Home
Creators
Search Recent Missing Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

DIY Solar Concentrators, Made Better. (Patreon)

Published:
2025-07-10 16:38:00
Imported:
2026-06
haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Content

In this video we dive into compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) and their incredible ability to focus light from multiple input angles onto a central target at once. This allows them to provide concentrated solar heat without active solar tracking, as well as increased absorbance from indirect sources (such as scattered light in cloudy weather). The method I use in this video is called a "string construction", which uses a string to simulate the reflection of light rays and sketch out idealized reflective curves.

Files

Previews only

DIY Solar Concentrators, Made Better.

Check out my sponsor Brilliant, free for 30 days (and get 20% off a premium subscription!) by using this link: https://brilliant.org/nighthawk In this video we dive into compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) and their incredible ability to focus light from multiple input angles onto a central target at once. This allows them to provide concentrated solar heat without active solar tracking, as well as increased absorbance from indirect sources (such as scattered light in cloudy weather). The method I use in this video is called a "string construction", which uses a string to simulate the reflection of light rays and sketch out idealized reflective curves. Resources for further reading: "A Review of the Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) with a Tubular Absorber": https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339075001_A_Review_of_the_Compound_Parabolic_Concentrator_CPC_with_a_Tubular_Absorber "Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of a Compound Parabolic Concentrators Collector with an Absorber Tube": https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/1/287# Power From The Sun e-book, chapter 9: http://www.powerfromthesun.net/Book/chapter09/chapter09.html#9.2%20%20%20%20Compound%20Parabolic%20Concentrators%20(CPC) Non-Imaging optics article discussing concentration limits of CPCs: https://ebrary.net/204001/engineering/nonimaging_optical_systems#google_vignette Interactive model of an ordinary parabolic concentrator (great for emphasizing how much light is ordinarily lost at offset input angles): https://demonstrations.wolfram.com/ParabolicTroughSolarConcentrator A special thank you to my top patrons: Aik193, Aleksander, bandit, Bartholomew Spawndoom, Boatyard McBoatface, Brad Alan Armstrong, Brian, Brian Bowles, Bryan Shattuck, Carl Katzenberger, Chris, Christopher Calkins, Christian, Connor Davis, Daniel Bauman, Dan L, Daniel Moore, David Burburan, Dean Maurer, Dustin B, Edward Ivory, Edward Unthank, Eugene Pakhomov, Enzo Breda Lee, Etalon, Evan Hughes, Evan Relf, GadgetPatch, GEOCAHEPUNA, Gusbear, Henner Zeller, Isaac Wiebe, Jedediah Kivi, Jeremy, Jon Hartmann, Johnathon Otte, Jonathan Wilt, Josh Hoppes, Julian Meßmer, JWC, Keith Tucker, Kejie YU, Kris Pockell, Lisa L, Manuel Barkhau, M W, Mark Roth, Martha Williams, Matthias S., Merrill Crawford, Michel Pastor, Moopy (Mike), Oliver, OscarCorx, overra, PabloXIII, Parker Jones, Peter Gordon, PeteyPak, PFC_CMC, RPMatthew, Ryan Shoaf, Sam Hodge, Santiago Perez, Scott Schlesier, Shadow VanDusen, Simone Chiesi, Steve C, Syniurge, Ted Brandston, The Coldrays Team, Trance Maharaj, TWSBI, Walter Montalvo, White Hat, Y@, Yanko Yankulov, Alvaro Figueroa https://www.patreon.com/nighthawkprojects Thank you for watching!

Comments

Håkon J. D. Johnsen

Very cool video! The history of this CPC is fascinating. It was developed by Roland Winston 60 years ago because he needed a high-sensitivity detector in experimental particle physics. The discovery then kickstarted a whole research field known as nonimaging optics, which forms the backbone of all solar concentrator optics and important developments in illumination optics (such as those fancy reflectors used in car headlamps). Roland retired a few years ago and unfortunately passed away earlier this year, but the research field remains active. Fun fact 1: If you combine the CPC you made with a vacuum tube you can in fact get high enough temperatures to generate steam from sunlight with no moving parts. This is what Winston Cone Optics was developing recently: https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2021/winston-cone-optics-innovative-technology-garners-state-national-attention Fun fact 2: One of the leading research groups in nonimaging optics started carrying their ideas over to completely different applications such as high-end virtual reality optics: https://virtualrealitytimes.com/2023/01/02/apple-acquires-lens-manufacturer-limbak/ I do research in this field, and help organize an annual academic conference where we bring together nonimaging optics researchers from across the world. The next one is coming up this August in San Diego, US: https://nonimaging-conference.org/ (I tried posting this comment on youtube but maybe it got blocket because I had external links. Anyway, thought you might find it interesting so I post it here intead.)

Peter Trench
>>180220993

Do you know the formula for this shape? There are 3 distinct sections, something like a cardioid, then maybe a hyperbola, and the rest is parabolic. I printed a mock-up using splines in f360 and put aluminum tape on it. It seems to work, but I see a distinct band of light that isn't hitting the pipe from that middle curve, so I obviously got something wrong.

Antoine

GREAT video ! i was also playing with parabolic mirror for about 1 year (mostly working on target to boil liquids and cook). if you consider a point target, your method end up drawing two parabolas on each side. in practice I imagine one could have a reflector where the angle could be adjusted with hinge to adjust for cloudy day or cloudless ones. Looking forward to prototyping !