Power with Heliostats

Abstract

A central receiver illuminated by a field of heliostats can absorb 10 to 100 megawatts of sunlight at 600/sup 0/ to 1000/sup 0/K. The following are discussed: the plan of the solar thermal power system or solar power tower based on optical transmission, the history of the solar tower, the receiver subsystem, the design of the heliostats and their placement in a field, thermal storage, environmental concerns, and economics.