Problem 3:  Calculating solar flux on a receiver in tower solar thermal power plants

Academic Coordinator | TBA

Business Coordinator | Manuel Quero García, CEO of Sunntics.

Specialist | Rocío Mingorance Mingorance, Head of Algorithms and Processes at Sunntics.

Scope | Calculating the solar flux on a receiver in tower solar thermal power plants has traditionally been modeled using the elliptical Gaussian distribution, due to its capacity to represent the general behavior of solar concentration. However, this approach may not be the most accurate in all cases, especially for heliostats closer to the receiver, where factors such as reflection geometry and possible surface deformations of the heliostat play a significant role. In these cases, other methods that take these variables into account in more detail could provide better results. Additionally, in the calculation of solar flux, different angles between the sun, the heliostat, and the focal point must be considered, adding complexity to the model. There are low-cost computational methods, such as approximations based on numerical techniques or hybrid models, which can offer greater accuracy in solar flux calculations by considering both mirror deformations and changes in the solar incidence angle. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the feasibility of these approaches while maintaining a balance between accuracy and computational capability.