Apparatus and Method for Closed-Loop Heliostat Tracking

This technology is an apparatus and method to accurately orient a field of multiple heliostats to reflect sunlight to a single distant receiver. Higher accuracy tracking than previously realized is needed to fully exploit future heliostats that better concentrate sunlight on the receiver by forming a disc image of the Sun. This innovation overcomes limitations like inaccurate tracking of solar receivers and difficulty in receiving reliable operation data due to some tower images being much fainter and much more complex than the solar disc image.   

Background:
Future heliostats that accurately focus sunlight (covered in a separate invention) will be capable of producing the very high temperatures needed to create green hydrogen from water. This invention provides the means for realizing the exceptionally accurate orientation required for such heliostats. 

Applications:

• Heating
• Lighting
• Energy production
• Chemical production

Advantages:

• Accurately tracks solar receivers
• Operates when tower images are faint and more complex than a solar disc image