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Lightweight carbon fiber mirrors for solar concentrator applications

Lightweight carbon fiber mirrors for solar concentrator applications
Lightweight carbon fiber mirrors for solar concentrator applications
Lightweight parabolic mirrors for solar concentrators have been fabricated using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and a nanometer scale optical surface smoothing technique. The smoothing technique improved the surface roughness of the CFRP surface from ~3 {\mu}m root mean square (RMS) for as-cast to ~5 nm RMS after smoothing. The surfaces were then coated with metal, which retained the sub-wavelength surface roughness, to produce a high-quality specular reflector. The mirrors were tested in an 11x geometrical concentrator configuration and achieved an optical efficiency of 78% under an AM0 solar simulator. With further development, lightweight CFRP mirrors will enable dramatic improvements in the specific power, power per unit mass, achievable for concentrated photovoltaics in space.
arXiv
Vaidya, N.
aa741ed5-08f6-4d6c-8719-cdf727cd9e4b
Kelzenberg, M.D.
03b984a0-333d-4666-a024-aba163846be2
Espinet-Gonzalez, Pilar
e560730c-28ca-489f-9132-4e14a4553cd1
Vinogradova, T.G.
2b535f67-9890-4d0f-bbb9-114ce460287f
Huang, J.-S.
721aaac9-d9c4-4436-a853-45739ece3157
Leclerc, Christophe
f2e0f982-45b1-45b4-b292-c693ca35fc86
Naqavi, Ali
eff0acba-842a-41ec-9d15-f3f31d634686
Warmann, E.C.
cf9bb80c-96cd-4e8b-9a66-18ffc8e1117b
Pellegrino, S.
39fed961-a2a9-434d-9f61-77485e85db76
Atwater, H.A.
c2e01b60-7d35-447b-a85d-0794937d763b
Vaidya, N.
aa741ed5-08f6-4d6c-8719-cdf727cd9e4b
Kelzenberg, M.D.
03b984a0-333d-4666-a024-aba163846be2
Espinet-Gonzalez, Pilar
e560730c-28ca-489f-9132-4e14a4553cd1
Vinogradova, T.G.
2b535f67-9890-4d0f-bbb9-114ce460287f
Huang, J.-S.
721aaac9-d9c4-4436-a853-45739ece3157
Leclerc, Christophe
f2e0f982-45b1-45b4-b292-c693ca35fc86
Naqavi, Ali
eff0acba-842a-41ec-9d15-f3f31d634686
Warmann, E.C.
cf9bb80c-96cd-4e8b-9a66-18ffc8e1117b
Pellegrino, S.
39fed961-a2a9-434d-9f61-77485e85db76
Atwater, H.A.
c2e01b60-7d35-447b-a85d-0794937d763b

[Unknown type: UNSPECIFIED]

Record type: UNSPECIFIED

Abstract

Lightweight parabolic mirrors for solar concentrators have been fabricated using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and a nanometer scale optical surface smoothing technique. The smoothing technique improved the surface roughness of the CFRP surface from ~3 {\mu}m root mean square (RMS) for as-cast to ~5 nm RMS after smoothing. The surfaces were then coated with metal, which retained the sub-wavelength surface roughness, to produce a high-quality specular reflector. The mirrors were tested in an 11x geometrical concentrator configuration and achieved an optical efficiency of 78% under an AM0 solar simulator. With further development, lightweight CFRP mirrors will enable dramatic improvements in the specific power, power per unit mass, achievable for concentrated photovoltaics in space.

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Published date: 2 October 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 470871
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/470871
PURE UUID: f0235428-8ca0-43ba-8b6b-f3dc57bb927d
ORCID for N. Vaidya: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1843-7545

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Date deposited: 20 Oct 2022 16:42
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:09

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Contributors

Author: N. Vaidya ORCID iD
Author: M.D. Kelzenberg
Author: Pilar Espinet-Gonzalez
Author: T.G. Vinogradova
Author: J.-S. Huang
Author: Christophe Leclerc
Author: Ali Naqavi
Author: E.C. Warmann
Author: S. Pellegrino
Author: H.A. Atwater

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