Projection-based Calculation Model for Solar Collector Truncation Efficiency

Abstract With the continuous advancement of technology, the demand for energy is growing, and solar energy, as a clean and renewable source, is gradually gaining importance. In solar power generation systems, the performance of the heliostat field plays a crucial role in energy output, and the energy generation efficiency of the heliostat field is closely related to its truncation efficiency. This paper proposes a solar truncation efficiency calculation method based on a projection algorithm. Specifically, we construct a mathematical model for the relationship between heliostat positions and incident light based on the actual data of a heliostat field in a certain region provided by the 2023 National Undergraduate Mathematical Modeling Competition (Problem A). To accurately describe the propagation of reflected light from the heliostats, we establish two mathematical models of reflected light for different times and positions. Finally, by comparing the results with truncation efficiency data obtained by other researchers, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of the results from both methods, thereby deriving a more accurate range of truncation efficiency.