title: Two-axis tracking using translation stages for a lens-to-channel waveguide solar concentrator.
abstract: A two-axis tracking scheme designed for <250x concentration realized by a single-axis mechanical tracker and a translation stage is discussed. The translation stage is used for adjusting positions for seasonal sun movement. It has two-dimensional x-y tracking instead of horizontal movement x-only. This tracking method is compatible with planar waveguide solar concentrators. A prototype system with 50x concentration shows >75% optical efficiency throughout the year in simulation and >65% efficiency experimentally. This efficiency can be further improved by the use of anti-reflection layers and a larger waveguide refractive index.
authors.forename: Yuxiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Christi K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Madsen
mesh_terms: D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004735:Energy Transfer; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007909:Lenses; D008027:Light; D009038:Motion; D010783:Photometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012993:Solar Energy; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*