How to use Linear fresnel tracker node?

[lotfis]

Hello, Am actually working on a linear fresnel collector project, I started using tonatiuh just a week ago and hopefully I was able to learn it very fast thanks to its friendly and easy user interface. However, I was struggling when tracking the sun rays and reflecting them to the Collector. I actually had to manually input the angles values, and every time the sun's direction changes i had to change back all the angles of all the mirrors. I tried to fresnel tracking node but I didnt get how it works, and the are no resources about that. So, if someone could tell me how to automate the process of tracking and reflecting the sun rays into the collector, I would be grateful. Thanks,

[lotfis]

Nevermind, I figured it out!! I actually thought heliostat tracker node was only for point aiming only and that fresnel tracker was the one to use for fresnel collectors (lol)!! Here is how i did it (see the images):

• the "mirrorField" node contain the mirrors
• the "mirror_01" node contain a mirror position (x/y/z)
• the "Heliostat_tracker" has to be in a node ("mir_01" in this case) that has 0 0 0 as coordinates % to the containing node ("mirror_01" in this case).

[ilescener]

Dear user,

As you said, linear Fresnel tracker is actually the tracker system you need to use. Heliostat tracker works just in case the sun is exactly in the transversal axis of the collectors, I mean, 90 or 270 degrees of azimuth. In any other positions, your collectors will rotate around y-axis and it will a mess.

Linear Fresnel tracker works as following:

• Select the axis around which the collect rotates, in your case z-axis.

• Set the axis origin in the perpendicular plane either in absolute system or relative to the surface.

In the next screenshot you can see an example, note that the receiver plane is in (0,5,0).

Kind regards Iñigo

[lotfis]

@ilescener thank you very much for the answer it was very helpful Here are the results after correction:

[ernestveizi]

@ilescener hello. im new in tonatiuh and my goal is to design a beam down lfr.It is possible to design it in cad and then insert it in tonatiuh or have to design it in tonatiuh(the geometry is complex) Also how can i start learning tonatiuh