HELIOSTAT CALIBRATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

A method and apparatus for calibrating a subset of a plurality of mirrors (such as heliostats) in a photovoltaic or solar thermal power generating system having a photovoltaic receiver or solar thermal collector, the apparatus comprising a mirror controller for initiating or controlling a change in orientation of the subset of mirrors and a data comparator for comparing datasets indicative of two or more flux distributions on the receiver or collector, the apparatus configured to receive a first dataset indicative of a flux distribution on the receiver or collector from a first orientation of the subset of mirrors, to initiate or control a change in orientation of the subset of mirrors with the controller, to receive a second dataset indicative of a flux distribution from a second orientation of the mirrors, to form a comparison of the first and second datasets with the comparator, and to output the comparison.