Patent Document ID: 9722534
Application ID: 14790266
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A system, comprising: a solar radiation receiver; a plurality of mirrored reflectors that are positioned to concentrate solar radiation onto the solar radiation receiver; a computing apparatus that receives: a first electronic image of the solar radiation receiver that comprises a first plurality of pixels having a first plurality of values; and a second electronic image of the Sun that comprises a second plurality of pixels having a second plurality of values, wherein the computing apparatus comprises computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of the computing apparatus, generates values that are indicative of solar irradiance on a surface of the solar radiation receiver at positions corresponding to the first plurality of pixels based at least in part upon the first plurality of values and the second plurality of values; wherein the first and second electronic images are taken by one or more cameras; and wherein the values are calculated utilizing the following algorithm to compute the plurality of irradiance values: E R , i = V CCD , i ⁢ E DNI ρ R , i ⁢ tan 2 ⁡ ( γ 2 ) ⁢ π ⁢ ⁢ r sun ⁢ _ ⁢ pixels 2 ∑ sun ⁢ V CCD ⁢ _ ⁢ sun , i , where E R,i is an irradiance value for a surface of the solar radiation receiver that corresponds to pixel i in the electronic image of the solar radiation receiver, V CCD,i is a value of pixel i in the electronic image of the solar radiation receiver, E DNI is the direct normal irradiance at a time that the electronic image of the Sun was captured, r sun _ pixels is a number of pixels in the radius of the Sun captured in the electronic image of the Sun, ρ R,i is a measurement of reflectivity at a location on the surface that corresponds to pixel i in the electronic image of the solar radiation receiver, γ is the angle subtended by the Sun, and V CCD _ sun ,i is a value of pixel i in the electronic image of the Sun.