CoPylot assign_layout method

Hi Paul,

I'm using CoPylot with my specific heliostat field data (heliostat positions). I'm using the method assign_layout as per documentation. I'm using a heliostat field from SAM with 8793 heliostats. I'm not passing the canting and aimpoints, just the template id and heliostat position <template id (int)>, <location X>, <location Y>, <location Z>.

CoPylot runs perfectly but afterwards, when I check the information of the solar filed using get_layout_info, some of the heliostats are missing (the count of heliostat is 8643 after going through CoPylot.  In the figure attached, the green dots represent the heliostat positions in the original file (8793 hel. in total). Over the original field, I have plotted in red the field after using assign_layout in CoPylot (8643 hel). As you can see, CoPylot removes some of the heliostats from the field. It truncates the heliostats from the outer rings. Do you know what the reason for this behavior is? Thank you very much. Miguel

After some research, I now understand that assign_layout is not used to perform simulations with a specific field, it just sets the positions of the heliostats, and then the heliostats are placed until the required power is reached. To simulate a specific field I can increase the design power until all the heliostats are placed in the positions set by the layout.

Hello,

As you note, CoPylot performs field design with the user-assigned heliostat field. This may result in CoPylot filtering heliostats that are
not needed to meet design point conditions. You can turn off this filtering adding the following line of code before calling “assign_layout”:
 
Best regards,
Paul.