Irradiation Distribution on Solar Cells inside CPCs with a Restricted Exit Angle

Abstract:

In this work, irradiation distribution on the base of ideal two-dimensional CPCs with and without a restricted exit angle, to which solar cells are attached, are analyzed by the ray-tracing technique. Results show that, given an acceptance half-angle (Θ_a), for CPCs without a restricted exit angle (CPC-1), radiation flux distribution on the base depends on the incidence angle of solar rays (Θ ); whereas for CPCs with a restricted exit angle (CPC-2), the flux distribution depends on and the restricted exit angle (Θ_e). For both CPC-1 and 2 with identical geometric concentration factor (Ct=2) and acceptance half-angle ( Θ_a=20), the peak flux concentration ratio on the base of CPC-2 with =65o decreases about 43%, 30% and 49% for the radiation at the incident angle of 0o, 10o and 18o, respectively, as compared to CPC-1. This implies that solar flux distribution on the base of CPC-2 is more uniform, thus, more efficient for photovoltaic conversion as compared with CPC-1.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 588-589)
• Pages: 603-607
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.588-589.603
• Online since: November 2012
• Authors: Ya Mei Yu, Run Sheng Tang, Chao Feng Xia
• Keywords: Compound Parabolic Concentrators, CPCs with a Restricted Exit Angle, Flux Distribution, Ray-Tracing

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DOI: 10.1016/s0927-0248(02)00162-9

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