Wind tunnel test of 1/30 scale heliostat field array model. Test report

From 9 January through 20 January 1978, Honeywell conducted a wind tunnel test on a 1/30 scale partial heliostat field. The heliostats were per Honeywell's design developed under the 10 megawatt central receiver pilot electrical power plant subsystem research experiment contract. Likewise, the scaled section of the field geometry duplicated the proposed circular layout. Testing was conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology's 9 foot subsonic tunnel. The objective of the test was to ascertain from a qualitative standpoint the field effects upon wind loading within a heliostat field. To accomplish this, numerous pressure tap measurements at different heights and at different field positions were taken with varying wind speeds, fence designs, and heliostat gimbal orientations. The Department of Energy specified boundary layer profile was also scaled by 1/30 in order to simulate the total wind effects as accurately as possible taking into account the potentially severe scaling or Reynolds number effects at a 1/30 scale. After initial model set-up within the tunnel and scaled boundary layer generated, 91 separate runs were accomplished. The results do demonstrate the high sensitivity of wind loading upon the collector field due to the actual heliostat orientation and fence geometry. Vertical pressure gradients within the model field and flow reentry angles provide a good qualitative feel as to the full scale environment that might be expected and point to the need for specific additional testing to further explore potentially dangerous conditions.