Exergetic efficiency of point-focus concentrators using realistic flux distributions

Abstract

A method to study the exergy of radiation at the focal plane of solar concentrators is presented. The application of this method to dish concentrators with various dimensions, mirror properties and under a range of irradiation conditions is proposed, to study the exergetic performance of point focus concentrators. The study highlights the role of the source angular spread and mirror slope error in maximizing the overall exergy efficiency of the collector as well as taking the focal plane concentration profile when considering exergetic performance of concentrators.