Flat-pack lens boosts solar power

Fresnel lens concentrates solar without bulk

Micro-machining could be used to create almost flat, Fresnel lenses, that boost the electrical efficiency of solar panels, according to researchers in China.

Fresnel lenses were invented by French engineer and scientist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, in the early nineteenth century, they are essential two-dimensional equivalents of conventional optical lens, but they have ridges in concentric rings that focus the light to a point behind the lens without the three-dimensional bulk of a conventional lens. Image quality is reduced when using a Fresnel lens to focus because the concentric rings which can be used to significantly reduce the depth of the lens compared to a standard convex lens mean that some light is not focused at the gaps between the ridges. This limits the use of Fresnel lenses in photography and other applications where the user does not wish to lose fine detail.

However, where a detailed image is not needed this quality compromise is acceptable especially if the benefits of reduced bulk outweigh the losses. As such, early applications of Fresnel lenses were in providing a lower-cost way of focusing the light from a lighthouse beacon. More recently Fresnel lenses have found use in inexpensive focused rear-view mirrors that allow drivers to see a wider angle view of the rear of their vehicles. Fresnel lenses have also been used in inexpensive handheld magnifiers to assist the visually impaired and for artificially enlarging a display from a television or other device.

In the area of solar panels, researchers have attempted to use bulky and cumbersome parabolic reflectors to boost efficiency. Now, Y. Cheng, X.D. Zhang and G.X. Zhang of the State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & Instruments, at Tianjin University, in China, have developed a technology that allows them to craft the necessary surface structures on a Fresnel lens, an array of microscopic cones, rather than concentric ridges, so that incident light is brought to a point at a more precise depth on the photoactive layer in the panel.

Initial tests with their precision-machined Fresnel solar collector showed that they could obtain a peak power four times that possible with a standard panel at low resistance.

Read more . . .

The Latest on: Fresnel solar collector

[google_news title=”” keyword=”Fresnel solar collector” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]

via Google News

See Also

Concentrator photovoltaics that are cheaper and easy to manufacture could reach 50% efficiency

 

The Latest on: Fresnel solar collector

• Best Solar Companies Of April 2024
  on April 30, 2024 at 7:35 am

  We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Home. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. With the freshly updated 30% federal tax credit, a decrease of over 40% in ...

• Best Solar Panels For Homes Of 2024
  on April 30, 2024 at 4:10 am

  Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Solar panels and their accessories unlock the boundless energy from sunshine and transform it into useful energy at home.

• The Best Solar Generators for at Home or On the Go, Tested
  on April 29, 2024 at 6:30 am

  Also called solar “power stations,” solar generators feature high-capacity batteries that store energy that can be used to power appliances and digital devices. Unlike traditional generators ...

• Eagle Bluff Lighthouse Restoration Starts at the Top
  on April 25, 2024 at 1:23 pm

  Lampist takes measurements to make parts for Fresnel lens Restoration work kicked off last week at the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in State Park, starting at the top. Door County Historical Society leaders ...

• How to take a picture of the solar eclipse with your phone
  on April 8, 2024 at 4:04 am

  It’ll be gone in a flash — complete darkness for Monday’s solar eclipse will last up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds depending on where you are in the path of totality when the moon blocks the ...

• Solar eclipse 2024: 8 strange things that could happen during the rare event
  on April 6, 2024 at 4:40 am

  Baily’s beads is a strange effect that occurs as the moon closes in on the sun during a solar eclipse. The phenomenon, viewed safely with proper eyewear, is a sliver of light at the edge of the ...

• Best Solar Furnace, Electric, PV Panels Greenhouse Heaters & How to Buy One
  on March 23, 2024 at 12:53 pm

  “It typically involves the use of solar collectors, such as solar panels or air heaters, to capture sunlight and convert it into heat, creating a sustainable and energy-efficient solution for ...

• Solar-powered lasers
  on January 10, 2024 at 8:17 am

  Yabe's first innovation was to use a Fresnel lens ... vast arrays of solar cells in space and beaming the generated energy down to Earth, where it is harvested by huge collectors on the ground.

• Solar Energy
  on January 11, 2023 at 12:03 pm

  Another technique uses moveable mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a collector tower, where a receiver sits. Molten salt flowing through the receiver is heated to run a generator. Other solar ...

• Solar Water Heaters Information
  on August 13, 2020 at 5:38 am

  Passive products do not. Both types of solar water heaters mount on roofs or walls and have storage tanks and solar collectors. Solar storage tanks must be well-insulated. They have outlets and inlets ...

via  Bing News