A review of available methods for the alignment of mirror facets of solar concentrator in solar thermal power system

In the concentrated solar power system, the mirror facets of the solar concentrator have to be aligned correctly in order to obtain an optimally focused solar flux at the receiver. In mirror assembly, therefore, it is necessary to develop an accurate, inexpensive and fast measurement method to facilitate the installation and operation of the solar concentrator. In this paper, the available methods for the mirror facet alignment are reviewed. Three kinds of methods including on-sun single mirror facet alignment, mechanical alignment and optical alignment are reviewed in detail. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are analyzed and discussed. Finally, some future developments are considered.