CONCENTRATION DISTRIBUTIONS IN CYLINDRICAL RECEIVER PARABOLOIDAL DISHCONCENTRATOR SYSTEMS

Concentration distributions on a cylindrical receiver in a paraboloida l dish concentrator are computed for space applications (no atmosphere ). A geometric optics method is applied which integrates over the sola r disk and the concentrator projected surface, and maps analytically, in implicit closed form, through the concentrator and onto the receive r. Finite sunshape, concentrator surface errors, and pointing system z ero-mean and constant offset errors are considered. Results define the section of the receiver surface which receives the majority of the co ncentrated flux, where the receiver's aperture might be located. Resul ts are given in terms of concentrator geometry, concentrator total sys tem error tolerance, receiver geometry, and pointing offset error. In cases with pointing offset error (nonzero mean pointing error), circum ferentially varying concentration distributions are shown.