Beam Splitting with Luminescent Solar Concentrators in a Hybrid Photovoltaic and Thermal Collector
Abstract
This work investigates the combination of two non-imaging types of concentrating solar technologies: the luminescent solar concentrator, that generates electricity via photovoltaic cells and the compound parabolic concentrator, used normally with a thermal receiver. The luminescent solar concentrator in this new application is used as a cover for the solar thermal collector (the CPC) whilst at the same time concentrating a specific wavelength band of light to its edges where solar PV cells convert photons to electricity. Absorption of a part of the solar spectrum occurs in the LSC, whilst the rest of the solar spectrum can be captured as thermal energy in the CPC, essentially forming a new type of spectral splitting hybrid solar collector that can produce electricity and medium temperature heat. A small prototype hybrid CPC and LSC collector was tested in the lab using a solar simulator. This proof of concept device compared a high transmission and low transmission LSC and demonstrated the experimental basis of the new type of PV-T collector. An outdoors flow experiment was undertaken, measuring instantaneous thermal efficiency and electrical output.