Reflective Condensing Lens Array to Reduce Solar Chromatic Aberration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional concentrating lens arrays for sun-tracking solar cells suffer from chromatic aberration due to refractive dispersion, leading to reduced light concentration efficiency and increased costs due to the need for complex tracking systems.
Innovation Solution
A concentrating lens array with unit structures featuring a first surface for light entry, a second surface for internal reflection, a third surface for further reflection, and a fourth surface for exit, utilizing total reflection to minimize chromatic aberration and enhance light concentration efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional concentrating lens array uses refraction to concentrate sunlight, then light concentration is achieved, but chromatic aberration occurs due to refractive dispersion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the refractive optical system with a reflective optical system. Instead of using lenses that refract light, the invention employs reflective surfaces (such as mirrors or reflective coatings) to concentrate sunlight. This substitution eliminates chromatic aberration because reflection does not depend on wavelength, while still achieving high light concentration efficiency through proper geometric design of the reflective surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental optical parameter from refraction to reflection. By altering the interaction mechanism between light and the concentrating element (from refractive index-based to reflection-based), the system achieves wavelength-independent light concentration, thereby eliminating chromatic aberration while maintaining productivity
2Manufacturing precision
If a sun-tracking system uses a detector and driver to rotate the solar cell, then perpendicular incidence is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the reflective concentrating structure to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it concentrates light onto the solar cell while also providing sun-tracking capability through its geometric configuration. The reflective surfaces are arranged and oriented such that they automatically follow the sun's movement, eliminating the need for separate detectors and drivers, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining perpendicular incidence accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective concentrating structure is designed to self-track the sun through its geometric configuration. The arrangement of reflective surfaces inherently directs sunlight perpendicular to the solar cell without requiring external control systems. The structure serves itself by using the sun's position to automatically adjust the light concentration path, thereby eliminating complex tracking mechanisms
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces chromatic aberration and achieves high light concentration efficiency by using total reflection, allowing for a more efficient and cost-effective solar cell system with reduced complexity in tracking mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing total reflection to minimize chromatic aberration and enhance light concentration efficiency
Implementation Method 2
a third surface which reflects, back to the inside, the light that has been reflected from the second surface
Data Source
AI summary
A concentrating lens array according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of unit structures arranged at least one-dimensionally. Each unit structure includes: a first surface through which light enters inside of the structure; a second surface which reflects the light that has entered the structure through the first surface; a third surface which reflects the light that has been reflected from the second surface; and a fourth surface which lets the light that has been reflected from the third surface go out of the structure. In each unit structure, the second and third surfaces are located between an incident plane including the first surface and an emitting plane including the fourth surface. At least one of the second and third surfaces reflects the light after having converged the incoming light. When viewed from over the incident plane, the second surface of each unit structure is laid upon the third surface of an adjacent unit structure, and is located closer to the incident plane than the third surface of the adjacent unit structure is.