The global demand for affordable renewable energy has driven Stellenbosch University's Solar Thermal Energy Research Group (STERG) to design and construct a modular heliostat field using their HelioPod technology. The next generation heliostat field will require a wireless communication network with sufficient capacity, range, throughput, and low latencies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of wireless communication within a CST field by means of practical tests aimed to determine the influence of interference, dense networks, and range on the network performance. An overview of the main limiting factors for wireless communication in a CST field are discussed and the network's software and hardware design are presented. Wireless communication is found to be a feasible option within a CST plant provided that care is given to place all nodes with line of sight to the access point and all neighboring networks operate in non-overlapping frequencies.
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12 May 2022
SOLARPACES 2020: 26th International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems
28 September–2 October 2020
Freiburg, Germany
Research Article|
May 12 2022
Wireless communication for a modular heliostat field
Andreas Denan Liebenberg;
Andreas Denan Liebenberg
a)
1
Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
, Banghoek Rd, Stellenbosch, South Africa
a)Corresponding author: [email protected]
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Willie Smit
Willie Smit
b)
1
Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
, Banghoek Rd, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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a)Corresponding author: [email protected]
AIP Conf. Proc. 2445, 140007 (2022)
Citation
Andreas Denan Liebenberg, Willie Smit; Wireless communication for a modular heliostat field. AIP Conf. Proc. 12 May 2022; 2445 (1): 140007. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089824
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