Volume 14: Low Carbon Cities and Urban Energy Systems: Part III

Design and study of an irradiance distribution measuring method based on a photodiode array Gaoming Zhang, Jinjia Wei

Abstract

In this work, an irradiance distribution measuring method based on a photodiode array was proposed to measure the irradiance distribution of truncated compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs). Firstly, truncated CPCs were designed and 3-D printed. Then twelve photodiodes were soldered on a printed circuit board to measure the irradiance distribution of CPCs. Besides, a box was manufactured to support the board and CPCs. Irradiance distribution of CPCs was measured under the illumination of Oriel AAA class solar simulator. Corresponding non-uniform factors of irradiance profiles of CPCs were evaluated based on the concept of standard deviation. Experimental results were compared with simulated irradiance profiles of CPCs. A maximum relative error of 13.1% was found between experimental and theoretical results, which verified the feasibility of the proposed photodiode array based irradiance distribution measuring method.

Keywords irradiance distribution measurement, photodiode array, truncated compound parabolic concentrator, non-uniform irradiance