Dongfang Electric Launches China’s First Ultra-High Wind Speed Resistant Heliostat Intelligent Assembly Line

Recently, China’s first independently developed intelligent assembly line for ultra-high wind speed resistant heliostats, developed by Dongfang Electric Group, has been fully completed and put into mass production. Integrating intelligent assembly, automatic detection and digital integration, the production line injects new intelligent momentum into the development of China’s new energy industry, marking a major breakthrough in the localized and intelligent manufacturing of core solar thermal power equipment.

People’s Network Sichuan Channel reports that heliostats, known as "sun-chasing artifacts", are core equipment of solar thermal power systems, and their wind resistance and manufacturing precision directly affect the long-term stable operation of power stations and photoelectric conversion efficiency. Unlike ordinary mirrors, heliostats use low-iron ultra-white glass as the substrate and are coated with a thin layer of high-purity silver film, with a reflectivity of up to 94%—much higher than the 85% of ordinary mirrors.

The newly completed intelligent assembly line achieves full-chain automated control from component processing to finished product delivery, overcoming key technical challenges such as high-precision bonding of large-size heliostats and wind load matching. Equipped with more than 10 invention patents, the production line enables products to cope with extreme wind field challenges with ease, especially suitable for areas with strong winds such as plateaus and coastal regions.

Through the linkage of large-scale intelligent hoisting, automatic component splicing, on-line surface shape detection and other equipment, the production line greatly improves the production precision and efficiency of solar thermal heliostats. Sun Dengke, deputy chief engineer of Dongfang Boiler Co., Ltd. under Dongfang Electric Group, explained that the heliostats developed by the group adopt a special pentagonal design with a slight concave surface, which evenly distributes stress and enhances wind resistance significantly.

China Energy Network notes that Dongfang Electric Group focuses on tower-type solar thermal technology research and development, with full industrial chain capabilities including concentrating and collecting heat, heat storage and exchange systems, steam turbines and generators. It has participated in the construction of more than 20 projects, including the world’s highest-altitude Tibet Anduo 100MW tower-type solar thermal power project.

At present, the automated production capacity of a single production line has reached the highest level in the industry. While ensuring process standardization, it has greatly shortened the production and delivery cycle, providing strong support for the accelerated construction of solar thermal power stations in extreme wind areas. The intelligent control system of the heliostats can automatically adjust angles according to wind speed, starting the "windproof mode" when the wind speed exceeds 13 meters per second to reduce wind resistance.

The engineering implementation of this assembly line not only improves the reliability of heliostats in extreme environments but also provides an effective solution for the construction of solar thermal power stations in strong wind regions such as plateaus and coastal areas. It further consolidates China’s leading position in the field of solar thermal power technology and promotes the high-quality development of the new energy industry.