Predicted Performance Of Heliostats For ERDA'S 10 MWe Power Plant

ERDA, through its Division of Solar Energy is directing and funding a competitive(preliminary design proposal for a 10 MWe pilot power plant of the solar thermal central receiver type. The plant is expected to be operational in 1980 and is to be located near Barstow, CA. Sandia Laboratories in its capacity as technical manager of the project has performed technical evaluations and comparisons of the several subsystem designs supplied by the competing contractors. Predicted performance parameters for the optical subsystems are presented. These data were obtained by the application of a Monte Carlo ray trace program prepared by the authors. A short description of the program is included.