Self-Ballasted Heliostat Frame Layout for Fast Solar Field Deployment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current power tower solar collector systems face challenges with labor-intensive and costly installation due to ground-penetrating anchors, which damage the environment and require complex surveying and structural support for heliostats, leading to high installation costs and potential instability under wind loads.
Innovation Solution
A solar collector system utilizing a frame structure with pivotally connected cross members and ballasts that maintain the frame's position on the ground without penetrating the soil, allowing for efficient deployment and stabilization of heliostats, reducing the need for ground anchors and minimizing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ground-penetrating anchors are used to secure each heliostat, then stability under wind loads is improved, but installation time and labor cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heliostats are grouped together and secured to a single ground-penetrating anchor through a common support structure, merging the anchoring function for multiple units into one installation operation, thereby reducing installation time while maintaining stability
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is divided into modular components that can be assembled around the ground anchor, allowing for easier installation and configuration of multiple heliostats without requiring individual anchoring operations
2Reliability
If ground-penetrating anchors are used to secure heliostats, then structural stability is improved, but environmental damage and ground scarring worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heliostats share a single ground-penetrating anchor, consolidating the number of ground penetrations and minimizing environmental damage while maintaining structural stability through the combined support structure
3Adaptability or versatility
If each heliostat is independently supported by a mounting post, then individual positioning flexibility is improved, but structural cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heliostats are supported by a shared structure that consolidates multiple mounting posts into one integrated system, reducing overall structural complexity and cost while maintaining the ability to position and adjust individual heliostats within the group
4Force
If a large number of independently supported smaller mirrors are used, then torque on mounting posts is reduced, but installation and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple smaller mirrors are grouped and supported by a shared structure that distributes wind loads across multiple anchor points, reducing the torque on each individual mounting post while maintaining installation efficiency through consolidated support rather than fully independent mounting for each mirror
Data Source
AI summary
A solar collector system includes a plurality of frames. Each frame includes at least a pair of spaced apart side members, a plurality of cross members connected to the side members, the cross members pivotally moveable from a shipping configuration to a deployed configuration wherein in the deployed configuration, each cross member is positioned relative to an adjacent cross member with a predetermined angle, and a plurality of stantions extending from the frames. The solar collector system further includes a plurality of heliostats, each heliostat mounted to one of the stantions, and a plurality of ballasts coupled to the frames, each ballast having a lower surface contacting the ground without substantially penetrating the ground to maintain a position of the frames on the ground.