EAGER: Bio-inspired Thin and Flat Solar Concentrator

EAGER项目由ECCS的能源，电力和自适应系统项目支持，旨在开发一种高度新颖，生物启发，薄而扁平的太阳能集中器（TFSC）。这种成像光学器件是固定的，因此减少了太阳能应用中对跟踪器的需求。例如，它可以用于公用事业规模的太阳能发电场或与房屋建筑和家居用品集成，使太阳能转换更接近日常生活。由于在这种固定的应用中排除了太阳跟踪，因此接收角成为一个重要问题。为了在TFSC中实现宽的接收角而不牺牲其收集效率，易于制造或紧凑性，我们计划从自然界中借用有用的概念。

This EAGER project, supported by the Energy, Power and Adaptive Systems program in ECCS aims to develop a highly novel, bio-inspired, thin and flat solar concentrator (TFSC). This imaging optic is stationary and thus reduces the need for a tracker in solar energy applications. For example, it can be used in utility-scale solar farms or integrated with house-building and household items to bring solar energy conversion closer to everyday life. Since solar tracking is precluded in such stationary applications, the acceptance angle becomes an important issue. To achieve a wide acceptance angle in a TFSC without sacrificing its collection efficiency, ease of fabrication, or compactness, we plan to borrow useful concepts from nature.