• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2012

Recently, an optics-based concentrator for solar concentration has been a key issue in development of photovoltaic systems. In the present study, a new, simple, easily producible planar concentrator based on a light guide system is proposed. In this device, solar light is concentrated by microprism optical patterns guiding the light, mainly through total reflection and refraction. The main design variables of the concentrator are the geometric concentration ratio ($R_c$) and the ${\Theta}_1$ and ${\Theta}_2$ of the microprism pattern. Ray tracing was simulated using commercial software, SPEOS, and the optical efficiencies of the light guide solar concentrator were predicted in each case. The predicted maximum optical efficiencies are 65.60%, 54.78%, and 46.78%, respectively, for $R_c$ values of 4, 5, and 6. The variation of the optical efficiencies according to ${\Theta}_1$, ${\Theta}_2$, and the incline angle of the incident light were predicted.