Development and Testing of a Cable-Actuated Heliostat

Abstract

Solar tower plants require cost reduction in the solar field, which represents 30-50% of plant capital costs. This study investigates cable-driven heliostats as a lower-cost alternative to conventional gear-driven systems. A 1 m2 prototype using cables, stepper motors, and worm gearboxes was built and tested. Outdoor tracking tests measured mean errors of 15-16 milliradians, exceeding the one milliradian target required for CSP applications. The main problem occurred at a pitch angle of about 75 degrees, where the unequal cable tensions caused loss of control. When operated manually, without automated control, pointing accuracy improved to 1.6-4.7 milliradians, showing the control algorithm was the limiting factor. The prototype drive mechanism cost $431/m2, representing 70% of the total system cost. Cost projection for a 48.5m2 heliostat estimated that the drive mechanism could be reduced to $7.32/m2, compared to the $16.08/m2 for the Stellio heliostat. However, these estimates assume the technical problems can be solved.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{lekholoane2026development,
  title = {{Development and Testing of a Cable-Actuated Heliostat}},
  author = {Rorisang Lekholoane and Craig McGregor},
  journal = {SolarPACES Conference Proceedings},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.52825/solarpaces.v4i.3013},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.52825/solarpaces.v4i.3013},
  note = {CC BY},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Development and Testing of a Cable-Actuated Heliostat
AU  - Rorisang Lekholoane
AU  - Craig McGregor
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/24
JO  - SolarPACES Conference Proceedings
DO  - 10.52825/solarpaces.v4i.3013
UR  - https://doi.org/10.52825/solarpaces.v4i.3013
AB  - Solar tower plants require cost reduction in the solar field, which represents 30-50% of plant capital costs. This study investigates cable-driven heliostats as a lower-cost alternative to conventional gear-driven systems. A 1 m2 prototype using cables, stepper motors, and worm gearboxes was built and tested. Outdoor tracking tests measured mean errors of 15-16 milliradians, exceeding the one milliradian target required for CSP applications. The main problem occurred at a pitch angle of about 75 degrees, where the unequal cable tensions caused loss of control. When operated manually, without automated control, pointing accuracy improved to 1.6-4.7 milliradians, showing the control algorithm was the limiting factor. The prototype drive mechanism cost $431/m2, representing 70% of the total system cost. Cost projection for a 48.5m2 heliostat estimated that the drive mechanism could be reduced to $7.32/m2, compared to the $16.08/m2 for the Stellio heliostat. However, these estimates assume the technical problems can be solved.
SN  - 2751-9899
ER  -

Abstract

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