Team Members
Danish Hashim, Jessica Le, Keri-Anne Lue, Darryl Mijares, Adam Pooley, John Roberts
Abstract
When renewable energy first needed a solution, humanity looked to our star. When it comes to advancing the solution, group 5 looks to our STAR. Group 5 is dedicated to creating innovative and long-lasting solutions that help solve expensive problems. This mindset led to meticulous research into the use of unordinary materials and innovative ideas to create the Staggered Tracking Actuated Reflector, or STAR. The primary feature of the assembly is the reflectors’ unique arrangement. The narrow mirrors and 30-degree tilt minimize the shading distance between reflectors and promote a compact module while maintaining the proposed reflective area of 1m2. The module is composed of an array of steel rods stemming from a central hub, which rotates about a rod secured in a concrete base beneath the ground. The steel structure provides a cost-effective, rigid structure for mounting while increasing the lifespan and safety of the system. Additionally, the STAR is driven by five stepper motor pulleys that allow each mirror to track the sun and utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller with online access to solar position data. All modules would efficiently perform in a field to reflect over 1 MW of solar radiation onto a central receiving tower. The STAR system is a compact, robust, highly efficient system that will reflect vast amounts of renewable energy, making large heliostats a technology of the past.