solsticepy 0.3

Scripts and wrappers for Solstice ray-tracing software

# Introduction

This repository contains Python wrappers for running the [Solstice](https://www.meso-star.com/projects/solstice/solstice.html) ray-tracing software, which can be used for the simulation of concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems. The repository also contains copies of the [post-processing tools](https://www.meso-star.com/projects/solstice/solstice-resources.html) for Solstice, which are required by our Python wrappers. Finally, this repository contains code to generate an easy-to-use Windows installer for Solstice.

[][1]

# solsticepy

See the [documentation](https://solsticepy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?badge=latest) for solsticepy at Read The Docs.

# Installing Solstice

## Windows

• For Windows (Windows 10, 64-bit), use our 64-bit [binary installer](https://github.com/anustg/solstice-scripts/releases) to install Solstice. The resulting files will be located in c:Program Filessolstice-0.9.0 (with the appropriate version number). Note that the Windows installer also includes the post-processing tools.

## Linux

• In Linux system (eg Ubuntu 18.04 64-bit), you must download the binary tarball from the [Solstice homepage](https://www.meso-star.com/projects/solstice/solstice.html). Note, you will also separately need to set up the post-processing tools.

`bash ### download and extract: cd ~ wget "https://www.meso-star.com/projects/solstice/downloads/Solstice-0.9.0-GNU-Linux64.tar.gz" tar zxvf Solstice-0.9.0-GNU-Linux64.tar.gz ### add solstice to your PATHs: export PATH=$PATH:~/Solstice-0.9.0-GNU-Linux64/bin export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LB_LIBRARY_PATH:~/Solstice-0.9.0-GNU-Linux64/lib ### check that it runs: solstice --help `

• Note that you can add the two export commands to your ~/.profile file in order that solstice remains available next time you log in.

• To install the post-processing scripts:

`bash ### download this code repository: cd ~ git clone https://github.com/anustg/solstice-scripts.git cd solstice-scripts ### compile the post-processing scripts scons ### install the post-processing scripts to the solstice PATH scons INSTALL_PREFIX=~/Solstice-0.9.0-GNU-Linux64 install `

# Installing solsticepy wrapper scripts

The instructions below give easy instructions for end-users. If you are interested in hacking/developing/changing solsticepy code, see [HACKING](HACKING.md) instead.

## Windows

• First install Python if you have not done so already. Choose the latest “Windows x86-64 executable installer” of the latest Python 3 [release for Windows](https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/).

• If you added Python to your PATH during installation you can just open a command prompt and type pip3 install solsticepy and that should download and install everything you need.

• If you didn’t add Python to your PATH, you can do the following:

  • Create a text file install.py in your home directory with the following content:

`python # put this file in your home directory and name it install.py import sys, subprocess subprocess.check_call([sys.executable,"-m","pip","install","solsticepy"]) ` * Open a command prompt (type ‘cmd’ in the Start menu), then type

` install.py ` * You should see Python downloading and installing ‘solsticepy’ from the PyPI servers.

# Installing Paraview

• Be sure to install a version 4 release of Paraview. Version 5 was not stable on Windows when we tested it (Apr 2020).

• On Windows:

  • Try downloading and installing [ParaView-4.4.0-Qt4-Windows-64bit.exe](https://www.paraview.org/paraview-downloads/download.php?submit=Download&version=v4.4&type=binary&os=Windows&downloadFile=ParaView-4.4.0-Qt4-Windows-64bit.exe).

• On Linux (Ubuntu 18.04):

  • sudo apt install paraview should be all you need.

# Running a example wrapper script:

• This section yet to be completed

• Download our Zip file from [this page](https://github.com/anustg/solstice-scripts/releases/)

• Extract the folder example to your home directory

• Open a command prompt, navigate to your example directory, then run the run.py script:

` cd example run.py ` * You should see various output, followed by “Completed successfully”. Also note the output what says “Case directory is…”.

• In the case directory, you will file output files including .csv files that can be opened using Excel, and .vtk files that contain 3D graphics can be opened in Paraview.

# References

• Solstice: https://www.meso-star.com/projects/solstice/solstice.html

• Wang, Y., Potter, D., Asselineau, C.-A., Corsi, C., Wagner, M., Caliot, C., Piaud, B., Blanco, M., Kim, J.-S., Pye, J., 2019. [Verification of Optical Modeling on Sunshape and Surface Slope Error](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337636543). Solar Energy 195. doi:10.1016/j.solener.2019.11.035

[1]: https://solsticepy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?badge=latest