OPTICAL ACCEPTANCE FUNCTION OF MODIFIED COMPOUND PARABOLIC CONCENTRATORS WITH LINEAR CORRUGATED REFLECTORS

For reflective cylindrical concentrators the acceptance function, as d etermined in the meridian plane, remains constant for more oblique pla nes of incidence. However, if the reflective surface has a linear corr ugated structure, it is possible to increase the acceptance in the mer idian plane at the expense of reduced acceptance at a more oblique inc idence. A ray-tracing study has been performed on the optical properti es of troughlike compound parabolic concentrators (CPC's) with linear corrugated reflectors. Calculations of angular acceptance for a modifi ed CPC with concentration C = 2x is presented. A possible application of this new concentrator is as a secondary concentrator for tracking p arabolic troughs. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.