A flux mapping system able to measure the flux distribution of dish/Stirling systems in planes perpendicular to the optical axis was built and operated at the Plataforma Solar de Almerı´a (PSA). It uses the indirect measuring method with a water-cooled Lambertian target placed in the beam path and a CCD-camera mounted on the concentrator taking images of the brightness distribution of the focal spot. The calibration is made by calculating the total power coming from the dish and relating it to the integrated gray value over the whole measurement area. The system was successfully operated in a DISTAL II stretched membrane dish and in the new EURODISH in order to characterize their beams and improve the flux distribution on their receivers.

Issue Section:
Technical Papers
Keywords:
solar energy concentrators, optical variables measurement, CCD image sensors, brightness, calibration, Stirling engines
Topics:
Brightness (Photometry), Calibration, Density, Errors, Membranes, Solar energy
1.
Heller, P., Reinalter, W., and Martinez, D., 2001, “Status of Development of the Dish/Stirling Systems at Plataforma Solar de Almerı´a,” Proc. of 10th Int. Stirling Engine Conf. Osnabru¨ck, Germany.
2.
Heller, P., Baumu¨ller, A., and Schiel, W., 2000, “Eurodish–The Next Milestone to Decrease the Costs of Dish/Stirling Systems Towards Competitiveness,” Solar Thermal 2000 Int. Conf., Sydney, Australia.
3.
Lu¨pfert, E., Heller, P., Ulmer, S., Monterreal, R., and Fernandez, J., 2000, “Concentrated Solar Radiation Measurement with Video Image Processing and Online Fluxgage Calibration,” Solar Thermal 2000 Int. Conf., Sydney, Australia.
4.
Kaluza, J., Neumann, A., Ferriere, A., and Robert, J. F., 2000, “Concentrated Solar Flux Measurements: Results of the Second SolarPACES Fluxmeter Intercomparison Campaign,” 10th SolarPACES Int. Symp. on Solar Thermal Concentrating Technologies, Sydney, Australia.
5.
Romero, V. J., 1994, “CIRCE2/DEKGEN2: A Software Package for Facilitated Optical Analysis of 3-D Distributed Solar Energy Concentrators,” User Manual, Sandia Report SAND91-2238, Albuquerque, NM.
6.
Kaluza, J., and Neumann, A., 1998, “Measurement of Solar Radiation with CCD-Cameras: Influence of the Spectral Characteristic,” ASME/Solar ’98, Albuquerque.
Copyright © 2002
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.