Stationary nonimaging lenses for solar concentration

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Renewable Energy Technologies
• Solar Energy Concentration

Background:

• Traditional solar concentrators rely on complex two-axis tracking systems.
• High-efficiency solar energy conversion requires precise alignment with the sun.
• Miniaturization and internal motion offer potential for simplified solar tracking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel refractive lens design for solar concentration.
• To develop a quasi-stationary solar concentrator by internalizing solar tracking.
• To optimize lens geometry for high solar flux across various incidence angles.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a variation of the simultaneous multiple surface technique for lens design.
• Implementing the sawtooth genetic algorithm to optimize optical geometric variables.
• Designing families of lenses with specified acceptance half-angles (60° and 30°).

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a novel method for designing refractive lenses with internal solar tracking.
• Achieved optimization of lens geometry for high flux generation.
• Successfully designed lenses with 60° and 30° acceptance half-angles.

Conclusions:

• The proposed design offers a quasi-stationary solar concentrator by replacing external tracking with internal solar cell motion.
• The simultaneous multiple surface technique combined with genetic algorithms is effective for optimizing solar optic designs.
• The developed technique yields low to medium concentration ratios suitable for specific applications.