Optimization of Heliostat Field Layout Using Enhanced Whale Algorithm

The heliostat mirror field is an important subsystem of tower-type photovoltaic power plant, in which the layout of heliostat mirror field is a research hotspot in recent years. This paper proposes an optimized layout method of the heliostat field based on the enhanced whale algorithm. Taking the maximization of the annual average output thermal power per unit area as the objective function, a single-objective planning model is established, and a multilevel penalty factor is introduced to achieve better constraints on the objective function. The convergence and effectiveness of the algorithm in solving the problem can be improved by introducing a differential variational perturbation factor in the whale algorithm, and the parameters of each heliostat field in the simulated environment are derived. Finally, through the comparison of various optimization algorithms, it is concluded that the optimized whale algorithm has a better generalization in this kind of problems.