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heliostat

heliostat

1 9.3
A machine with a mirror that turns by itself to keep sunlight pointing in one direction
  • noun
  • /ˈhiːliəˌstæt/
  • Specialized
: heliostato
  • The heliostat automatically rotates to reflect sunlight towards the solar panels.
  • mirrors called heliostats

Examples

  • The heliostat field, the tower, and the turbine-generator will require only minimal modifications.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In these systems, a field of two-axis tracking mirrors, called heliostats, reflects the solar energy onto a receiver mounted on top of a centrally located tower (Figure 1b).

    Academic text (1994)
  • Fed by a heliostat, it produced a solar image almost seven inches in diameter.

    Academic text (1992)
  • PHOTO: Figure 4. Solar One with the heliostat field aimed at the stand-by position.

    Academic text (1994)
  • You have a whole bunch of heliostats, thousands of them, so slanted mirrors that again reflect this light.

  • Here we utilize the sun's rays from the heliostat.

  • Sunlight can be used as heat or electricity and is converted through optical cells, solar panels, or mirrors called heliostats synchronized with the sun as it moves.

    Blog text (4)
  • Therefore, the building will be provided with laboratories for optical, spectroscopic, and chemical work, concave grating rooms, large dark rooms, developing, emulsion and enlarging rooms, a galvanometer electronics room, and the large heliostat room.

    Academic text (1992)
  • In our experiment, the heliostat tracked the sun's movement throughout the day.

  • Engineers designed the heliostat to maintain a steady reflection of sunlight for energy collection.

Surface Forms

heliostat singular
heliostats plural

Morphology

heliostat = helio + stat

Formed from Greek combining elements helio- ('sun') and -stat ('standing/device'), which are not productive standalone words for average B1 learners, so the meaning is not directly derivable from familiar English bases.

Etymology

Heliostat comes from the Greek helios ('sun') and -stat ('to stand' or 'stay in place'), like in thermostat. So a heliostat is a device that 'stands' the sun in one direction by moving a mirror to keep sunlight steady where you want it.