Grantee Research Project Results
The Design and Fabrication of a Lower Cost Heliostat Mirror System for Utilizing Solar Energy
EPA Grant Number: SU833166Title: The Design and Fabrication of a Lower Cost Heliostat Mirror System for Utilizing Solar Energy
Investigators: Ostergren, Warren
Current Investigators: Ostergren, Warren , Williams, Katelyn , Green, Matthew , Das, Prithwish , Slingsby, Robert , Martinez, Theresita , Barnes, Timothy
Institution: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: August 30, 2006 through May 30, 2007
Project Amount: $9,970
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2006) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Description:
A heliostat is a mirror based system which is used to continuously reflect sunlight onto a central receiver. The collected solar energy is then converted into electrical power. Currently, costs associated with the construction and maintenance of heliostats have proven prohibitive with respect to mainstream industry use. As such, it is the goal of this project to develop a lower-cost heliostat; yielding an alternative energy system that is less taxing on the environment than conventional fossil-fuel dependant methods, yet competitively priced. To achieve this, a student design team reviewed a number of concepts, including those defined by prior research groups and the team itself. A QFD (Quality Function Deployment) analysis was used to evaluate the concepts, isolating the hemispherical design as the most economical and efficient. This hemispherical design was then substantiated using computer modeling and physical tests of an integrated movement control system. Future work, to be funded by the P3 grant, will include a more thorough analysis of the structural components and the control system, creation of a scaled prototype, and measurements based upon the response of the prototype. This data will then be used to move the project into the final design stage, including material selection, detailed structural schematics, and a fully functional control system. In this final stage, the team will be able to accurately estimate a life-cycle cost; including initial capital, operation and maintenance, and part replacement. This cost estimate is a fundamental goal of the team and will ultimately determine the feasibility of the design’s insertion into the modern energy industry. At the completion of the project, important steps will have been made towards the adoption of new methods and technologies. These steps will inevitably aid in the conservation of an already taxed ecosystem, allowing the (non-destructive) continuation of human growth and development.
Supplemental Keywords:
Ecological effects, life-cycle analysis, alternatives, sustainable development, clean technologies, innovative technology, renewable, conservation, engineering, modeling, analytical, business, industry,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Sustainable Industry/Business, POLLUTION PREVENTION, Sustainable Environment, Energy, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Environmental Engineering, heliostatic mirror, sustainable development, environmental sustainability, solar energyRelevant Websites:
Cost Reduced Heliostat Design ExitProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.