Performance analysis and experimental investigation of a novel trough daylight concentration and axial transmission system

• The performance of a novel TDCAT system is simulated and tested.
• The designed concentrator changes the traditional energy transfer mode.
• The designed concentrator is very suitable in solar energy light catalyzes system.
• The sunlight incidence angle is 50°, the illumination can be magnified 4 times.

This study presents a trough daylight concentration and axial transmission system (TDCAT) based on the previously studied mirror image co-focus concentrator. The TDCAT system concentrates sunlight into a light guide tube where the concentrated sunlight undergoes multi-reflection to be transmitted or eventually absorbed by the media in the tube. Therefore, a TDCAT system would be suitable for tubular solar bio-reactor or photocatalysis applications. The optical simulation is employed to analyze the effect of the design parameter on the system performance. Construction and testing of a prototype TDCAT system is also described and discussed.