Linear Fresnel lens with polar tracking

Area of Science:

• Optical engineering
• Renewable energy systems

Background:

• Linear Fresnel lenses offer a cost-effective approach to solar concentration.
• Aberrations like coma and chromatic distortion can limit the performance of Fresnel lenses.
• Accurate solar tracking is crucial for maximizing energy capture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of coma and color-corrected linear Fresnel lenses.
• To assess their suitability for polar tracking solar concentrator systems.

Main Methods:

• Optical design and simulation of corrected linear Fresnel lenses.
• Experimental setup for solar concentration testing.
• Performance evaluation under simulated solar conditions with polar tracking.

Main Results:

• Effective solar concentration ratios of up to 90 were achieved.
• The lenses demonstrated a consistent efficiency of 75% under tested conditions.
• Correction for coma and color significantly improved optical quality and concentration.

Conclusions:

• Coma and color-corrected linear Fresnel lenses are effective for solar concentration.
• These lenses show significant potential for use in polar tracking systems.
• High concentration ratios and efficiencies are achievable with optimized lens designs.