Paper
24 October 1991 Thermodynamics of light concentrators
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
Concentrators based on geometrical optics increase the irradiance by increasing the projected solid angle, but conserve the radiance of radiation. The general principle for increasing the radiance, and thereby concentrating even diffuse radiation, resembles a light trap. Light, which enters the trap through a selective filter, is shifted in photon energy, for example, by a Stokes luminescent process. It is subsequently trapped because it is reflected by the filter. Concentration is limited, in the ideal case, by the reverse (anti-Stokes) process, which reaches equilibrium when incoming and concentrated radiation reach equal chemical potential. The laser is discussed as an example for a concentration not limited by thermodynamics. The limits imposed by quantum mechanics are derived. Real systems, with various losses, are discussed.
© (1991) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Harald Ries, Greg P. Smestad, and Roland Winston "Thermodynamics of light concentrators", Proc. SPIE 1528, Nonimaging Optics: Maximum Efficiency Light Transfer, (24 October 1991); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.49126
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Cited by 6 scholarly publications.
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KEYWORDS
Solar concentrators

Solids

Thermodynamics

Optical filters

Geometrical optics

Nonimaging optics

Quantum efficiency

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