Laminated Fresnel lenses
A fabrication method for making plastic-on-glass laminated Fresnel lenses is discussed. These Fresnel lenses are for application in an RCA solar photovoltaic concentrator array now in the prototype stage of development. This laminated Fresnel lens fabrication method consists of making a Dow Corning J RTV silastic rubber mold of a master lens array. This mold is used to vacuum cast only the lens facets onto a low-iron tempered-glass substrate with an epoxy resin such as Hysol 0S 1000, a bisphenol-A resin with a flexibilizer that is anhydride cured. Cast acrylic Fresnel lens arrays commercialy available have potential cleaning and abrasion problems, have very large thermal expansion, and have dimensional uncertainties in their manufacture. The laminated lens is dimensionally stable with low thermal expansion, has good cleaning characteristics, and is very inexpensive in materials cost. The measured transmission of such a lens on low-iron glass is 80.4% compared with 85.1% for a cast acrylic lens, and the optical quality is good enough for application in the 100X to 200X concentration range. An approach to making large lens arrays (3 by 6 ft) on a commercial scale is explored.
- Research Organization:
- RCA Labs., Princeton, NJ (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 5358036
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-80-7007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CONCENTRATOR SOLAR CELLS
FRESNEL LENS
FABRICATION
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
CLEANING
CONCENTRATION RATIO
COST
GLASS
LAMELLAE
LIGHT TRANSMISSION
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PLASTICS
RESINS
THERMAL EXPANSION
VACUUM CASTING
CASTING
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EQUIPMENT
EXPANSION
LENSES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYMERS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TESTING
141000* - Solar Collectors & Concentrators
140501 - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion