Abstract
The recent development of photovoltaic cells for high flux levels, of the order of 1000 suns, opens new challenges for the design of solar cell concentrators. A new approach for concentrating photovoltaic systems that can easily attain the maximum flux levels commensurate with solar cell technology is proposed. The collection unit is a miniature paraboloidal dish (e.g., with a diameter of the order of 10 cm) that concentrates sunlight into a short glass rod. The flux distribution of the transported light is homogenized in a miniature glass kaleidoscope that is optically coupled to a small, high-efficiency solar cell. The cell resides behind the dish and can be cooled adequately with a passive heat sink. These nominally independent collection units can be assembled into modules and arrays that produce almost any prescribed power level. All system elements are predicated on existing technologies.
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