Open AccessMonte Carlo simulation of a LSC based on stacked layers of fiber arrays with core-coating different absorbing properties
Author(s) -
R. Barciela,
F. Quintero,
Ángel F. Doval,
Mónica Fernández-Arias,
J. del Val,
R. Comesaña,
J. Pou
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.422694
Subject(s) - materials science , fiber , monte carlo method , coating , core (optical fiber) , planar , optics , absorption (acoustics) , distributed ray tracing , attenuation coefficient , optical fiber , composite material , ray tracing (physics) , statistics , computer graphics (images) , mathematics , physics , computer science
In this work, a Monte Carlo ray-tracing model for the simulation and optimization of a fiber Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) based on stacked layers of fiber arrays is developed and validated. The fiber LSC efficiency improvements are compared against a conventional planar LSC. We developed a new model to analyze the performance of different configurations of bulk-doped fibers and fibers constituted by a doped coating and a passive core. These configurations are analyzed also varying fiber packing geometry diameters, and length. Due to the exceptionally low absorption coefficient of the silica fibers (α wg ≈ 10 -4 cm -1 ), concentration factors of up to 1.9 are predicted when dimensions are scaled over 1 m 2 , which improve more than twice the maximum concentration factor ever reported. These results serve as a preliminary theoretical study for the future development of a new LSC design based on flexible silica micro-fibers coated with Si-QDs doped poly(lauryl methacrylate) (PLMA) layers.