Theory and design of line-to-point focus solar concentrators with tracking secondary optics

Cooper, Thomas; Ambrosetti, Gianluca; Pedretti, Andrea; Steinfeld, Aldo

doi:10.1364/ao.52.008586

Cited by 25 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…al. [4]. Depending on latitude, single-axis tracking about a horizontal North-South axis results in significantly lower annual insolation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The residual skew incidence on a module tracked about a polar-aligned axis is related to the solar position by [4] (1) where is the solar azimuth (referenced from south), is the solar altitude angle, and is the site latitude. Tracking about a horizontal North-South axis results in a larger skew incidence range defined by [4] (2)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tracking about a horizontal North-South axis results in a larger skew incidence range defined by [4] (2)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The emergent field of tracking-integrated optics enables a potentially low cost concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) implementation, where single-axis module tracking is complemented by an additional degree of freedom within the module [1,2,3,4,5]. Gross module tracking can take on multiple configurations, the most common being rotation about a polar or horizontal North-South oriented axis.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Field weighting model for tracking-integrated optics

Wheelwright

Angel

Coughenour

et al. 2014

AIP Conference Proceedings

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Abstract. The emergent field of tracking-integrated optics enables a potentially low cost concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) implementation, where single-axis module tracking is complemented by an additional degree of freedom within the module [1,2,3,4,5]. Gross module tracking can take on multiple configurations, the most common being rotation about a polar or horizontal North-South oriented axis. Polar-axis tracking achieves >95% sunlight collection compared to dual-axis tracking [6], leaving the tracking-integrated optics to compensate for +/-23.5° seasonal variations. The collection efficiency of N-S horizontal axis tracking is latitude-dependent, with ~90% collection relative to dual-axis tracking at 32.2° latitude. Horizontal tracking at higher latitudes shifts an increasing burden to the tracking-integrated optics, which must operate between two incidence angle extremes: summer solstice sunrise/sunset to winter solstice noon. An important aspect of tracking-integrated lens design is choosing a suitable field weighting to appropriately account for annual DNI received at each angle of incidence. We present a field weighting model, generalized for polar or horizontal module tracking at any latitude, which shows excellent agreement with measured insolation data. This model is particularly helpful for the design of tracking-integrated optics for horizontally-tracked modules, where the correct field weighting is asymmetric and significantly biased away from the normal incidence.

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“…al. [4]. Depending on latitude, single-axis tracking about a horizontal North-South axis results in significantly lower annual insolation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tracking about a horizontal North-South axis results in a larger skew incidence range defined by [4] (2)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Field weighting model for tracking-integrated optics

Wheelwright

Angel

Coughenour

et al. 2014

AIP Conference Proceedings

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“…A tracking secondary optic [1] enables the system to achieve concentration levels of 500 suns and the cells array temperature is controlled by means of water jet impingement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

CPV cells cooling system based on submerged jet impingement: CFD modeling and experimental validation

Montorfano¹,

Gaetano²,

Barbato³

et al. 2014

AIP Conference Proceedings

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Diffuse Solar Micro‐Concentrators Using Dielectric Total Internal Reflection with Tunable Side and Top Profiles

Lin

Ung

et al. 2022

Energy Tech

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Photovoltaics (PV) is one of the most promising renewable energy technologies thanks to the ubiquitous access to solar radiation around the globe, as well as the development of multijunction PV that has increased power conversion efficiency (PCE) above the single junction limits in the past half century. [1,2] To fully realize the power production potential of PV, solar cells with higher PCEs and deployment in greater areas are required. Although the costs of silicon solar cells have been dramatically reduced in recent years, their application potential in new areas such as buildingintegrated PV, mobile power, and transportation is limited since standard silicon panels are simply too bulky, heavy, rigid, and inefficient for these applications. Multijunction solar cell technologies based on III-V semiconductors with the highest PCEs still suffer from large unit costs due to expensive materials and complicated fabrication processes, and are therefore used almost exclusively in space applications or small installations that are impractical for large-scale terrestrial power production. [3][4][5] Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) systems have long been considered a potential solution to such difficulties. [6] Implementing optical concentrators allows for cost-efficient harvesting of solar radiation from a much larger area than that of the PV device, since it replaces expensive semiconductor photoelectronic materials with less expensive materials for the concentrator optics. [7] Moreover, it is well known that solar cells made from high-mobility crystalline materials can benefit from higher incident radiation intensities to produce higher PCEs at increased open-circuit voltages (V oc ), making concentrators almost a necessary component for large-scale commercialization and terrestrial deployment of III-V high-PCE multijunction solar cells. [8][9][10] Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is a popular nextgeneration implementation of PV systems with unique requirements. [11] Direct integration of PV into the building envelope enables the utilization of a large portion of existing building surface area to generate power, and reduces costs related to electricity transportation and distribution. [12] The utilization of BIPV systems as building envelope materials has the potential to not only enable cost savings, but also become a source of income for a building. Despite the presence of many implementation

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Theory and design of line-to-point focus solar concentrators with tracking secondary optics

Cited by 25 publications

References 29 publications

Field weighting model for tracking-integrated optics

Field weighting model for tracking-integrated optics

CPV cells cooling system based on submerged jet impingement: CFD modeling and experimental validation

Diffuse Solar Micro‐Concentrators Using Dielectric Total Internal Reflection with Tunable Side and Top Profiles

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