Determination of accuracy of measurements by NREL`s Scanning Hartmann Optical Test instrument

NREL`s Scanning Hartmann Optical Test (SHOT) instrument is routinely used to characterize the surface of candidate dish concentration elements for solar thermal applications. An approach was devised to quantify the accuracy of these measurements. Excellent reproducibility was exhibited and high confidence established. The SHOT instrument was designed to allow the surface figure of large optical test articles to be accurately specified. Such test articles are nominally parabolic with an f/D ratio (in which f=focal length and D=aperture diameter) in the range of 0.5--1.0. Recent modifications of SHOT have extended the characterization range out to about f/D=3.0. A series of experiments was designed to investigate and quantify the uncertainties associated with optical characterization performed by SHOT. This approach involved making a series of measurements with an arbitrary test article positioned at a number of locations transverse to the optical axis of SHOT. 3 refs.