Optical performance of a hybrid compound parabolic concentrator and parabolic trough concentrator system for dual concentration

Abstract

This work proposes a hybrid compound parabolic concentrator and parabolic trough concentrator (CPC/PTC) system for concentrator photovoltaic/thermal (CPV/T) and hybrid concentrator photovoltaic/thermal-thermoelectric generator (CPVT-TEG) applications. The geometrical design and optical analysis of the novel hybrid CPC/PTC system are discussed in the present study. Ray-tracing models were used to identify the different variables that influence the optical efficiency of both CPC and PTC. The concentration ratio (CR) of PTC in the hybrid CPC/PTC system is evaluated and compared with the standard PTC concentration ratio for various rim angles ranging from 15° to 75°. The results revealed that the loss in PTC concentration due to the CPC’s shadow on the hybrid CPC/PTC system is reduced when the aperture width of the PTC is increased. The maximum optical efficiency of the hybrid CPC/PTC system for 0° incident angle is ~ 73% which is ~ 6.35% higher than standard PTC. Finally, the proposed hybrid CPC/PTC system’s overall optical efficiency is evaluated under various tracking modes for equinox, summer solstice, and winter solstice. The results imply that the dual-axis tracking CPC/PTC system achieves a constant optical efficiency of ~ 70%.