Challenge and Research Trends of Solar Concentrators

• Other Authors: Liang, Dawei (Editor), Zhao, Changming (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2022
• Subjects: Technology: general issues; History of engineering & technology; luminescent solar concentrator; solar spectrum splitter; power generation in space; microalgae; beam merging; multirod; Nd:YAG; solar furnace; solar flux homogenizer; solar laser; TEM00-mode; solar pumping; twisted light guide; top hat; doughnut-shaped; nanofluid; conical concentrator system; performance comparison; thermal efficiency; Fresnel lens; Gaussian source; groove number; solar flux; optical efficiency; full width at half maximum; concentrator; light guide; optical fiber solar system; solar daylighting; laser; parabolic mirror; solar concentrator; collecting efficiency; conical solar concentrator; performance analysis; solar energy; Ce:Nd:YAG; aspherical lens; side-pumped; uniformity; light-guide; homogenizer; solar-pumped laser; laser efficiency
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

Primary and secondary solar concentrators are of vital importance for advanced solar energy and solar laser researches. Some of the most recent developments in primary and secondary solar concentrators were firstly presented. A novel three-dimensional elliptical-shaped Fresnel lens analytical model was put forward to maximize the solar concentration ratio of Fresnel-lens-based solar concentrators. By combining a Fresnel lens with a modified parabolic mirror, significant improvement in solar laser efficiency was numerically calculated. A fixed fiber light guide system using concave outlet concentrators was proposed. The absence of a solar tracking structure highlights this research. By shaping a luminescent solar concentrators in the form of an elliptic array, its emission losses was drastically reduced. Simple conical secondary concentrator was effective for thermal applications. New progresses in solar-pumped lasers by NOVA University of Lisbon were presented. By adopting a rectangular fused silica light guide, 40 W maximum solar laser power was emitted from a single Ce:Nd:YAG rod. An aspheric fused silica secondary concentrator and a small diameter Ce:Nd:YAG rod were essential for attaining 4.5 % record solar-to-laser power conversion efficiency. A novel solar concentrator design for the efficient production of doughnut-shaped and top-hat solar laser beams were also reported. More importantly, a novel solar concentrator approach for the emission of 5 kW-class TEM00 mode solar laser beams from one megawatt solar furnace was put forward at the end of this book, revealing promising future for solar-pumped lasers.