Abstract
The optimal design of the heliostat field is one of the fundamental issues in concentrated solar power generation. Due to the complexity of computing the shading and blocking, the accurate computation of optical efficiency of the heliostat field requires high computational resources. In this work, an optical efficiency model based on 2D Boolean operations was proposed, in which the heliostat, shading, and blocking objects were converted into planar polygons defined by boundaries and the planar polygons were reconstructed for Boolean operations (e.g., intersection, union, and difference). By comparing with the ray tracing method based on heliostat discretization and boundary mesh, it is shown that for the same accuracy requirement, the proposed method can greatly reduce the computation time. The method may serve as a powerful tool for the optimization design of complex heliostat fields.
Issue Section:
Research Papers
References
1.
Collado
, F. J.
, and Guallar
, J.
, 2012
, “Campo: Generation of Regular Heliostat Fields
,” Renewable Energy
, 46
(10
), pp. 49
–59
. 2.
Behar
, O.
, Khellaf
, A.
, and Mohammedi
, K.
, 2013
, “A Review of Studies on Central Receiver Solar Thermal Power Plants
,” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev.
, 23
(7
), pp. 12
–39
. 3.
Kiwan
, S.
, and Khammash
, A. L.
, 2020
, “Optical Performance of a Novel Two-Receiver Solar Central Tower System
,” ASME J. Sol. Energy Eng.
, 142
(1
), p. 011005
. 4.
Pfahl
, A.
, Coventry
, J.
, Röger
, M.
, Wolfertstetter
, F.
, Vásquez-Arango
, J. F.
, Gross
, F.
, Arjomandi
, M.
, Schwarzbözl
, P.
, Geiger
, M.
, and Liedke
, P.
, 2017
, “Progress in Heliostat Development
,” Sol. Energy
, 152
(Special Issue
), pp. 3
–37
. 5.
Yerudkar
, A. N.
, Kumar
, D.
, Dalvi
, V. H.
, Panse
, S.
, Gaval
, V. R.
, and Joshi
, J. B.
, 2024
, “Economically Feasible Solutions in Concentrating Solar Power Technology Specifically for Heliostats—A Review
,” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev.
, 189
(Part A
), p. 113825
. 6.
Besarati
, S. M.
, and Goswami
, D. Y.
, 2014
, “A Computationally Efficient Method for the Design of the Heliostat Field for Solar Power Tower Plant
,” Renewable Energy
, 69
(9
), pp. 226
–232
. 7.
Ghazarian
, A.
, Galione
, P.
, and Curto
, P.
, 2025
, “Concentrated Solar Power Techno-Economic Analysis in Humid Subtropical South America: The Uruguayan Case
,” ASME J. Sol. Energy Eng.
, 147
(1
), p. 011001
. 8.
Pisani
, L.
, Moreau
, G. S.
, Leonardi
, E.
, Podda
, C.
, Mameli
, A.
, and Cao
, G. C. M.
, 2023
, “Multi-Tower Heliostat Field Optimization by Means of Adiabatic Quantum Computer
,” Sol. Energy
, 263
(10
), p. 111893
. 9.
Mahmoudimehr
, J.
, and Sebghati
, P.
, 2019
, “A Novel Multi-Objective Dynamic Programming Optimization Method: Performance Management of a Solar Thermal Power Plant as a Case Study
,” Energy
, 168
(2A
), pp. 796
–814
. 10.
Besarati
, S. M.
, Goswami
, D. Y.
, and Stefanakos
, E. K.
, 2014
, “Optimal Heliostat Aiming Strategy for Uniform Distribution of Heat Flux on the Receiver of a Solar Power Tower Plant
,” Energy Convers. Manage.
, 84
(8
), pp. 234
–243
. 11.
Gadalla
, M.
, and Saghafifar
, M.
, 2018
, “A Concise Overview of Heliostat Fields-Solar Thermal Collectors: Current State of Art and Future Perspective
,” Int. J. Energy Res.
, 42
(10
), pp. 3145
–3163
. 12.
Kiwan
, S.
, and Al Hamad
, S.
, 2019
, “On Analyzing the Optical Performance of Solar Central Tower Systems on Hillsides Using Biomimetic Spiral Distribution
,” ASME J. Sol. Energy Eng.
, 141
(1
), p. 011010
. 13.
Eddhibi
, F.
, Ben Haj Ali
, A.
, Ben Amara
, M.
, Balghouthi
, M.
, and Guizani
, A. A.
, 2022
, “A Novel Mathematical Approach for the Optical Efficiency Optimization of Solar Tower Power Plant Technology
,” Int. J. Energy Res.
, 46
(3
), pp. 2477
–2499
. 14.
Belaid
, A.
, Filali
, A.
, Gama
, A.
, Bezza
, B.
, Arrif
, T.
, and Bouakba
, M.
, 2020
, “Design Optimization of a Solar Tower Power Plant Heliostat Field by Considering Different Heliostat Shapes
,” Int. J. Energy Res.
, 44
(14
), pp. 11524
–11541
. 15.
Hénault
, F.
, Flamant
, G.
, and Caliot
, C.
, 2025
, “Optimizing the Concentration Ratio of Multi-Faceted Focusing Heliostats
,” ASME J. Sol. Energy Eng.
, 147
(4
), p. 044501
. 16.
Rizvi
, A. A.
, Danish
, S. N.
, El-Leathy
, A.
, Al-Ansary
, H.
, and Yang
, D.
, 2021
, “A Review and Classification of Layouts and Optimization Techniques Used in Design of Heliostat Fields in Solar Central Receiver Systems
,” Sol. Energy
, 218
(4
), pp. 296
–311
. 17.
Garcia
, P.
, Ferriere
, A.
, and Bezian
, J. J.
, 2008
, “Codes for Solar Flux Calculation Dedicated to Central Receiver System Applications: A Comparative Review
,” Sol. Energy
, 82
(3
), pp. 189
–197
. 18.
Yao
, Z. H.
, Wang
, Z. F.
, Lu
, Z. W.
, and Wei
, X. D.
, 2009
, “Modeling and Simulation of the Pioneer 1 MW Solar Thermal Central Receiver System in China
,” Renewable Energy
, 34
(11
), pp. 2437
–2446
. 19.
Leonardi
, E.
, and D'Aguanno
, B.
, 2011
, “CRS4-2: A Numerical Code for the Calculation of the Solar Power Collected in A Central Receiver System
,” Energy
, 36
(8
), pp. 4828
–4837
. 20.
Noone
, C. J.
, Torrilhon
, M.
, and Mitsos
, A.
, 2012
, “Heliostat Field Optimization: A New Computationally Efficient Model and Biomimetic Layout
,” Sol. Energy
, 86
(2
), pp. 792
–803
. 21.
Wei
, X. D.
, Lu
, Z. W.
, Wang
, Z. F.
, Yu
, W. X.
, Zhang
, H. X.
, and Yao
, Z. H.
, 2010
, “A New Method for the Design of the Heliostat Field Layout for Solar Tower Power Plant
,” Renewable Energy
, 35
(9
), pp. 1970
–1975
. 22.
Huang
, W. D.
, and Xu
, Q.
, 2014
, “Development of an Analytical Method and Its Quick Algorithm to Calculate the Solar Energy Collected by a Heliostat Field in a Year
,” Energy Convers. Manage.
, 83
(7
), pp. 110
–118
. 23.
Wang
, K. J.
, Qi
, X. X.
, and Liu
, H. D.
, 2019
, “Photovoltaic Power Forecasting Based LSTM-Convolutional Network
,” Energy
, 189
(12B
), p. 116225
. 24.
Wang
, J. X.
, Guo
, L. L.
, Zhang
, C. Y.
, Song
, L.
, Duan
, J. Y.
, and Duan
, L. Q.
, 2020
, “Thermal Power Forecasting of Solar Power Tower System by Combining Mechanism Modeling and Deep Learning Method
,” Energy
, 208
(10A
), p. 118403
. 25.
Cruz
, N. C.
, Redondo
, J. L.
, Berenguel
, M.
, Álvarez
, J. D.
, and Ortigosa
, P. M.
, 2017
, “Review of Software for Optical Analyzing and Optimizing Heliostat Fields
,” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev.
, 72
(5
), pp. 1001
–1018
. 26.
Rizvi
, A. A.
, and Yang
, D.
, 2022
, “A Detailed Account of Calculation of Shading and Blocking Factor of a Heliostat Field
,” Renewable Energy
, 181
(1
), pp. 292
–303
. 27.
Grigoriev
, V.
, Milidonis
, K.
, Corsi
, C.
, and Blanco
, M.
, 2022
, “Heliostat Fields With a Balanced Mirror Density
,” Sol. Energy
, 243
(9A
), pp. 336
–347
. 28.
Cui
, D. Y.
, Bian
, H.
, and Yu
, H. Z.
, 2024
, “Quickly Select Heliostat Candidates and Design Pattern-Free Layout Using Geometric Projection Method
,” Renewable Energy
, 237
(Part B
), p. 121654
. 29.
Zhang
, M. L.
, Yang
, L. J.
, Xu
, C.
, and Du
, X. Z.
, 2016
, “An Efficient Code to Optimize the Heliostat Field and Comparisons Between the Biomimetic Spiral and Staggered Layout
,” Renewable Energy
, 87
(Part 1
), pp. 720
–730
. 30.
Collado
, F. J.
, and Guallar
, J.
, 2013
, “A Review of Optimized Design Layouts for Solar Power Tower Plants With Campo Code
,” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev.
, 20
(4
), pp. 142
–154
. 31.
Eddhibi
, F.
, Ben Amara
, M.
, Balghouthi
, M.
, and Guizani
, A.
, 2017
, “Design and Analysis of a Heliostat Field Layout With Reduced Shading Effect in Southern Tunisia
,” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
, 42
(48
), pp. 28973
–28996
. 32.
Atif
, M.
, and Al-Sulaiman
, F. A.
, 2015
, “Optimization of Heliostat Field Layout in Solar Central Receiver Systems on Annual Basis Using Differential Evolution Algorithm
,” Energy Convers. Manage.
, 95
(5A
), pp. 1
–9
. 33.
Huang
, W. D.
, Li
, H. R.
, Li
, L. L.
, Hu
, P.
, and Chen
, Z. S.
, 2013
, “Gauss-Legendre Integration of an Analytical Function to Calculate the Optical Efficiency of a Heliostat
,” Sol. Energy
, 92
(6
), pp. 7
–14
. 34.
Raj
, M.
, and Bhattacharya
, J.
, 2022
, “An Accurate and Cheaper Method of Estimating Shading and Blocking Losses in a Heliostat Field Through Efficient Filtering, Removal of Double Counting and Parallel Plane Assumption
,” Sol. Energy
, 243
(9A
), pp. 469
–482
. 35.
Wagner
, M. J.
, and Wendelin
, T.
, 2018
, “SolarPILOT: A Power Tower Solar Field Layout and Characterization Tool
,” Sol. Energy
, 171
(9A
), pp. 185
–196
. Copyright © 2025 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.
