Optical simulation model for flat mirror concentrators

Different simulation models for solar concentrators were developed to obtain the irradiance distribution on the absorber. Usually these optical simulations were valid only for a particular concentrator. Other simulations adequate for different concentrator shapes are based on ray tracing algorithms requiring high computing resources. An optimized reverse ray tracing model for flat mirror concentrators that allows to reduce the noise and the computing time necessary for such simulations is described.

[1]  D. L. Evans On the performance of cylindrical parabolic solar concentrators with flat absorbers , 1977 .

[2]  Christopher Dey,et al.  The effective size of the solar cone for solar concentrating systems , 2003 .

[3]  R. O. Nicolás,et al.  Generalization of the two-dimensional optical analysis of cylindrical concentrators , 1980 .

[4]  T. C. Kandpal,et al.  Ray trace evaluation of solar concentrators including limb darkening effects , 1986 .

[5]  G. D. Sootha,et al.  A comparative study of optical designs and solar flux concentrating characteristics of a linear fresnel reflector solar concentrator with tubular absorber , 1994 .

[6]  F. Biggs,et al.  Mathematical modeling of solar concentrators , 1976 .

[7]  F. W. Lipps,et al.  An analytic evaluation of the flux density due to sunlight reflected from a flat mirror having a polygonal boundary , 1978 .

[8]  D. Buie,et al.  The effect of circumsolar radiation on a solar concentrating system , 2004 .

[9]  James A. Harris,et al.  Focal plane flux distributions produced by solar concentrating reflectors , 1981 .

[10]  C. Dey,et al.  Sunshape distributions for terrestrial solar simulations , 2003 .

[11]  J. Daly Solar concentrator flux distributions using backward ray tracing. , 1979, Applied optics.

[12]  Harald Ries,et al.  Optimized compact secondary reflectors for parabolic troughs with tubular absorbers , 1997 .

[13]  R. A. Phillips,et al.  Contemporary Optics for Scientists and Engineers , 1977 .