| Title: |
Freeform Solar Concentrating Optics |
| Authors: |
Wheelwright, Brian |
| Contributors: |
Angel, Roger; Koshel, John; Kostuk, Raymond |
| Publisher Information: |
The University of Arizona. |
| Publication Year: |
2015 |
| Collection: |
The University of Arizona: UA Campus Repository |
| Subject Terms: |
CPV; CSP; Freeform Optics; multi-junction; Solar; Optical Sciences; concentration |
| Description: |
Notwithstanding several years of robust growth, solar energy still only accounts for40% conversion efficiency. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto thermally absorbing receivers, which generate electricity with convention thermal cycles. In this dissertation, four new optical approaches to CPV and CSP with potential for lower cost are analyzed. Common to each approach is the use of large square glass reflectors, which have very low areal cost (~$35/m^2) and field-proven reliability in the CSP industry. Chapter 2 describes a freeform toroidal lens array used to intercept the low concentration line focus of a parabolic trough to produce multiple high concentration foci (>800X) for multi-junction cells. In Chapter 3, three embodiments of dish mirrors and freeform lenslet arrays are explored, including an off-axis system. In each case, a dish mirror illuminates a freeform lenslet array, which divides sunlight equally to a sparse matrix of multi-junction cells. The off-axis optical system achieves +/-0.45° acceptance angle and averages 1215X geometric concentration over 400 multi-junction cells. Chapter 4 proposes a new architecture for CSP central receivers that achieves extremely high collection efficiency (>70%) with unconventional heliostat field tracking. In Chapter 5, the design and preliminary testing of a spectrum-splitting hybrid ... |
| Document Type: |
doctoral or postdoctoral thesis |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
http://hdl.handle.net/10150/577087 |
| Availability: |
http://hdl.handle.net/10150/577087 |
| Rights: |
Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.CCC488B2 |
| Database: |
BASE |