Performance evaluation for the dielectric asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator with almost unity angular acceptance efficiency

Abstract This paper proposes a systematic design and formation process for the asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator taking the angular acceptance range as the target function and a dielectric asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator (DACPC) that presents almost unity angular acceptance efficiency is got. Ray-tracing simulation and experimental characterization study were conducted to reveal the optical performance of the DACPC. It was found that the DACPC with the geometric concentration ratio of 2.4 increased the short-circuit current and the maximum power by 87.0% and 96.6% averagely within the incidence angels of 0°–85° as compared with the non-concentrating photovoltaic cell. Corresponding average simulation and actual optical efficiency of it are 93.3% and 77.9%. The angular acceptance efficiency is proposed to evaluate the annual performance potential and regional applicability for optical concentrators, which indicates that the angular acceptance efficiency of the DACPC can be up to 97.7% for simulation results and 94.4% for experiment results. The outdoor experiments on 25th June when the projected incidence angle lied in the range of 60°–89° for the DACPC were conducted. It was found that the DACPC can still increase the short-circuit current and maximum power of the photovoltaic cell by average factors of 57% and 76% respectively.