Automated high resolution measurement of heliostat slope errors

A new optical measurement method that simplifies and optimizes the mounting and canting of heliostats and helps to assure their optical quality before commissioning of the solar field was developed. This method is based on the reflection of regular patterns in the mirror surface and their distortions due to mirror surface errors. The measurement has a resolution of about 1 million points per heliostat with a measurement uncertainty of less than 0.2 mrad and a measurement time of about 1 min per heliostat. The system is completely automated and allows the automatic measurement of an entire heliostat field during one night. It was extensively tested at the CESA-1 heliostat field at the Plataforma Solar de Almería. Comparisons of flux simulations based on the measurement results with real flux density measurements were performed. They showed an excellent agreement and demonstrated in a striking manner the high measurement accuracy and high grade of detail in the simulation achieved by this technique.