Patent ID: 9523759
Filing Date: 2016-12-20
CPC Classification: F24S,G01S,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A method of positioning a heliostat mirror, within an array of one or more heliostat mirrors, to reflect incident sunlight so that a main beam is directed onto a desired region of a receiver, said method comprising: causing a heliostat mirror to emit a low intensity signal beam to one or more digital cameras placed in a location other than a receiver; said low intensity signal beam being emitted at an angle other than that of a main beam; determining a relationship between said low intensity signal beam and said main beam; and using said low intensity signal beam received on said digital cameras to determine if said heliostat mirror is positioned so that said main beam of incident sunlight reflected from said heliostat mirror converges onto a desired region of a receiver; wherein an optical element is coupled to said heliostat mirror, said optical element producing said low intensity signal beam by transforming a fraction of said incident sunlight to said low intensity signal beam emitted at an angle offset from said main beam.