PYRAMID LAMP MEDALLION CONTROL FOR SOLAR THERMAL POWER GENERATION SYSTEM

A method of calibrating a mirror orientation system of a heliostat includes mounting an artificial light source to a heliostat mirror, providing an array of light sensors on a solar thermal tower and positioning the heliostat mirror at a first orientation. A control module is provided a signal indicative of a mirror drive mechanism position at the first mirror orientation. The control module correlates the signal indicative of the mechanism position with an energy distribution across the sensor array as the artificial light source is energized when the mirror is at the first orientation. The drive mechanism moves the mirror to a second orientation and directs artificial light on the sensor array. The drive mechanism position signal is correlated with an energy distribution across the sensor array based on the second mirror orientation. The heliostat is calibrated based on the energy distributions and the drive mechanism position signals.