A New Design of a (3D) Fresnel Collector With Fixed Mirrors and Tracking Absorber

In this paper we developed model of a (3D) Fresnel collector with fixed mirrors and tracking absorber which approximates the optical behavior of a fixed spherical collector (hemispherical bowl). The aim of the study is to investigate the possibility of using this type of installation for applications in medium temperature processes (200—300°C). Via a computer simulation which includes ray-tracing, we evaluate the sensitivity of the geometric concentration ratio to: concentrator design parameters and the option of using curved versus flat elementary mirrors. The developed computer code permits the optimization of the concentrator reflecting area, the focal length (or rim half-angle), and the dimensions and number of reflecting elementary mirrors. The (3D) Fresnel collectors can be a practical alternative to spherical collectors (hemispherical bowl). Capital and maintenance costs can be significantly lower than for spherical collectors, but with reduced energy delivery. [S0199-6231(00)00302-6]