing surface (302) which are oppositely disposed, the first sensing surface (301) being parallel to the second sensing surface (302). The detection assembly (30) is used for detecting a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface (301), and detecting a second position of a target point of a receiving tower (50) relative to the second sensing surface (302), so as to adjust at least one of the calibration body and a heliostat (60) on the basis of the first position and the second position, so that sunlight reflected by the heliostat (60) is perpendicular to the first sensing surface (301), and the line connecting the target point of the receiving tower (50) with a specified point on the second sensing surface (302) is perpendicular to the second sensing surface (302). By using the auxiliary calibration apparatus for a heliostat, the adjustment precision of the heliostat can be improved.

Description

Heliostat auxiliary calibration device, method and solar thermal power generation system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 29, 2024, with application number 202410122816.5 and invention name “Heliostat assisted calibration device, method and solar thermal power generation system”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of solar thermal power generation, and in particular to a heliostat auxiliary calibration device and method, and a solar thermal power generation system. Background Art

[0003] Solar thermal power generation is an important area of ​​renewable energy utilization, primarily encompassing three types of systems: trough, tower, and dish. Tower-type solar thermal power generation systems require higher tracking complexity and precision than trough and dish systems.

[0004] A heliostat is a component of a tower-type solar thermal power generation system. Its function is to reflect sunlight beams to a fixed position on a receiving tower to generate heat, which is then converted into electricity by the receiving tower.

[0005] Because the sun's position in the sky constantly changes throughout the day, the heliostats must constantly adjust their angles to reflect sunlight onto the tower's receivers. The closer the heliostats' reflected sunlight is to the center of the receiver, the higher the power generation efficiency. Therefore, adjusting the heliostat angle is crucial to tower-type solar thermal power generation systems.

[0006] However, the existing heliostat adjustment method has limited adjustment accuracy, which affects power generation efficiency.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the adjustment accuracy of the heliostat.

[0009] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a heliostat auxiliary calibration device, the heliostat auxiliary calibration device comprising:

[0010] Calibration body, and detection components;

[0011] The detection component is located on the calibration body; the detection component has a first sensing surface and a second sensing surface that are arranged opposite to each other; the first sensing surface is parallel to the second sensing surface;

[0012] The detection assembly is configured to detect a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface and a second position of a receiving tower target point relative to the second sensing surface, so as to adjust at least one of the calibration body and the heliostat based on the first and second positions so that sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface and a line connecting the receiving tower target point and a designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface.

[0013] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the calibration body includes: a light-shielding surface; the light-shielding surface forms a receiving cavity; and the detection component is located in the receiving cavity.

[0014] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the calibration body also includes: a first optical surface and a second optical surface; the first optical surface and the second optical surface are located on both symmetrical sides of the light-shielding surface, and are connected to the light-shielding surface to form a accommodating cavity, wherein the first optical surface has a first light-transmitting hole, and the second optical surface has a second light-transmitting hole.

[0015] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the first light-transmitting hole is located at the center of the first optical surface.

[0016] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the second light-transmitting hole is located at the center of the second optical surface.

[0017] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the first optical surface is parallel to the first sensing surface, and the second optical surface is parallel to the second sensing surface.

[0018] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the detection component includes: a first detector and a second detector, the first detector is used to detect a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface, and the second detector is used to detect a second position of the receiving tower target relative to the second sensing surface.

[0019] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first detector and the second detector is a sensor.

[0020] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the sensor is a four-quadrant sensor, a contact image sensor, or a position sensitive sensor.

[0021] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the first detector and the second detector are arranged back to back.

[0022] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the heliostat auxiliary calibration device further includes: a control component and an angle adjustment component; wherein:

[0023] The control component is configured to determine an adjustment angle of at least one of the calibration body and the heliostat based on the first position and the second position;

[0024] The angle adjustment component is connected to the control component and is used to perform angle adjustment operations under the control of the control component.

[0025] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the angle adjustment assembly includes: a calibration body bracket connected to the calibration body, and configured to perform an angle adjustment operation on the calibration body under the control of the control assembly.

[0026] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the control component is further in communication with a heliostat support; the heliostat support is connected to the heliostat and is configured to perform an angle adjustment operation on the heliostat under the control of the control component.

[0027] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the calibration body bracket is mounted on the heliostat bracket or the mirror surface of the heliostat.

[0028] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the calibration body is a cylinder.

[0029] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the receiving tower target point is the center point of the receiver on the receiving tower.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a heliostat auxiliary calibration method, which uses any of the above-mentioned heliostat auxiliary calibration devices to calibrate a heliostat; the method includes:

[0031] detecting a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface, and detecting a second position of a receiving tower target relative to the second sensing surface;

[0032] At least one of the calibration body and the heliostat is adjusted based on the first position and the second position so that sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface, and a line between a target point of the receiving tower and a designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface.

[0033] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a solar thermal power generation system, comprising a heliostat, a receiving tower, and any one of the above heliostat auxiliary calibration devices, wherein the heliostat auxiliary calibration device corresponds one-to-one to the heliostat.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0035] The solution of the present invention employs a detection assembly that can detect the first position of the sun relative to a first sensing surface and the second position of a receiving tower target relative to a second sensing surface. This allows adjustment of at least one of the calibration body and the heliostat based on the first and second positions, ultimately ensuring that the sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface, and that the line connecting the receiving tower target and a designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface. Because the first sensing surface is parallel to the second sensing surface, in actual use, sunlight reflected by the heliostat can essentially reach the receiving tower target, achieving photothermal conversion. By additionally providing a heliostat auxiliary calibration device to calibrate the heliostat, factors affecting calibration are reduced, enabling ultra-high-precision calibration and thus improving the power generation efficiency of the power station.

[0036] Furthermore, when an image sensor is used as a detection component, accurate detection can be achieved regardless of day or night, so the heliostat can be calibrated around the clock, which can improve the real-time performance of the calibration.

[0037] The present invention also provides a solar thermal power generation system, in which a heliostat auxiliary calibration device corresponds one-to-one to a heliostat, so that each heliostat auxiliary calibration device can calibrate a unique heliostat, preventing interference between sunlight reflected by the heliostats, thereby improving the parallelism of calibration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of placing a camera on a receiving tower to calibrate a heliostat;

[0039] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a ground-mounted camera for calibrating a heliostat;

[0040] 3 is a schematic diagram of calibrating a heliostat using a heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the optical path of the sun's image formed on the first sensing surface through the first light-transmitting hole;

[0044] 7 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention using a heliostat auxiliary calibration device to calibrate a heliostat;

[0045] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] FIG9 is a schematic diagram showing the effect of calibrating a heliostat using a heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] FIG10 is a flow chart of a heliostat-assisted calibration method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Currently, the following three methods are commonly used to adjust heliostats:

[0049] 1. Use the coordinate + astronomical calendar solution.

[0050] Specifically, each heliostat is installed on the Global Positioning System (GPS). Based on the coordinates and time of the heliostat, the complete astronomical calendar is used to calculate the angle that the heliostat should present, so that sunlight can be reflected to the receiver of the receiving tower.

[0051] The biggest problem with the above solution is its lack of accuracy. Specifically, when a heliostat power plant reaches a certain scale, the distance between the farthest heliostat and the receiving tower can reach over 2 kilometers. A deviation of 0.3 mrad in alignment accuracy will reduce power generation efficiency. This solution is limited by ground flatness, the initial installation angle, equipment aging, and atmospheric refraction of sunlight. It is impossible to achieve exceptionally high accuracy, which severely restricts the scale of ultra-large heliostat power plants and affects power generation efficiency.

[0052] 2. Solution for placing cameras on receiving towers

[0053] 1 , one or more cameras 13 are placed around a receiver 12 on a receiving tower 11. The cameras 13 are used to continuously detect the reflected light from each heliostat, thereby establishing feedback for adjusting the angle of the heliostat.

[0054] Although this solution can achieve high accuracy, because the camera can only detect light from one heliostat at a time, and the light reflected by multiple heliostats may interfere with each other, this solution cannot be used for parallel, real-time adjustments. This results in very low power generation efficiency and cannot be used to build ultra-large power plants.

[0055] 3. As shown in Figure 2, one or more cameras 21 are installed on the ground. The cameras 21 detect the position of the sun's rays 23 reflected by the heliostat 22 falling on the receiving tower 24. A computer 25 is used to establish feedback based on this position to adjust the angle of the heliostat. The receiving tower 24 is provided with a target plate 241 and a receiver 242.

[0056] This solution cannot perform parallel and real-time calibration. For example, if multiple heliostats were to illuminate the target plate simultaneously, they would interfere with each other. Therefore, this solution is neither real-time nor parallel.

[0057] To address the above issues, the present invention provides a heliostat-assisted calibration device. By additionally providing the heliostat-assisted calibration device, the heliostat can be calibrated. As long as the sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface, and the line connecting the target point of the receiving tower and the designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface, the calibration is affected by fewer factors, achieving ultra-high-precision calibration, and thus improving the power generation efficiency of the power station.

[0058] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] 3 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a heliostat-assisted calibration device, comprising a calibration body (not shown) and a detection assembly 30. The detection assembly 30 is located on the calibration body and has a first sensing surface 301 and a second sensing surface 302 that are oppositely disposed. The first sensing surface 301 is parallel to the second sensing surface 302.

[0060] Specifically, the detection assembly 30 is configured to detect a first position of the sun 40 relative to the first sensing surface 301 and a second position of a target point on the receiving tower 50 relative to the second sensing surface 302, and to adjust at least one of the calibration body and the heliostat 60 based on the first and second positions so that sunlight reflected by the heliostat 60 is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301 and a line connecting the target point on the receiving tower 50 and a designated point on the second sensing surface 302 is perpendicular to the second sensing surface 302.

[0061] Because the first sensing surface 301 and the second sensing surface 302 are parallel, when the sunlight reflected by the heliostat 60 is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301, and the line connecting the target point of the receiving tower 50 and the designated point on the second sensing surface 302 is perpendicular to the second sensing surface 302, the sunlight reflected by the heliostat 60 can be parallel to the line connecting the designated points on the second sensing surface 302 of the target point of the receiving tower 50. In this way, the incident position of the sunlight reflected by the heliostat 60 on the receiving tower 50 is close to or coincides with the position of the target point on the receiving tower 50, so that the sunlight reflected by the heliostat 60 can be reflected onto the receiving tower, achieving light-to-heat conversion.

[0062] By using the heliostat-assisted calibration device of the embodiment of the present invention, a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface is detected, while a second position of the tower target point relative to the second sensing surface is detected. Ultimately, the sunlight reflected by the heliostat 60 is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301, and the line connecting the target point on the receiving tower 50 and a designated point on the second sensing surface 302 is perpendicular to the second sensing surface 302. This ensures high calibration accuracy, thereby improving power generation efficiency.

[0063] In a specific implementation, referring to Figure 3 , the receiving tower 50 is provided with a receiver 51 for receiving reflected sunlight during the actual photothermal conversion process. The receiving tower 50 may also be provided with a target plate 52 for calibrating the heliostat. The target plate 52 may be provided with multiple target points, and any one of these target points may be selected as the target point for calibrating the heliostat.

[0064] In a specific implementation, the target plate 52 and receiver 51 can be located in different areas of the receiving tower 50, and the corresponding receiving tower areas can partially overlap. In some embodiments, the receiving tower areas corresponding to the target plate 52 and receiver 51 can completely overlap, so that the target point for calibrating the heliostat coincides with a point on the receiver 51. In this case, the heliostat is calibrated directly using a point on the receiver 51.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, to achieve higher power generation efficiency, the receiving tower target point can be set to the center of the receiver 51 on the receiving tower. This allows the calibrated heliostat to direct the sun's reflected light to or around the center of the receiver 51. The closer the sun's reflected light is to the center of the receiver, the higher the power generation efficiency.

[0066] In a specific implementation, the detection component can be implemented in a variety of ways, which are not limited here.

[0067] In one embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG4 , the detection assembly includes a first detector 31 and a second detector 32. The first detector 31 is used to detect a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface 301, and the second detector is used to detect a second position of the receiving tower target A relative to the second sensing surface 302.

[0068] In a specific implementation, at least one of the first detector 31 and the second detector 32 can be implemented as a sensor. For example, the first detector 31 can be implemented as a sensor, while the second detector 32 can be implemented as another detection device or circuit. In another example, both the first detector 31 and the second detector 32 can be implemented as sensors.

[0069] In a specific implementation, the first detector 31 and the second detector 32 can be implemented by sensors, or by different sensors. There are many types of sensors that can be used for detection, which are not limited here.

[0070] In one embodiment, a four-quadrant sensor can be used as the sensor for detection. The four-quadrant sensor is a photoelectric detection device composed of four photodiodes with identical performance arranged according to rectangular coordinate requirements. The four-quadrant sensor determines whether the sun's reflected light is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301 and whether the line L2 connecting the receiving tower target point and the specified point on the second sensing surface 302 is perpendicular to the second sensing surface 302 by detecting the intensity of the light signals received by the four photodiodes. For example, when the intensity of the light signals received by the four photodiodes is equal, it indicates that the sun's reflected light is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301; otherwise, it indicates that the sun's reflected light L1 is not perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301.

[0071] In another embodiment, a position sensitive sensor (i.e., a PSD sensor) can be used as a sensor for detection. A position sensitive sensor is a photoelectric sensor that can measure the position of a light radiation source. It can accurately measure the position and direction of a light beam and is widely used in fields such as beam tracking. Specifically, the position sensitive sensor contains a number of photodiodes arranged in an array and covered on a photosensitive surface. The light beam is irradiated onto the photosensitive surface, and the light signal therein is absorbed by the photosensitive material, thereby generating an electric current. By measuring the distribution of the current, the position of the light beam can be determined.

[0072] A four-quadrant sensor or a position sensitive sensor is used as the sensor for detection. Since too bright white light will affect the accuracy of detection, the heliostat can be calibrated.

[0073] In another embodiment, an image sensor can be used as the sensor for detection. There are various types of image sensors, such as contact image sensors (CIS image sensors). Using an image sensor, the first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface 301 can be determined by detecting the position of the sun's image on the first sensing surface 301. The second position of the receiving tower target relative to the second sensing surface can be determined by detecting the position of the receiving tower target on the second sensing surface 302. Subsequently, based on the position of the sun's image on the first sensing surface 301, it can be determined whether the sunlight L1 reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301. Based on the position of the receiving tower target on the second sensing surface 302, it can be determined whether the line connecting the receiving tower target and a specified point on the second sensing surface 302 is perpendicular to the second sensing surface 302.

[0074] By using an image sensor as the sensor for detection, accurate detection can be achieved regardless of day or night, so the heliostat can be calibrated around the clock, improving the real-time performance of the calibration.

[0075] In a specific implementation, to further improve detection accuracy, when using a sensor for detection, a light source can be placed at the receiving tower target point. This can be done by detecting whether the light generated by the light source at the receiving tower target point is perpendicular to the second sensing surface. This can be used to determine whether the line connecting the receiving tower target point and a designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface. In this case, the designated point on the second sensing surface is the intersection of the light generated by the light source at the receiving tower target point and the second sensing surface.

[0076] In a specific implementation, referring to FIG. 4 , the first detector 31 and the second detector 32 may be disposed back to back, thereby making it easier for the first sensing surface 301 to face the heliostat, the second sensing surface 302 to face the receiving tower, and the first sensing surface 301 to be parallel to the second sensing surface 302 .

[0077] In some embodiments, a gap may exist between the first detector 31 and the second detector 32. The specific size of the gap can be set based on actual conditions, such as the thickness of the chip package, the thickness of the chip mounting surface, and the thickness of the PCB. Other components may also be placed between the first detector 31 and the second detector 32.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 4 , the calibration body may include a light shielding surface 33 , wherein the light shielding surface 33 forms a receiving cavity, and the detection component is located in the receiving cavity.

[0079] In a specific implementation, the shading surface 33 can be made of a shading material. The shading surface can enclose a cavity with openings at both ends. The first detector 31 and the second detector 32 are fixed within the cavity, so that the cavity can be aligned with a specific heliostat. In this way, sunlight reflected by the heliostat primarily enters the cavity and is sensed by the first sensing surface 301. This allows the heliostat auxiliary calibration device to be used only for calibrating the aligned heliostat, preventing direct interference between sunlight reflected by multiple heliostats and improving calibration parallelism.

[0080] In another embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG4 , the calibration body may further include a first optical surface 34 and a second optical surface 35 . The first optical surface 34 and the second optical surface 35 are located on opposite sides of the light-shielding surface 33 and connected to the light-shielding surface 33 to form a receiving cavity. The first optical surface 34 has a first light-transmitting hole B, and the second optical surface has a second light-transmitting hole C.

[0081] In a specific implementation, the calibration body can have various shapes. For example, referring to FIG5 , the calibration body can be a cylinder. In this case, the first optical surface 34 and the second optical surface 35 are equivalent to the upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder, and the shading surface 33 is equivalent to the cylindrical surface of the cylinder.

[0082] In some embodiments, the calibration body may also be in other shapes having a first optical surface and a second optical surface, such as a cuboid, a cube, etc., which is not limited here.

[0083] In a specific implementation, the first optical surface 34 and the second optical surface 35 can be glass cover plates made of a light-shielding material, such as a lens. Taking the calibration body as a cylinder as an example, referring to Figure 5 , the image of the sun in the heliostat is formed on the first sensing surface by light passing through the first light-transmitting aperture. The image of the receiving tower target point A is formed on the second sensing surface by light passing through the second light-transmitting aperture. The image of the receiving tower target point A on the second sensing surface is shown as P1, with point A' in the center of image P1 being the imaging location of the receiving tower target point A.

[0084] At this time, when the line connecting the center of the first light-transmitting hole and the imaging position of the sun's image on the first sensing surface 301 is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301, it indicates that the sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301. When the line connecting the center of the second light-transmitting hole and the imaging position of the receiving tower target point A on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface 302, it indicates that the line connecting the receiving tower target point A and the designated point on the second sensing surface 302 is perpendicular to the second sensing surface 302.

[0085] In one embodiment of the present invention, to facilitate calibration, at least one of the first light-transmitting hole and the second light-transmitting hole can be located at the center of the optical surface 34. For example, the first light-transmitting hole can be located at the center of the first optical surface, and the second light-transmitting hole can be located at the center of the second optical surface.

[0086] Taking the first light transmission hole B located at the center of the first optical surface 34 as an example, referring to FIG6 , the image D of the sun is formed on the first sensing surface 301 through the first light transmission hole B. When the line L3 connecting the image position D' and the center of the first light transmission hole B is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301, it indicates that the sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface 301.

[0087] Therefore, when the first light-transmitting hole and the second light-transmitting hole are located at the center of the optical surface, after calibration is completed, the image of the sun, the first light-transmitting hole, the second light-transmitting hole and the tower target point can be distributed on the same straight line along the direction of light transmission, so that the reflected light from the sun can be accurately irradiated on the tower target point. At this time, the photothermal conversion efficiency is the highest, and the power generation efficiency is naturally the highest.

[0088] 5 , the first optical surface 34 may be parallel to the first sensing surface 301 , and the second optical surface 35 may be parallel to the second sensing surface 305 .

[0089] In other embodiments, there may be a certain angle between the first optical surface 34 and the first sensing surface 301 , there may be a certain angle between the second optical surface 35 and the second sensing surface 305 , and the first optical surface 34 and the second optical surface 35 may not be parallel.

[0090] In a specific implementation, based on the detection results of the detection assembly, the rotation angles of the calibration body and the heliostat can be manually adjusted so that the sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface, and the line between the receiving tower target point and the designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface.

[0091] In one embodiment of the present invention, in order to improve the calibration efficiency and the adjustment accuracy, referring to FIG7 and FIG8 , the heliostat auxiliary calibration device may further include: a control component 36 and an angle adjustment component.

[0092] The control component 36 is configured to determine an adjustment angle of at least one of the calibration body and the heliostat based on the first position and the second position;

[0093] The angle adjustment component is connected to the control component 36 and is used to perform angle adjustment operations under the control of the control component 36.

[0094] In a specific implementation, the angle adjustment assembly may include a calibration body bracket 371. The calibration body bracket 371 is connected to the calibration body and is configured to perform angle adjustment operations on the calibration body under the control of the control assembly 36. Specifically, the calibration body bracket 371 may receive control signals from the control assembly, thereby adjusting the angle of the calibration body under the control of the received control signals.

[0095] In a specific implementation, the control assembly may also be in communication with a heliostat support 372. The heliostat support 372 is connected to the heliostat 40 and is configured to perform angle adjustment operations on the heliostat 40 under the control of the control assembly 36. Specifically, the heliostat support 372 may receive control signals sent by the control assembly and adjust the angle of the heliostat in response to the received control signals.

[0096] In a specific implementation, the calibration body bracket 371 can be independently installed on the ground, or can be installed on the support shaft of the heliostat or on the mirror surface of the heliostat, which is not limited here.

[0097] In a specific implementation, the control assembly 36 is integrated into the accommodating cavity, or integrated into the calibration body bracket 371 , and is interconnected with the calibration body bracket 371 and the heliostat bracket 372 via signal lines.

[0098] In a specific implementation, the calibration body bracket 371 and the heliostat bracket 372 may each include a drive component and a rotating shaft. The drive component can drive the rotating shaft to rotate horizontally or vertically, thereby adjusting the angle of the calibration body or heliostat. The drive component may be a stepper motor or other drive component, without limitation.

[0099] The heliostat-assisted calibration device of the embodiments of the present invention enables ultra-high-precision calibration, achieving an adjustment accuracy of less than 0.1° based on an optical solution. Furthermore, due to this high adjustment accuracy, a larger heliostat field can be constructed, improving the power generation efficiency of the power plant. Furthermore, when the heliostat-assisted calibration device of the embodiments of the present invention uses an image sensor as a detection component, it can maintain online calibration around the clock, improving the real-time nature of calibration.

[0100] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present invention, the method and system corresponding to the above-mentioned calibration device are described in detail below.

[0101] 10 , an embodiment of the present invention further provides a heliostat-assisted calibration method, wherein a heliostat is calibrated using any of the heliostat-assisted calibration devices described in the above embodiments. Specifically, the method may include the following steps:

[0102] Step 110 : Detecting a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface, and detecting a second position of a receiving tower target relative to the second sensing surface.

[0103] Step 120: Adjust at least one of the calibration body and the heliostat based on the first position and the second position so that sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface, and a line connecting a target point of the receiving tower and a designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface.

[0104] Taking the detection component including the first detector 31 and the second detector 32 as an example, the first detector 31 can send the collected first position information to the control component 36, and the second detector 32 can send the collected second position information to the control component 36. The control component 36 can process the received information.

[0105] For example, when both the first detector 31 and the second detector 32 are image sensors, the first detector 31 and the second detector 32 can transmit the captured image data to the control component 36. Based on the imaging position of the tower target A on the second sensing surface, the control component 36 can calculate the angle between the light generated by the tower target A and the second sensing surface, thereby performing feedback adjustment and driving the calibration body bracket 371 to rotate two-dimensionally, ultimately positioning the second detector 32 directly opposite the tower light source. Directly opposite the tower light source means that the line connecting the tower light source and the center point of the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface.

[0106] After calibrating the main body to face the tower light source, the first detector 31 can operate similarly to the second detector 32 to determine the position of the sun's image on the first sensing surface. The control component 36 calculates the angle between the sun's reflected light L1 and the first sensing surface. The control component 36 then sends an angle adjustment signal to the heliostat support 372 to fine-tune its angle. Ultimately, feedback control ensures that the sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface.

[0107] The final adjustment state is shown in Figure 9 . At this point, the light from the sun's image D is perpendicular to the first sensing surface, and the line connecting the receiver 51 on the receiving tower and the center point of the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface. The first and second sensing surfaces are parallel. Therefore, the final calibration result shows that sunlight directly strikes the receiver 51.

[0108] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a solar thermal power generation system. Referring to FIG. 9 , the system may include:

[0109] Heliostat 40, receiving tower 50 and heliostat auxiliary calibration device, wherein the heliostat auxiliary calibration device corresponds to the heliostat one by one.

[0110] In a specific implementation, a heliostat auxiliary calibration device is provided corresponding to each heliostat one by one, so that each heliostat auxiliary calibration device can calibrate a unique heliostat, preventing interference between sunlight reflected by the heliostats, thereby improving calibration parallelism.

[0111] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A heliostat auxiliary calibration device, characterized in that: include: Calibration body, and detection components; The detection component is located on the calibration body; The detection component has a first sensing surface and a second sensing surface arranged opposite to each other; The first sensing surface is parallel to the second sensing surface; The detection assembly is configured to detect a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface and a second position of a receiving tower target point relative to the second sensing surface, so as to adjust at least one of the calibration body and the heliostat based on the first and second positions so that sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface and a line connecting the receiving tower target point and a designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface.

2. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 1, wherein: The calibration body comprises: a light-shielding surface; the light-shielding surface forms a receiving cavity; and the detection component is located in the receiving cavity.

3. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 2, wherein: The calibration body also includes: a first optical surface and a second optical surface; the first optical surface and the second optical surface are located on both symmetrical sides of the light-shielding surface, and are connected to the light-shielding surface to form a accommodating cavity, wherein the first optical surface has a first light-transmitting hole, and the second optical surface has a second light-transmitting hole.

4. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 3, wherein: The first light-transmitting hole is located at the center of the first optical surface.

5. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 3, wherein: The second light-transmitting hole is located at the center of the second optical surface.

6. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 3, wherein: The first optical surface is parallel to the first sensing surface, and the second optical surface is parallel to the second sensing surface.

7. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The detection assembly includes a first detector and a second detector. The first detector is used to detect a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface, and the second detector is used to detect a second position of a receiving tower target relative to the second sensing surface.

8. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 7, wherein: At least one of the first detector and the second detector is a sensor.

9. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 8, wherein: The sensor is a four-quadrant sensor, a contact image sensor or a position sensitive sensor.

10. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 7, wherein: The first detector and the second detector are arranged back to back.

11. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A control component and an angle adjustment component; wherein: The control component is configured to determine an adjustment angle of at least one of the calibration body and the heliostat based on the first position and the second position; The angle adjustment component is connected to the control component and is used to perform angle adjustment operations under the control of the control component.

12. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 11, wherein: The angle adjustment component includes: a calibration body bracket connected to the calibration body, and used to perform an angle adjustment operation on the calibration body under the control of the control component.

13. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The control component is also in communication with the heliostat bracket; the heliostat bracket is connected to the heliostat and is used to perform an angle adjustment operation on the heliostat under the control of the control component.

14. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 13, wherein: The calibration body bracket is mounted on the heliostat bracket or the mirror surface of the heliostat.

15. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 1, wherein: The calibration body is a cylinder.

16. The heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to claim 1, wherein: The receiving tower target point is the center point of the receiver on the receiving tower.

17. A heliostat assisted calibration method, characterized in that: A heliostat is calibrated using the heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to any one of claims 1 to 16; the method comprising: detecting a first position of the sun relative to the first sensing surface, and detecting a second position of a receiving tower target relative to the second sensing surface; At least one of the calibration body and the heliostat is adjusted based on the first position and the second position so that sunlight reflected by the heliostat is perpendicular to the first sensing surface, and a line between a target point of the receiving tower and a designated point on the second sensing surface is perpendicular to the second sensing surface.

18. A solar thermal power generation system, characterized in that: include: A heliostat, a receiving tower, and the heliostat auxiliary calibration device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the heliostat auxiliary calibration device corresponds to the heliostat in a one-to-one manner.

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