Abstract
The significance of this work lies in the development of a novel code-based, detailed, and deterministic geometrical approach that couples the optimization of the Fresnel lens primary optical element (POE) and the dome-shaped secondary optical element (SOE). The objective was to maximize the concentration acceptance product (CAP), while using the minimum SOE and receiver geometry at a given f-number and incidence angle (also referred to as the tracking error angle). The laws of polychromatic light refraction along with trigonometry and spherical geometry were utilized to optimize the POE grooves, SOE radius, receiver size, and SOE–receiver spacing. Two literature case studies were analyzed to verify this work’s optimization, both with a spot Fresnel lens POE and a spherical dome SOE. Case 1 had a 625 cm2 POE at an f-number of 1.5, and Case 2 had a 314.2 cm2 POE at an f-number of 1.34. The equivalent POE designed by this work, with optimized SOE radiuses of 13.6 and 11.4 mm, respectively, enhanced the CAP value of Case 1 by 52% to 0.426 and that of Case 2 by 32.4% to 0.45. The SOE’s analytical optimization of Case 1 was checked by a simulated comparative analysis to ensure the validity of the results. Fine-tuning this design for thermal applications and concentrated photovoltaics is also discussed in this paper. The algorithm can be further improved for more optimization parameters and other SOE shapes.
Highlights
Recent fluctuations in oil prices have raised enormous doubts about the energy security of many nations
Modeling the flat-spot Fresnel lens primary optical element (POE) is based on a two-dimensional ray-tracing method, where one ray at the center of each prismatic groove is traced through the lens with the purpose of refracting that ray onto the center of the focal plane by optimizing the prism angle, θ
Ray tracing through the POE was performed at the each of those center values, and the optimized prism dimensions were averaged out to incorporate the weight factors of all segments
Summary
Recent fluctuations in oil prices have raised enormous doubts about the energy security of many nations. These fluctuations have contributed to the need for low-cost and efficient harvesting of the sun’s energy—a pursuit which has greatly increased the technological advancements in the design and fabrication of solar equipment [1]. Fresnel lens concentrators have emerged as promising alternatives to reflective mirrors, especially for their lower investment costs, competitive optical performance, and compact size [2]. The use of secondary optical elements (SOEs) has been analyzed in order to widen the acceptance angle of the Fresnel lens primary optical element (POE), improve the optical efficiency, and enhance the flux uniformity for concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) applications [3,4].
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