Optical modeling of two-stage concentrator photovoltaic system using parabolic trough

Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology is one of the best available technologies to use sunlight efficiently. Nonimaging optical elements have been used for the development of CPV systems for delivering uniform flux distribution, which gives a high optical efficiency. This research presents optical modeling of a CPV system, which consists of a primary parabolic trough and a secondary nonimaging reflector. The proposed concentrating system is capable of providing high concentration. In the literature, parabolic trough-based CPV systems included multijunction solar cells in a linear array, which provided low concentration about 50  ×   on the solar cells. The proposed design sets the solar cell at the center of the trough in a square shape, which achieves a geometrical concentration of 285, acceptance angle of ±1.1  deg, and optical efficiency of 72%. The detailed architecture design and optical ray-tracing simulation are presented to show the innovative idea for harnessing solar energy using the parabolic trough concentrator.