Silicone optical elements for cost-effective freeform solar concentration

Sifang Cui; Nicholas P. Lyons; Liliana Ruiz Diaz; Remington Ketchum; Kyung Jo Kim; Hao Chih Yuan; Mike Frasier; Wei Pan; Robert A. Norwood

doi:10.1364/OE.27.00A572

Silicone optical elements for cost-effective freeform solar concentration

Sifang Cui, Nicholas P. Lyons, Liliana Ruiz Diaz, Remington Ketchum, Kyung Jo Kim, Hao Chih Yuan, Mike Frasier, Wei Pan, Robert A. Norwood

Optical Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

The use of silicone optical elements is demonstrated for a concentrated photovoltaic system. These components show over 96% transmission through most of the solar spectrum and excellent temperature stability. Unique moldability enables the use of complex freeform designs. A light, compact, and cost-effective concentrated photovoltaic system based on silicone optics is proposed. In this system, air-plasma treatment is utilized to overcome the mechanical properties of silicone and difficulties with coating to reduce Fresnel loss. Lens arrays and waveguides are fabricated by injection molding following freeform optical design by LightTools. First-order characterizations are also performed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	A572-A580
Journal	Optics Express
Volume	27
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.27.00A572
State	Published - Apr 15 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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10.1364/OE.27.00A572

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title = "Silicone optical elements for cost-effective freeform solar concentration",

abstract = "The use of silicone optical elements is demonstrated for a concentrated photovoltaic system. These components show over 96% transmission through most of the solar spectrum and excellent temperature stability. Unique moldability enables the use of complex freeform designs. A light, compact, and cost-effective concentrated photovoltaic system based on silicone optics is proposed. In this system, air-plasma treatment is utilized to overcome the mechanical properties of silicone and difficulties with coating to reduce Fresnel loss. Lens arrays and waveguides are fabricated by injection molding following freeform optical design by LightTools. First-order characterizations are also performed.",

author = "Sifang Cui and Lyons, {Nicholas P.} and Diaz, {Liliana Ruiz} and Remington Ketchum and Kim, {Kyung Jo} and Yuan, {Hao Chih} and Mike Frasier and Wei Pan and Norwood, {Robert A.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the ARPA-E MOSAIC program award. Funding Information: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) MOSAIC program DE-AR0000839. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the ARPA-E MOSAIC program award. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement",

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doi = "10.1364/OE.27.00A572",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - Silicone optical elements for cost-effective freeform solar concentration

AU - Cui, Sifang

AU - Lyons, Nicholas P.

AU - Diaz, Liliana Ruiz

AU - Ketchum, Remington

AU - Kim, Kyung Jo

AU - Yuan, Hao Chih

AU - Frasier, Mike

AU - Pan, Wei

AU - Norwood, Robert A.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the ARPA-E MOSAIC program award. Funding Information: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) MOSAIC program DE-AR0000839. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the ARPA-E MOSAIC program award. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

PY - 2019/4/15

Y1 - 2019/4/15

N2 - The use of silicone optical elements is demonstrated for a concentrated photovoltaic system. These components show over 96% transmission through most of the solar spectrum and excellent temperature stability. Unique moldability enables the use of complex freeform designs. A light, compact, and cost-effective concentrated photovoltaic system based on silicone optics is proposed. In this system, air-plasma treatment is utilized to overcome the mechanical properties of silicone and difficulties with coating to reduce Fresnel loss. Lens arrays and waveguides are fabricated by injection molding following freeform optical design by LightTools. First-order characterizations are also performed.

AB - The use of silicone optical elements is demonstrated for a concentrated photovoltaic system. These components show over 96% transmission through most of the solar spectrum and excellent temperature stability. Unique moldability enables the use of complex freeform designs. A light, compact, and cost-effective concentrated photovoltaic system based on silicone optics is proposed. In this system, air-plasma treatment is utilized to overcome the mechanical properties of silicone and difficulties with coating to reduce Fresnel loss. Lens arrays and waveguides are fabricated by injection molding following freeform optical design by LightTools. First-order characterizations are also performed.

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Silicone optical elements for cost-effective freeform solar concentration

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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