Heliostat field cleaning system
Systems and methods of heliostat reflector cleaning via a vehicle in a heliostat field.
1. A system comprising
an array of a plurality of heliostats;
a cleaning vehicle configured to clean at least a portion of a reflector of a heliostat of the array of heliostats via a cleaning end-effector, and wherein the cleaning vehicle is further configured to reorient the cleaning end-effector responsive to a detected proximate next heliostat reflector misoriented for cleaning;
a heliostat controller and motor assembly configured to reorient a heliostat reflector from a non-cleaning mode to a cleaning mode, and responsive to at least one of: a command to reorient and a detected proximity of the cleaning vehicle to the heliostat reflector.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the non-cleaning mode is a sun-tracking mode.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning vehicle is further configured to translate to a region proximate to a heliostat oriented for cleaning.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning vehicle is further configured to detect a heliostat reflector misoriented for cleaning.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning vehicle is further configured to translate by retracing a path.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises one or more arrays and wherein the cleaning vehicle is further configured to be unidirectionally oriented and to execute a U-turn at a detected end of at least one array.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is self-navigating.