A 17.5 kWel high flux solar simulator with controllable flux-spot capabilities: Design and validation study

Abstract A new High Flux Solar Simulator (HFSS) has been designed and built for the research of medium/ high-temperature solar material testing and solar thermochemical processes in Mexico. The HFSS was designed using seven 2.5 k W el Xenon short arc lamps, each close-coupled to a 2 m focal length truncated ellipsoidal specular reflector made of polished aluminum. A Monte Carlo (MC) ray tracing technique was employed to design the shape of the ellipsoidal reflectors. The estimated radiative flux obtained with the MC ray-tracing was 1700 kW m −2 peak flux for all the seven lamps in a flux spot of 100 mm in diameter. A peak flux of 267 kW m −2 was obtained for a single lamp-reflector unit. The design, dimensions and material specifications are presented. The control system is composed of an attenuator curtain and a servo-controlled dynamic test bench that allows variation of the spot size and irradiance incident in the focal plane. A study to compare the theoretical design and the real ellipsoidal reflector surface was conducted with the use of the photogrammetry technique. This was done in order to know if differences in the theoretical flux compared to that of the measured flux come from defects in manufacturing of the reflector. A data acquisition module and an artificial vision system provide information and allow for a monitoring flux spot. Obtaining an experimental peak flux of 194 kW m −2 and a flux spot diameter of 120 mm per lamp, the results were consistent with the desired design. In addition, in order to quantify the risk of our own installation and implement a safety protocol, an experimental campaign of ultraviolet radiation monitoring was conducted; the assessment of ultraviolet radiation shows that the recommended dose per 8 h is exceeded in a few seconds when close to the focal plane (∼0.2 m). In this paper, due to extension, preliminary design, construction, and validation of the HFSS are presented.