Support structure for multiple heliostats

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759452-B2
Application number	US-201314441587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2013
Priority date	Nov 9, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A support structure ( 10 ) for carrying a plurality of heliostats ( 12 ) is provided. The support structure ( 10 ) includes a frame ( 20 ) formed from a number of girders ( 22 ). The frame has a triangular outer perimeter and a plurality of mountings ( 26 ) for carrying the heliostats ( 12 ) are provided along the perimeter. At least one mounting ( 26 ) is provided at or near each vertex ( 16 ) of the triangular outer perimeter of the frame ( 20 ), and at least one additional mounting ( 26 ) is provided part-way along each side ( 17 ) of the triangular outer perimeter of the frame ( 20 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A concentrating solar energy system comprising a field of support structures carrying heliostats, each support structure including a frame formed from a number of girders, the frame having a generally triangular outer perimeter and a plurality of mountings provided along the outer perimeter for carrying the heliostats, with a respective one of the plurality of mountings at or near each vertex of the triangular outer perimeter of the frame, wherein the field comprises multiple rows of the support structures spaced at successive distances from a central receiver tower, with the support structures of each row being orientated about 180 degrees about a vertical axis relative to the support structures of a respective adjacent row of the support structures, and with adjacent rows of the support structures being laterally shifted relative to each other so that spacing between respective lines of sight normal to a vertical plane of a front of the central receiver tower from the carried heliostats to the central receiver tower is generally equal, and a distance between collinear heliostats in successive rows of said multiple rows is configured to be maximized, to thereby enable a tiling approach in which substantially all available space for reflecting sunlight from a perspective of the central receiver tower can be utilized without optical blocking between the heliostats.

2. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the outer perimeter of the frame is an equilateral triangle and the frame of each support structure has six of the plurality of mountings, of which three of the six mountings are at a respective said vertex of the triangular outer perimeter and the other three of the six mountings are midway along a respective side of the triangular outer perimeter.

3. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each support structure has three of the number of girders extending between respective pairs of the three mountings that are midway along the respective side of the triangular outer perimeter to form four smaller equilateral triangles within the triangular outer perimeter.

4. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each support structure includes nine of the number of girders which are identical, and of which six of the nine girders extend between the respective vertices of the triangular outer perimeter and respective ones of the three mountings midway along the respective sides of the triangular outer perimeter, and the other three of the nine girders are the three girders extending between the respective pairs of the three mountings midway along the respective side of the triangular outer perimeter.

5. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 1 , in which the frame of each support structure has a number of leg assemblies extending therefrom in a direction generally transverse to a plane formed by the triangular outer perimeter of the frame.

6. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein at least some of the plurality of mountings and number of leg assemblies are respectively integral with each other so as to form a respective single pylon which attaches to the number of girders.

7. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein each support structure includes six of the single pylons which are identical and nine of the number of girders which are identical, so that each support structure can be assembled using only two kinds of components, the first kind of components being the six single pylons, and the second kind of components being the nine girders.

8. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein each girder is a lattice beam and wherein the number of girders and the single pylons are connected together by means of projecting plates provided on either or both of the single pylons and the number of girders and which align with cooperating apertures to receive bolts therethrough.

9. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each support structure has three of the number of leg assemblies at or near a respective said vertex of the triangular outer perimeter of the frame and six of the plurality of mountings, the three leg assemblies enabling each support structure to have a raised profile so that each support structure can be placed on uneven ground.

10. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein each support structure includes three tethers that are each connected at one of their ends to a respective one of three spaced apart points on the triangular outer perimeter, and each of the three tethers has their other end each connected together to a centrally located ground anchor, so as to anchor the support structure to the ground at a single point.

11. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each leg assembly has a foot structure for resting on the ground, the foot structure including connecting formations or components so the foot structure can be connected to a foot structure of an identical or similar adjacently placed support structure of the support structures to form a stable group of the support structures.

12. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each leg assembly has an adjustable length enabling each support structure to have a raised profile, wherein the adjustable length is provided by telescoping members or adjustable ground screws, so that each frame can be set to a generally horizontal position when the support structures are placed on uneven or sloping ground by adjusting the lengths of the leg assemblies.

13. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each support structure has at least one additional mounting part way along each side of the triangular outer perimeter of the frame.

14. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein adjacent rows of said multiple rows of support structures are laterally shifted relative to each other so that one of the heliostats carried at the vertex of the triangular outer perimeter of the frame of the support structure in one row of the adjacent rows is collinear with the respective heliostat carried midway along the respective side of the frame in other rows of the adjacent rows.

15. The concentrating solar energy system as claimed in claim 1 , in which the distance between each collinear heliostat in the successive rows is the same.

Assignees

• Univ Stellenbosch

Inventors

• Malan Karel Johan
• Gauché Paul

Classifications

• F24S25/70

  with means for adjusting the final position or orientation of supporting elements in relation to each other or to a mounting surface; with means for compensating mounting tolerances · CPC title

• F24S25/30 Primary

  using elongate rigid mounting elements extending substantially along the supporting surface, e.g. for covering buildings with solar heat collectors (extending in directions away from the supporting surface F24S25/10; peripheral frames for modules F24S25/20) · CPC title

• F24S25/10 Primary

  extending in directions away from a supporting surface · CPC title

• F24S2023/87

  Reflectors layout · CPC title

• F24S23/77

  with flat reflective plates · CPC title