Experimental and numerical investigation on solar concentrating characteristics of a sixteen-dish concentrator

The concentrated solar flux distributions of a sixteen-dish concentrator (SDC) were measured applying a thermal infrared imager in combination with water-cooled Lambert target, and predicted using a Monte Carlo ray tracing method (MCRT). A slope error of 2.2 mrad is detected by comparing the experimental and numerical results. Then, a two-stage concentrator system, formed by the SDC in tandem with a three-dimensional compound parabolic concentrator (3D CPC–SDC), is constructed based on the geometrical optics approach. The interception performances and the energy concentration ratio images (ECR) are presented for both the SDC and the 3D CPC–SDC. The results show that the ECR profiles of the SDC depend on the receiver sizes, whereas that of the 3D CPC–SDC is rather steady because most sunlight enters the receiver via several reflections with the 3D CPC mirror. The 3D CPC–SDC is capable of increasing the geometric concentration ratio (GCR) at the expense of a little interception efficiency.

► The concentrated solar flux of a sixteen-dish concentrator is measured and predicted.
► A slope error of 2.2 mrad is detected by comparing experimental and numerical results.
► A two-stage concentrator of the sixteen-dish and a 3D CPC is constructed.
► The radiation performance is simulated for both the two type collectors.
► The two-stage system can increase GCR at the expense of some interception efficiency.