Homogeneous Flux Distribution in High-Flux Solar Furnaces

Abstract

Comparisons between experimental data and ray-tracing simulation results are presented for the high-flux SF60 solar furnace available at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria, Spain, which has an estimated thermal power of 60 kW. Since an important issue in many applications of solar concentrated radiation is to obtain a radiation distribution that is as homogeneous as possible over the central working area, so-called radiation homogenisers were also used but the degree of success achieved is just satisfactory, as the results show. Finally, further modelling studies using ray-tracing simulations aiming to attain a homogenous distribution of flux by means of double reflexion using two paraboloid surfaces are presented.

Keywords

• solar furnace optimisation
• radiation homogeniser
• flux distribution
• optical modelling
• ray tracing simulations