Abstract

Cylindrical concentrators illuminated by an extended source with an arbitrary distribution of radiance are analyzed taking into account basic properties derived from the Fermat principle and not from the specific concentrator shape. The upper limit of concentration achievable with this type of concentrator is obtained and it is found to be lower than that of general (3-D) concentrators. Cylindrical compound parabolic concentrators are analyzed in the light of this theory, and it is shown that they achieve the highest optical concentration possible for a cylindrical concentrator.

© 1983 Optical Society of America

Limit of concentration under extended nonhomogeneous light sources

Juan Carlos Miñano and Antonio Luque
Appl. Opt. 22(17) 2751-2760 (1983)

Effect of restricting the exit angle on the limit of concentration for cylindrical concentrators

Juan C. Miñano
Appl. Opt. 23(24) 4554-4559 (1984)

Design of optimal and ideal 2-D concentrators with the collector immersed in a dielectric tube

Juan C. Miñano, José M. Ruiz, and Antonio Luque
Appl. Opt. 22(24) 3960-3965 (1983)

Directional intercept factor of truncated CPCs

Juan Carlos Miñano
Appl. Opt. 22(17) 2747-2750 (1983)

Cylindrical concentrators as a limit case of toroidal concentrators

Juan C. Minano
Appl. Opt. 23(12) 2017-2020 (1984)