Flat-plate Fresnel lenses with improved concentrating capabilities: Designing, manufacturing and testing

This work presents the results of designing, manufacturing and testing a flat-plate Fresnel lens with improved concentrating capability. At the designing the Fresnel lens, the optimal combination of lens size, focal distance and refracting surface profile parameters was found with applying the photometric model of the concentration process. Lens optical-power characteristics were tested with use of developed indoor equipment. Based on experimentally measured geometrical parameters of the lens profile and spectral characteristics of the testing units, the mathematical model have been corrected and a good fit of simulated and experimental results is demonstrated, which indicates a right choice of the designing procedure, manufacture process and sequence of tests.