A wireless sensor network-based heliostat system using real-time image processing techniques

Abstract

In this paper a new concept of heliostat system to maximize the amount of solar energy projected onto the focus is introduced. Its principle consists to use a single CCD camera to track in real-time the three dimensional (3D) motion of the sun and to broadcast this information to all the mirrors of the system in a wireless manner. Each of these mirrors is controlled by an independent control unit, the task of which is to rotate the associated mirror around its center and in 3D space in such a way to provide the maximal reflection of the solar energy onto the focus. Experimental results on a hardware prototype system indicate the feasibility of the concept to track a source of light in an indoor environment at the image frame rate.