Four Hours to Record the Solar Field of a 50-megawatt power plant – Amazing Work Being Done By DLR Institute of Solar Research!

Check out this video produced by DLR Institute of Solar Research. The Microdrones Team is proud to see our drones being put to such good use, as part of the overall DLR integration to more safely and efficiently inspect solar panels.

Video Courtesy of DLR Institute of Solar Research: The core of the measuring system developed by the DLR Institute of Solar Research is intelligent analysis software. A quadrocopter flies over the power plant, captures images of the entire installation and sends them to the QFly software. The time required is much lower than when checking the collectors on the ground: it takes around four hours to record the solar field of a 50-megawatt power plant. The analysis software calculates the shape accuracy of the concentrators from the images and determines the accuracy of tracking the mirrors to the sun. The optical performance is shown in a color gradient. This allows the trained user to determine the maintenance requirements of each collector at a glance and to identify any design errors. Based on the software analysis, the power plant operator can initiate suitable improvement measures that increase the efficiency of the plant. Industry and service companies can purchase the QFly software under a licence agreement.

Last year, the work of DLR was featured in Inside Unmanned Systems. Read about it here.

About DLR Institute of Solar Research

DLR's Institute of Solar Research focuses on research and development in the field of concentrating solar systems. It seeks to build bridges between basic research, large-scale projects and industrial applications. The Institute figures as a prime mover of the development and qualification of solar power and allied technologies, both in Europe and on a global scale.

The Institute was established in 2011 and has around 150 employees at four locations: Cologne, Juelich, Stuttgart and Almeria (Spain).

https://www.dlr.de/sf/en/desktopdefault.aspx

If you are interested in using Microdrones aircraft for your special research project, application or integration, please schedule some time to talk with our friendly, helpful experts!