Optical Efficiency Optimization Algorithm for Heliostat Field in Solar Power Tower

The optical efficiency of a heliostat cluster plays a pivotal role in determining the operational effectiveness of a concentrating solar power system. This study explicates the fundamental principles concerning the radial-staggered layout of heliostat fields and expounds upon the methodology employed in quantifying its optical efficiency. The focus lies in an improved algorithm for assessing shadowing and blocking losses using three-dimensional geometric projection, with a primary objective to ensure simulation accuracy while reducing computational costs. As such, the optical efficiency of individual heliostats can be swiftly assessed, enabling the optimization of hundreds or thousands of heliostat layouts. As a practical case study, simulation analysis and layout optimization of the solar power tower's heliostat field are conducted in Harbin, China, yielding the spatial-temporal distribution pattern of optical efficiency. After optimization, the blocking losses of the heliostat field for a 5-MW solar power tower are reduced by 84.3%, while the annual optical efficiency increased by 8.8%.