| Abstract: | Asymmetrical Non-Imaging Cylindrical Concentrators have been proposed recently by Smith5] and Rabl6] which are related to the Symmetrical Non-Imaging Cylindrical Concentrators described by Winston 1, 2] and Baranov 3]. In this paper, both Parabolic and Non-Parabolic Asymmetrical Concentrators are examined and compared with symmetrical designs. Among the advantages of asymmetrical systems are: (1) a concentration vs time-of-day relationship which can be designed to compensate for projected solar area fall-off in early morning and late afternoon, allowing more uniform output where this is desirable; (2) greater operational flexibility for accommodating unexpected fluctuations in demand; (3) easier adaptation to vacuum-insulated receivers in one configuration; (4) the possibility of substantially increased concentration and energy collection per unit of mirror area for systems with receivers which can make use of large daily variations in energy input. A higher tracking frequency may be required, but a tilting adjustment every few days should be the maximum required for practical systems. |
