Abstract
The optical characteristics of a radially symmetrical core-shell spherical (CSSP) lens is analyzed for its suitability to application in microtracking concentrator photovoltaic systems (MTCPVs). The CSSP lens is compared to a conventional homogenous spherical lens through both ray-tracing simulations and outdoor experiments. Simulation results show that the CSSP lens is superior to the conventional homogenous spherical lens in terms of its optical efficiency for long focal lengths, for which the CSSP lens exhibits less spherical and chromatic aberrations. Outdoor experiments are conducted using test concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules with prototype CSSP and homogenous spherical lenses; the trend of the measured short circuit current agrees with the that of the simulated optical efficiency for both lenses. Furthermore, compared to the homogenous lens, the CSSP lens significantly increases module efficiency because of its better illumination uniformity at the solar cell surface. The optical characteristics of the CSSP lens are preferable for MTCPVs with a spherical lens array to achieve a higher module efficiency for a wider incidence angle although further studies on more practical system configurations are needed.
Highlights
Multijunction solar cells can achieve a high solar-cell efficiency of 46% [1]
The optical characteristics of a radially symmetrical core-shell spherical (CSSP) lens is analyzed regarding its to microtracking concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) applications
The CSSP lens, with a core composed of a material refractive index, exhibits a higher optical efficiency than the homogenous spherical lens for longer with a lower refractive index, exhibits a higher optical efficiency than the homogenous spherical lens focal lengths
Summary
Multijunction solar cells can achieve a high solar-cell efficiency of 46% [1]. Currently, the maximum efficiency of a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system that includes a multijunction solar cell and a concentrator is 36.7% [2]. The solar-cell stage can move optical performance of the spherical lens does not depend on the angle of incidence unless in the lateral direction (XY movement), while the spherical-lens array moves in the vertical direction interferences by adjacent lenses occurs in an array configuration. Unlike a hemisphere or other lenses, the optical rotating the lens, is and thenot focal position known, unless contributing to a by simpler performance of unnecessary, the spherical lens does depend on the is angle of incidence interferences mechanical design tracking control. A longer angle limit θlimit , which is defined as the angle at which the top end surface of the solar-cell stage focal length f enables a wider θlimit, and contributes to widening the acceptance angle.
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