Optical damage tests on reflecting materials for solar applications

Year: 2014

Authors: Fontani D., Coraggia S., Jafrancesco D., Francini F., Mercatelli L., Sani E., Sansoni P.

Autors Affiliation: CNR-INO National Institute of Optics, Largo E. Fermi 6 Firenze 50125 Italy

Abstract: Concentrated Solar Power and Concetrating Photovoltaics usually involve secondary optics that collects the sunlight focused by the primary optic to improve system energetic performance. Promising materials for the construction of secondary reflectors for a solar furnace were tested, examining endurance at the working power density and verifying if an achievable damage threshold exists. The field test consisted in exposing the samples to sunlight by using a dual-axis solar tracker and a suitable Fresnel lens. The materials were glass mirrors and a multilayer mirror based on an aluminum substrate. The measured quantities were: systematic reflectance control; temperature of the sample back side; concentrated solar power density; exposure time. the samples showed no appreciable decays in reflectance during the whole exposure period.

Conference title: 2014 Fotonica AEIT Italian Conference on Photonics Technologies
Place: Naples Italy May 12-14 2014

KeyWords: Materials; Mirrors; Solar energy; Solar furnaces, Aluminum substrate; Concentrated solar power; Damage threshold; Exposure period; Multi-layer mirrors; Secondary optics; Solar applications; Solar concentration, Reflection
DOI: 10.1109/Fotonica.2014.6843910