Planar solar concentrator composed of stacked waveguides with arc-segment structures and movable receiving assemblies

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Solar energy concentration is crucial for efficient photovoltaic (PV) power generation.
• Traditional concentrators face challenges with angular tolerance and uniform irradiance distribution.
• Advanced optical designs are needed to improve solar energy harvesting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel two-staged, transparent planar solar concentrator.
• To enhance concentration ratios and coupling efficiency using waveguide sheets and arc-segment structures.
• To ensure uniform irradiance on PV cells through a hybrid tracking and movable receiving assembly.

Main Methods:

• A two-stage solar concentrator design featuring stacked waveguide sheets with arc-segment structures (TIR collectors).
• A movable receiving assembly with light guide channels (LGCs) and compound parabolic collectors (CPCs).
• A hybrid tracking approach combined with lateral sliding of the receiving assembly based on incidence angles.

Main Results:

• The optimal model demonstrated an average efficiency of 0.87.
• An average uniformity of 0.875 was achieved across the PV cells.
• A high average concentration ratio of 738 was obtained over a year under AM 1.5D conditions.

Conclusions:

• The proposed two-staged solar concentrator effectively achieves high concentration ratios and uniform irradiance.
• The hybrid tracking and movable collector system enhances performance and angular tolerance.
• This innovative design shows significant potential for improving solar energy conversion efficiency.