heliostat
noun
he·lio·stat
| \ ˈhē-lē-ə-ˌstat
\
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Definition of heliostat
: an instrument consisting of a mirror mounted on an axis moved by clockwork by which a sunbeam is steadily reflected in one direction
Examples of heliostat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The plant, operated by Torresol Energy, consists of 2,650 heliostats — mirrors that turn to track the motion of the sun, fanning out around, and reflecting sunlight toward, a 150-meter (490-foot)-high tower. — Shweta Narayan, Smithsonian, "How Engineers of New Energy Technology Are Taking Cues From Nature," 31 Aug. 2019 Molten Salt Thermal Storage Molten salt can retain heat for a long time, so it's generally found in solar thermal plants, where dozens or hundreds of heliostats (large mirrors) use the heat from sunlight to create energy. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Here are humanity’s best ideas on how to store energy," 28 Oct. 2017 The facility consists of an array of heliostats—or panels that reflect sunlight onto a thermal tower—and a molten salt tank. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Pumping liquid metal at 1,400°C opens the door for better solar thermal systems," 13 Oct. 2017 The observatory connects to a heliostat mounted outside, which tracks the sun and reflects light at the telescopes. — Nicholas St. Fleur, The Seattle Times, "College town in Illinois gets ready for its moment under no sun," 14 July 2017 Gary Poliquin of Lake Zurich was another astronomical society member who set up a simple heliostat, which bounced the image through a lens and then onto a large screen about 40 feet away. — Frank S. Abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "'A bite out of the sun': Eclipse causes a buzz at Volo Bog," 21 Aug. 2017 The observatory connects to a heliostat mounted outside, which tracks the sun and reflects light at the telescopes. — Nicholas St. Fleur, The Seattle Times, "College town in Illinois gets ready for its moment under no sun," 14 July 2017 The observatory connects to a heliostat mounted outside, which tracks the sun and reflects light at the telescopes. — Nicholas St. Fleur, The Seattle Times, "College town in Illinois gets ready for its moment under no sun," 14 July 2017 The observatory connects to a heliostat mounted outside, which tracks the sun and reflects light at the telescopes. — Nicholas St. Fleur, The Seattle Times, "College town in Illinois gets ready for its moment under no sun," 14 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heliostat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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