New high-flux two-stage optical designs for parabolic solar concentrators

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(93)90144-D· OSTI ID:5662415

Friedman, R P; Gordon, J M ^[1]; Ries, H ^[2]

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1. Ben-Gurion Univ. of the Negev, Sede Boqer (Israel) Ben-Gurion Univ. of the Negev, Beersheva (Israel)
2. Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel)

We present a new two-stage optical design for parabolic dish concentrators that can realistically attain close to 90% of the thermodynamic limit to concentration with practical, compact designs (e.g., at parabola rim half-angles of around 45[degrees]). For comparison, the parabolic dish-plus-compound parabolic concentrator secondary design, at this rim angle, achieves no more than 50% of the thermodynamic limit. Our new secondary concentrator is tailored to accept edge rays from the parabolic primary, and incurs less than one reflection on average. It necessitates displacing the absorber from the parabola's focal plane, along the concentrator's optic axis, toward the primary reflector, and constructing the secondary between the absorber and the primary. The secondary tailored edge-ray concentrators described here create new possibilities for building compact, extremely high flux solar furnaces and/or commercial parabolic dish systems.

• OSTI ID: 5662415
• Journal Information: Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States), Journal Name: Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States) Vol. 51:5; ISSN 0038-092X; ISSN SRENA4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
COMMERCIALIZATION
COMPOUND PARABOLIC CONCENTRATORS
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
FURNACES
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC DISH COLLECTORS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR FURNACES