Optimized design of a heliostat mirror field

This study addresses the optimization of heliostats for tower-based solar thermal power plants, crucial for carbon neutrality. Initial work establishes solar position and DNI for heliostat efficiency assessment. Analytical geometry and matrix transformations are used to calculate efficiencies, achieving average annual values of 0.7338 for optical, 0.6797 for cosine, 0.8775 for shading, and 0.8983 for truncation, leading to a 294.6007 MW thermal output and 0.3908 MW per square meter. A multi-objective optimization model, employing a particle swarm algorithm, is used to determine an optimal heliostat arrangement with a circular configuration around the tower, resulting in a total of 2650 heliostats over 9540 sq m of reflectivity. Finally, we optimize the size and height of heliostats to reduce shadows, enabling 1546 heliostats to cover a parabolic distribution of 55656 sq m. This study combines mathematical precision with computational techniques, greatly improving the solar energy conversion efficiency of heliostats and promoting the development of clean energy technology.