A new static lighting concentrator with optical coupler

Abstract

Currently, energy-saving and carbon dioxide reduction are the most critical issues faced by the globe. Therefore, solar energy should be used as much as possible. A possible use is to illuminate a solar cell so as to transform light energy directly into electricity. However, due to its low efficiency and high cost, the solar cell is not presently economically feasible. Utilization of solar energy, which is considered one of the most important renewable energy sources, not only reduces consumption of fossil fuel but also slows down the pace of global warming. In addition to the use of solar cells, daylight illumination is also an important access to solar energy. Our team has developed a technique that can guide the natural light to the interior for indoor illumination. It is called the “Natural Light Guiding System.” Our system can guide sunlight to the interior, but the distribution of light at the exit of the system is disordered. To solve this problem, we have proposed an optical coupling transmission structure with right-angled prism collecting modules. We analyzed the mathematical model of coupling transmission. And, we also analyzed the efficiency of this cascade structure at the exit surface of the concentrator. In this paper, we provide a high efficiency new concentrator coupled to a transmission device. We save 75% of the optical fiber cable expense usage and we improve efficiency by 47.46% when we add an optical coupling transmission structure to our static lighting concentrator. It is better than the original cascade prism static concentrator. Taking the fiber cost into consideration, we defined a key performance index—it is a ratio of luminous flux on an illuminated area. Our system can provide more powerful light for indoor illumination than existing methods The optical coupling can provide high transmission efficiency and provide parallel light beams at the export from the optical coupling module. We used optical simulation tools to design and simulate the efficiency of the active module. We can use this system as an ecological illumination system to offer steady illumination in indoor space to provide healthy illumination, save energy, and meet safety requirements.