Abstract This article presents an optical study of a Fresnel linear solar concentrator prototype. The study was conducted through optimization calculations aimed at determining the parameters that influence the optical behavior of the prototype. A numerical model developed for this purpose enables the evaluation of various optical performances, including the power absorbed by the tube, optical efficiency, and different types of optical losses such as shading, blocking, and overflow. In this context, a parametric study and optimization calculations were carried out to analyze the influence of certain parameters on optical performance, such as the orientation of the solar field (North-South or East-West) and the effect of mirror curvature. The optical modeling of the different solar field parameters was performed using the Monte Carlo ray-tracing (MCRT) method. The analysis of the results, presented in tables and graphs, made it possible to determine the optimal configuration for the solar prototype. This configuration offers improved theoretical and experimental performance: the optical efficiency of the solar field exceeds 60%, which is very promising for this type of solar concentrator, typically characterized by relatively low optical efficiency. The results further showed that a solar field with curved mirrors achieves higher power and optical efficiency values. This is related to several factors, including the width of the mirrors and the height separating the solar field from the receiver, among others.
Hamadouche et al. (Tue,) studied this question.