Work

Performance analysis of V-shaped dual optical concentration CPV triple-junction/thermal system using ray-tracing simulations

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Optical design optimization is critical for enhancing parabolic trough concentrator (PTC) performance in hybrid concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems. This study investigates a hybrid CPV system combining polycrystalline (Poly-PV) and triple-junction (3J) solar cells using Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulations to optimize irradiance distribution, optical efficiency, and flux uniformity of the V-shaped PTC receiver across rim angles from 84° to 88°. To provide a comprehensive system analysis, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were also conducted to evaluate optical behavior and temperature gradients. The proposed PTC geometric design improves system efficiency and reliability under high solar concentration. Solar irradiance analysis shows that the V-shaped receiver exhibits concentrated flux with decreasing peak intensities as rim angles increase from 84° to 88°, achieving a 76% improvement in irradiance uniformity. The hybrid system performs optimally at a rim angle of 87°, achieving peak optical efficiency of 78.12%. Numerical results reveal that optical efficiency increases from 77.27% at 84° to 78.12% at 87°, then declines to 72.68% at 88°, validating 87° as the most favorable angle. This optimal configuration offers a balanced compromise between intercept factor and optical efficiency, effectively combining ~10 suns concentration with uniform flux distribution, minimizing hotspots, and enhancing thermal reliability.

Source: Case Studies in Thermal Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.csite.2025.107302

Authors: Hesham I. Elqady, Abdallah Y.M. Ali, Sridhar Sripadmanabhan Indira, Chockalingam Aravind Vaithilingam, D. Santana