Performance improvements of symmetry-breaking reflector structures in nonimaging devices
Abstract
A structure and method for providing a broken symmetry reflector structure for a solar concentrator device. The component of the optical direction vector along the symmetry axis is conserved for all rays propagated through a translationally symmetric optical device. This quantity, referred to as the translational skew invariant, is conserved in rotationally symmetric optical systems. Performance limits for translationally symmetric nonimaging optical devices are derived from the distributions of the translational skew invariant for the optical source and for the target to which flux is to be transferred. A numerically optimized non-tracking solar concentrator utilizing symmetry-breaking reflector structures can overcome the performance limits associated with translational symmetry.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1174674
- Patent Number(s):
- 6676263
- Application Number:
- 10/212,010
- Assignee:
- University Of Chicago
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24S - SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG0287ER13726
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING
Citation Formats
Winston, Roland. Performance improvements of symmetry-breaking reflector structures in nonimaging devices. United States: N. p., 2004.
Web.
Winston, Roland. Performance improvements of symmetry-breaking reflector structures in nonimaging devices. United States.
Winston, Roland. Tue .
"Performance improvements of symmetry-breaking reflector structures in nonimaging devices". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1174674.
@article{osti_1174674,
title = {Performance improvements of symmetry-breaking reflector structures in nonimaging devices},
author = {Winston, Roland},
abstractNote = {A structure and method for providing a broken symmetry reflector structure for a solar concentrator device. The component of the optical direction vector along the symmetry axis is conserved for all rays propagated through a translationally symmetric optical device. This quantity, referred to as the translational skew invariant, is conserved in rotationally symmetric optical systems. Performance limits for translationally symmetric nonimaging optical devices are derived from the distributions of the translational skew invariant for the optical source and for the target to which flux is to be transferred. A numerically optimized non-tracking solar concentrator utilizing symmetry-breaking reflector structures can overcome the performance limits associated with translational symmetry.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2004},
month = {1}
}