Team Members
Cam Mahorn, Thierry Momplaisir, Armand Pascua, Elijah Rice, Cameron Sarajedini, Lhotse Thompson, Zhu Wenzhe
Abstract
tellar Sunshine has implemented structural mechanics, design for manufacturing, and optimization all at a high-quality level for the heliostat design to succeed greatly in its desired job. The materials have been carefully selected based on many properties such as yield strength, stiffness, size, ease of purchasing, and cost effectiveness so that Stellar Sunshine is not only as light as possible, but it also has a substantial lifetime and generates low-cost energy. The entire module is secured using a 7-foot wooden post driven into the ground. This method of securing the module in place requires no fasteners and allows the cost for each module to be greatly reduced. This module has been designed with a reflective system that consists of four rectangular heliostats that are each mounted to individual rods therefore enabling easy replacement. A large reflective area to total area ratio is used to maximize the reflective area and bring down the cost of the reflective system. In addition, only two motors are required to move the four mirrors in the azimuth and altitude angles using a drive chain. What’s more, the tracking error is minimized using a camera and motor system that result in accurate syncing between the sun and the module. Moreover, the heliostats are placed in a staggered pattern to minimize self-shading.