Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T01:14:19.166Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Thermo-optics of Luminescent Solar Concentrators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2012

Ahmadreza Hajiaboli
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 801 Sherbrooke Street West. H3A 0B8, Quebec. [email protected], [email protected]
Mark P. Andrews
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 801 Sherbrooke Street West. H3A 0B8, Quebec. [email protected], [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

We present a numerical study on effect of temperature on the performance of a waveguide luminescent solar concentrator (LSC). The purpose is to determine how changes in temperature of the ambient environment of an LSC affect device performance. The thermo-optical coefficient of the polymer waveguide is modeled using the well known Prod’homme formulation and applied in a forward Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulation. We show that the number of collected photons decreases almost linearly as the ambient temperature increases from -50 ºC to +50ºC. This behavior is associated with several competing loss mechanisms in the waveguide. For example, increases in optical confinement due to increased refractive index at low temperature are opposed by increases in cone loss (escape loss) of photons. Other competing mechanisms that exhibit temperature dependence are explained in terms of a detailed balance treatment of the LSC as a function of temperature.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Yablonovitch, E., 1980. 70(11): p. 13621363.Google Scholar
2. Hernandez-Noyola, H., et al. ., 2012. 5(2): p. 57985802.Google Scholar
3. Lo, C.K., et al. ., Energies, 2010. 3(12): p. 18311860.Google Scholar
4. Wilson, L.R., Luminescent Solar Concentrators: A Study of Optical Properties, Re-absorption and Device Optimisation,. Ph.D Thesis, 2010, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
5. Prod’homme, L., Phys. Chem. Glasses, 1960. 1, p. 119–22.Google Scholar
6. Li, X., et al. ., composite. Materials Letters, 2006. 60(9–10): p. 12381241.Google Scholar
7. Blumenthal, W.R., et al. ., Shock Compression of Condensed Matter-2001, Pts 1 and 2, Proceedings, 2002. 620: p. 665668.Google Scholar
8. Wang, X., et al. ., Journal of Applied Physics, 2003. 94(6): p. 42284230.Google Scholar
9. Chen, K., et al. ., Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 2009. 47(6): p. 708711.Google Scholar
10. Michel, P., et al. ., Journal of Macromolecular Science-Physics, 1986. B25(4): p. 379394.Google Scholar
11. Reisfeld, R., et al. ., Chemical Physics Letters, 1988. 147(2–3): p. 142147.Google Scholar
12. Oh, H.T., et al. ., 1992. 13(2–3): p. 139141.Google Scholar