A 1-MWe central receiver type solar thermal electric power pilot plant

The design features, performance capabilities and operational experience to date of the solar thermal central receiver pilot plant at Nio-Cho, Japan, are discussed. Attention is given to the heliostat mirror structures and their alignment with respect to the receiver, the data acquisition system employed in performance tests, and the receiver efficiencies recorded at various times during daily operation. Also noted are heliostat tracking errors, and convective heat losses at the central receiver surface for a given air temperature and wind velocity.