A Four-Wing Compound Parabolic Concentrator(CPC)Design for Heating and Sanitization of Waste Products

Harnessing the freely available source of energy from the sun offers a number of additional benefits. Not least of these benefits is the fact that solar energy is an environmentally sustainable alternative. A four-wing compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) was designed as a modification of the regular non-imaging CPC concentrator that has a widespread use as solar collector. The design is intended to increase the angle of acceptance as well as concentration of energy from the sun. The conceptual design, mathematical formulation as well as construction and initial trial results have been presented in this paper. Pilot trials of the four-wing concentrator used for sanitizing both liquid and waste products produced satisfactory results. Improvements in terms of design as well as material used for construction and better preservation of heat can be considered further in the future research.

Design of Reflective Concentrator Model with Application for Concentrator Photovoltaic System

The nonuniform irradiation in the standard photovoltaic（PV） cells causes their relatively high series resistance,which results in a considerably lowered efficiency of PV cells.Currently the concentrator of uniform irradiation designed for concentrator photovoltaic is rare in China and lack sufficient theoretical research.In this paper,a systematic research on the solar reflective concentrator is conducted.A novel structure for a solar reflective concentrator is designed with the application of a flat mirror matrix to concentrate the sunlight for concentrator photovoltaic（CPV） systems.Sunlight beams are focused through the reflection of the mirror array on the solar cell to generate electricity.The concentrator is capable of producing much more uniform sunlight with a certain concentration ratio.The design scheme includes laying out the flat mirrors,optimizing the optical pathway and the parameters of each mirror.The prototype of the CPV system was installed at Nanjing,China.In the configuration of the prototype,it is composed of 24 pieces parallelogram flat mirrors,which are arranged into a total reflective array of 5 rows and 5 columns.In comparison with the parabolic trough concentrator,the experimental measurements verify such design has high efficiency.The concentrator model of a flat mirror matrix and the proposed new design method will lay a solid foundation for designing the concentrator of uniform irradiation.

Effects of different poses and wind speeds on flow field of dish solar concentrator based on virtual wind tunnel experiment with constant wind

In order to improve structure performance of the dish solar concentrator,a three-dimensional model of dish solar concentrator was established based on the high-precision numerical algorithms.And a virtual wind tunnel experiment with constant wind is adopted to investigate the pressure distribution of the reflective surface,velocity distribution of the fluid domain for the dish solar concentrator in different poses and wind speeds distribution.Some results about wind pressure distribution before and after dish solar concentrator surface and wind load velocity distribution in the entire fluid domain had been obtained.In particular,it is necessary to point out that the stiffness at the center of the dish solar concentrator should be relatively raised.The results can provide a theoretical basis for the improvement of solar concentrator dish structure as well as the failure analysis of dish solar concentrator in engineering practice.

Spectral Transmittance of Di-methyl Silicon Oil as a Heat Transfer Material for Concentrator Solar Cells

The accelerated life test was carded out to investigate the change of spectral transmittance of di-methyl silicon oil and the effects on the electrical performance of silicon solar cell. The di-methyl silicon oil samples be- fore and after accelerated life test were analyzed by FT-IR, GC-MS and LC-MS. The ring compounds and linear compounds with larger molecular weight were detected. The spectral transmittance of di-methyl silicon oil de- creased because the chromophore and auxochrome of the products made a sunlight receive decrease on the surface of the solar celt, and resulted in the reduction of cell performance. According to the decrease of spectral transmit- tance of di-methyl silicon oil, two recovery methods were proposed. The results showed that extraction was supe- rior to vacuum distillation in recovering the aged di-methyl silicon oil.

Three-dimensional photoelasticity analysis of Nitinol Patellar Concentrator for treating patellar fractures

Objective: To analyze the biomechanical elements of Nitinol Patellar Concentrator (NT-PC) in heating commi nuted patellar fractures. Methods: The epoxy resin three dimensional photoelasticity pobal model was loaded with Nitinol Patellar Connector and frozen. After dividing layer, photographing and tracing, iterative method was used to calculate the stress value of every tuteed node. Rasults: Stress values of 1 262 nodes scattered in 12 layers were obtained The stress distribution indicated that an overall stress field was yield when the NT-PC fixated the patellar model, and there existed fixative stress in the facies articularis and distal pole of the patellar model. Conclusion: The NT-PC has evident therapeutic effect for the comminuted patellar fractures. The existing stress is helpful in maintaining anatomical reduction and enhancing fracture healing.

Metals Recovery from Fine Printed Circuit Boards Using Falcon SB Concentrator

Physical methods show great potential and advantages on comprehensive reutilization of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) because of lower investment and operation cost, higher efficiency and environment friendliness. However, metals contained in fine fraction of PCBs cannot be recovered effectively by conventional equipments such as high tension electrostatic separator or shaking table. In the paper, this conundrum was resolved successfully with the enhanced Falcon SB concentrator. The separation mechanism of Falcon SB concentrator was analyzed and main factors affecting separation efficiency such as magnitude of rotation frequency of bowl, water counter pressure and slurry concentration of feed were studied and interaction of factors above also were investigated using Design-Expert software. Experiment results show that complete liberation degree and great difference of density between metals and nonmetals are suitable to recover metals from -74 μm PCBs using enhanced Falcon SB concentrator and 80.77 % integration efficiency can be achieved when slurry concentration of feed is 40 g/L with the water counter pressure of 0.01 MPa and rotation frequency of 50 Hz.

System design and measurements of flux concentrator and its solid-state modulator for CEPC positron source

Positron sources are one of the most important components of the injector of a circular electron positron collector(CEPC).The CEPC is designed as an e^(+)e^(−)collider for a Higgs factory.Its accelerator system is composed of 100-km-long storage rings and an injector.The design goal of the positron source is to obtain positron beams with a bunch charge of 3 nC.The flux concentrator(FC)is one of the cores of the positron source.This paper reports the design,development,and measurements of an FC prototype system.The prototype includes an FC and an all-solid-state high-current pulse modulator.Preliminary tests show that the peak current on the FC can reach 15.5 kA,and the peak magnetic field can reach 6.2 T.The test results are consistent with the theoretical simulation.The FC system fulfills the requirements of the CEPC positron source as well as provides a reference for the development of similar devices both domestically and abroad.

Application of millimeter-sized polymer cylindrical lens array concentrators in solar cells

A unique method is proposed to encapsulate solar cells and improve their power conversion efficiency by using a millimeter-sized cylindrical lens array concentrator. Millimeter-sized epoxy resin polymer（ERP） cylindrical lens array concentrators are fabricated by the soft imprint technique based on polydimethylsiloxane stamps. The photovoltaic measurements show that millimeter-sized ERP cylindrical lens array concentrators can considerably improve the power conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells. The validity of the proposed method is proved by the coupled optical and electrical simulations. The designed solar cell devices with the advantages of high-efficiency and convenient cleaning are very useful in practical applications.

New design of ferroelectric solar cell combined with luminescent solar concentrator

A new transparent photovoltaic panel composed of a luminescent solar concentrator and Al/BaTiO3/ZnO/Pt ferroelectric solar cells is presented,in which a portion of the incoming solar illumination is converted by the fluorophores to ultraviolet(UV)light which is then absorbed by ZnO.Firstly,the solar cells are simulated using Atlas-Silvaco.Then,the panel is modelled based on the obtained solar cell characteristics.This panel would be of great importance for building integrated photovoltaics domain because of its high transparency.

Comparison of Collocation of Solar Concentrators with Bean Fields in Mexico and Potato Fields in Canada and Micromechanical Equipment for Their Production

There is an increased interest in renewable forms of energy across the world,with solar energy being one of the most promising forms.Over the last couple of years,we have developed the MET(MicroEquipment Technology).As an application of the MET,we selected the task of production of solar concentrators.Different types of solar concentrators with flat mirrors were developed and prototypes of these solar concentrators(approximately 1 m in diameter)were made.The proposed solar concentrators were developed on the basis of concentrators patented in Mexico,Spain,and USA.It may be possible to install these concentrators on horizontal roofs of buildings.However,installing them on agricultural fields has become the new trend.As an example,we propose to use them in the potato fields in Canada to obtain dual advantages such as for electrical energy generation and for the minimal loss of agricultural harvest.The second example was analyzed for bean fields,in Mexico.In this paper,we describe the main results in regard to microequipment development for solar concentrator production,several prototypes of solar concentrators with flat mirrors and their co-location and agricultural fields.

Thermal modeling and the optimized design of metal plate cooling systems for single concentrator solar cells

A metal plate cooling model for 400~ single concentrator solar cells was established. The effects of the thickness and the radius of the metal plate, and the air environment on the temperature of the solar cells were analyzed in detail. It is shown that the temperature of the solar cells decreased sharply at the beginning, with the increase in the thickness of the metal plate, and then changed more smoothly. When the radius of the metal plate was 4 cm and the thickness increased to 2 mm or thicker, the temperature of the solar cell basically stabilized at about 53℃. Increasing the radius of the metal plate and the convective transfer coefficient made the temperature of the solar cell decrease remarkably. The effects of A1 and Cu as the metal plate material on cooling were analyzed contrastively, and demonstrated the superiority of A1 material for the cooling system. Furthermore, considering cost reduction, space holding and the stress of the system, we optimized the structural design of the metal plate. The simulated results can be referred to the design of the structure for the metal plate. Finally, a method to devise the structure of the metal plate for single concentrator solar cells was given.

Thermal modeling optimization and experimental validation for a single concentrator solar cell system with a heat sink

A single concentrator solar cell model with a heat sink is established to simulate the thermal performance of the system by varying the number, height, and thickness of fins, the base thickness and thermal resistance of the thermal conductive adhesive. Influence disciplines of those parameters on temperatures of the solar cell and heat sink are obtained. With optimized number, height and thickness of fins, and the thickness values of base of 8, 1.4 cm, 1.5 mm, and 2 mm, the lowest temperatures of the solar cell and heat sink are 41.7 ~C and 36.3 ~C respectively. A concentrator solar cell prototype with a heat sink fabricated based on the simulation optimized structure is built. Outdoor temperatures of the prototype are tested. Temperatures of the solar cell and heat sink are stabilized with time continuing at about 37 ℃-38 ℃ and 35 ℃-36 ℃respectively, slightly lower than the simulation results because of effects of the wind and cloud. Thus the simulation model enables to predict the thermal performance of the system, and the simulation results can be a reference for designing heat sinks in the field of single concentrator solar cells.

Characteristics and Energy Efficiency of the Industrial Concentrators with Thermocompression

An analysis of the thermal characteristics of the industrial thermocompression heat pump systems is presented in this paper By using thermocompression, waste heat is thermotransformed to a higher temperature level to be convenient for its usage in thermal processes. The thermocompression heat pumps can be optimally applied in various industrial plants （production of fruit, grape and tomato concentrates, in beer, sugar and dairy industries, in chemical and pharmaceutical industries etc.）. The range of optimal application of the turbo compressor, screw compressor and ejector thermocompression is estimated. The complex thermal and flow phenomena in the processes of thermocompression, evaporation and condensation are discussed. The theoretical and experimental results of the investigations on the experimental grape vacuum concentrator and on the industrial NaOH concentrator are presented. A significant increment of the energy efficiency can be achieved by optimal application of the thermocompression in the thermal concentrating processes. A significant feature and great advantage of the concentrating technology with thermocompression are a possibility for realization of the low temperature concentrating processes, which is very important for the quality of many concentrating products with high energy efficiency technology.

Characteristics of the Water Steam Turbocompressors Applied in the Concentrator Systems

The main geometrical and operating parameters of the water steam centrifugal compressors working in various concentrator operating conditions are realized in this paper. The interdependence between centrifugal stage pressure ratio, peripheral Mach number and impeller peripheral speed, as well the influence of the concentrator system capacity on the dimensions of the centrifugal compressor are determined to obtain the range of reasonable usage of the centrifugal thermocompression systems in the industrial concentrators. The high peripheral impeller speed, high Mach number and high pressure ratio cause separated jet-wake flow and transonic flow phenomena in the water steam centrifugal compressor flow field. The calculating methods for 3-D viscid unsteady transonic fluid flows in the turbocompressors are discussed and the results of CFD simulations and experimental investigations are used for optimal design of the water steam centrifugal compressor flow field. The application of the centrifugal compressor in the industrial concentrators with thermocompression systems and the influence on the energy efficiency of the systems are analyzed. Significant increment of the energy efficiency of the industrial concentrators can be achieved by introduction of the thermocompression systems.

Test Standards for Direct Steam Generating Solar Concentrators

There are a few standards reported in the literature for testing and evaluation of thermal performance of solar concentrators based on sensible heating of working fluid. The preceding standard measures only the cooking efficiency and cooking capacity. Apart from thermal efficiency, there is an imperative need for other important parameters of the solar concentrators such as its stagnation temperature, cooking capacity, cost per watts delivered, weight of the cooker, ease of handling and aesthetics. The characterization of a concentrator at its operating temperature settles appropriate size and type of concentrator for any thermal application. The performance test is conducted at Chandwad (20.3292°N, 74.2444°E), Maharashtra and the proposed protocol aims for evaluation of thermal performance of solar cooking system and standardization of reporting the test results so that anyone can easily recognize and use it.

Combinations of Solar Concentrators with Agricultural Plants

A new trend involving the combination of solar concentrators and agricultural plants on the same piece of land offers the possibility of realizing both electricity generation and a good crop harvest.Authors analyze this situation for different countries,including Mexico,and based on authors’experience regarding the development of new solar concentrator prototypes,authors’primary objective was to describe the development of compact,light,and inexpensive solar concentrator prototypes that can be collocated on horizontal roofs.Authors’second objective was to investigate the combination of such solar concentrator prototypes with agricultural plants on the same field.Thus,several studies related to the combination of renewable energy generation and agricultural crops were reviewed.Many such systems involving the combination of PV(Photovoltaic)panels with different types of vegetables exist in the USA,France(lettuce production),Japan(tomato production),India(aloe and corn),northern Italy(maize),Spain and México.

Multilayer GaAs-Based Heterostructures with Holographic Concentrator for Solar Cells

The present paper studies the issue of forming a diffraction concentrator in the form of relief diffraction gratings. The possibility of their application for solar energy systems based on GaAs heterostructures has been studied. It was shown that the use of diffractive and holographic concentrators proves to be very effective, since they provide for the increased radiant flux onto sensitive surface of the solar cell, whereas no automatic solar tracker is required. This will create novel approaches for a wide range application of gallium arsenide solar cells.

Development and Testing of a Method to Estimate the Mineral Composition of Ore from Chemical Assays with a View toward Geometallurgy: Application to an Iron Ore Concentrator

For complex orebodies in which the valuable metal is carried by several minerals that respond differently to the concentration process, an ore block model should not be characterized solely with elemental assays, as this information is not sufficient to anticipate the mill performances. Data from an iron ore concentrator is used to demonstrate the idea. A method is then proposed to estimate the mineral contents of ore samples from elemental assays. The method can readily be extended to combine the estimation of the mineral contents in the feed of the mill with an estimation of the recovery of these minerals into the products of the concentrator. These mineral recoveries can subsequently be incorporated into a block model to predict the concentrator response to the processing of an ore block.

A compact and high-power silicon-wafer solar strip-cells-array module integrated with an array concentrator

A compact, low-cost and high-output-power silicon-wafer solar strip-cells-array module （SCAM） wus experimentally demonstrated. The proposed SCAM consisted mainly of a silicon-wafer strip-cell sparse array and low-concentration- ratio array concentrator based on an epoxy resin polymer （ERP） cylindrical piano-convex lens. A polymer replication process based on a polydimethylsiloxane mold was used to fabricate the ERP lens array concentrator. The results show that 46.94% of the silicon-wafer cell was saved in the designed SCAM. Moreover, the output power of the SCAM with a low concentration ratio of 8 suns was improved by 8.6%, compared with a whole piece of a conventional silicon-wafer solar cell with the same area as the module. The proposed method encapsulating solar cells provides a means to reduce the usage of silicon cells in modules as well as improving the output power of modules.

Power Output Improvement of PV Module for Agricultural Use by Using Inexpensive Sunlight Concentrator

PV modules are used as stand alone power sources for agricultural equipments such as lifting pumps in farms, where the power infrastructure is not yet improved. In order to expand the agricultural use of PV module, the cost of PV generation should be reduced. In this paper, the power output performance of a commercial PV module was improved by using a sunlight concentrator that could be assembled inexpensively and a simple sun-tracking method.