A high-temperature long-shaft molten salt pump detection testbed, comprising: three pressure sensors, three electric shut-off valves, two flow sensors, two electric adjustments, and two temperature sensors, and also comprising a molten salt storage tank, a motor, a high-temperature long-shaft molten salt pump, a plurality of groups of insertion electric heaters, a first multipoint thermocouple, a second multipoint thermocouple, a preheating hole, a molten salt injection port, the test device can install a variety of models of molten salt pump, pipeline can use reducer to connect different types of molten salt pump, molten salt tank height can also meet the depth of different molten salt pump, a variety of models of molten salt pumps are used for tests, which are versatile and easy to use.

Provided is a deployment test apparatus including a fixing frame configured to fix a first portion of a target object in which the first portion is hingedly coupled to a second portion, a rotation axis module including a rotary shaft and disposed on one side of the fixing frame, a rotary arm radially extending from the rotary shaft in an upper portion of the fixing frame, and a support module connected to the rotary arm to clamp the second portion of the target object to be floated, wherein when deploying the target object, the deployment test apparatus is configured to reduce an external force applied to the target object.

Provided is a deployment test apparatus including a fixing frame configured to fix a first portion of a target object in which the first portion is hingedly coupled to a second portion, a rotation axis module including a rotary shaft and disposed on one side of the fixing frame, a rotary arm radially extending from the rotary shaft in an upper portion of the fixing frame, and a support module connected to the rotary arm to clamp the second portion of the target object to be floated, wherein when deploying the target object, the deployment test apparatus is configured to reduce an external force applied to the target object.

The solar energy and solar farms are used to generate energy and reduce dependence on oil (or for environmental purposes). The maintenance, operation, optimization, and repairs in big farms become very difficult, expensive, and inefficient, using human technicians. Thus, here, we teach using the robots with various functions and components, in various settings, for various purposes, to improve operations in big (or hard-to-access) farms, to automate, save money, reduce human mistakes, increase efficiency, or scale the solutions to very large scales or areas, e.g., for repair, operation, calibration, testing, maintenance, adjustment, cleaning, improving the efficiency, and tracking the Sun.

Diagnostic vehicles, systems, and methods for characterizing a solar collector system are presented herein. The diagnostic vehicle comprises a frame, one or more sensors positioned along the frame, and a control system. The one or more sensors measure and characterize attributes of the solar collector system and/or its environment such as reflectivity of an area of ground around the solar collector system, an angular offset of a drive system of the solar collector system, and/or a degradation of structural components that support photovoltaic panels in the solar collector system. The control system is programmed to move the frame to one or more locations in the solar collector system and control the one or more sensors to acquire measurements at the one or more locations.

A method is provided for determining a state of a solar-thermal field with rows, arranged in parallel in a transverse direction of the field, of successively arranged parabolic trough collectors having a mirroring reflector surface, which each have, along their longitudinal extent, a focal point line in which at least one absorber pipe is arranged in each case. The following steps are performed: positioning a recording device to capture recordings at least in the infrared range at a predefined height above the field; creating, by means of the recording device, recordings of images of absorber pipes reflected by the parabolic trough collectors, the recording device being moved over the parabolic trough collectors in a transverse direction transverse to the longitudinal extent and the recordings being made by the recording device in the form of associated image sequences; and determining an intensity of the thermal radiation of the respective absorber pipe by means of radiometric evaluation of the recordings at least in the infrared range.

A method is provided for determining a state of a solar-thermal field with rows, arranged in parallel in a transverse direction of the field, of successively arranged parabolic trough collectors having a mirroring reflector surface, which each have, along their longitudinal extent, a focal point line in which at least one absorber pipe is arranged in each case. The following steps are performed: positioning a recording device to capture recordings at least in the infrared range at a predefined height above the field; creating, by means of the recording device, recordings of images of absorber pipes reflected by the parabolic trough collectors, the recording device being moved over the parabolic trough collectors in a transverse direction transverse to the longitudinal extent and the recordings being made by the recording device in the form of associated image sequences; and determining an intensity of the thermal radiation of the respective absorber pipe by means of radiometric evaluation of the recordings at least in the infrared range.

The solar energy and solar farms are used to generate energy and reduce dependence on oil (or for environmental purposes). The maintenance, operation, optimization, and repairs in big farms become very difficult, expensive, and inefficient, using human technicians. Thus, here, we teach using the robots with various functions and components, in various settings, for various purposes, to improve operations in big (or hard-to-access) farms, to automate, save money, reduce human mistakes, increase efficiency, or scale the solutions to very large scales or areas, e.g., for repair, operation, calibration, testing, maintenance, adjustment, cleaning, improving the efficiency, and tracking the Sun.

A concentrated solar power (CSP) system includes a reflector, a receiver tube, a shadow receiver arranged and adapted to receive the, shadow of the receiver tube; a first digital camera attached to the CSP system to acquire a first image of the reflector and of the shadow receiver, and a controller. The controller identifies a first portion of the first image that comprises the reflector and a second portion of the first image that comprises the shadow receiver, determines a degree of soiling of the reflector based on the first portion of the first image and, ignores all information contained in the second portion of the first image for determining said degree of soiling, and determines an adjustment of the orientation of the reflector based on the second portion of the first image and, ignores all information contained in the first portion of the first image for determining said adjustment.

A concentrated solar power (CSP) system includes a reflector, a receiver tube, a shadow receiver arranged and adapted to receive the, shadow of the receiver tube; a first digital camera attached to the CSP system to acquire a first image of the reflector and of the shadow receiver, and a controller. The controller identifies a first portion of the first image that comprises the reflector and a second portion of the first image that comprises the shadow receiver, determines a degree of soiling of the reflector based on the first portion of the first image and, ignores all information contained in the second portion of the first image for determining said degree of soiling, and determines an adjustment of the orientation of the reflector based on the second portion of the first image and, ignores all information contained in the first portion of the first image for determining said adjustment.