Testing results of a second stage concentrator designed for the solar furnace of plataforma solar de Almeria

Abstract
On this work we present the main test results of a second stage concentrator (SSC) of the TERC type - "Tailored Edge-Ray Concentrator", coupled to the actual parabolic primary of the solar furnace of the Plataforma Solar de Almeria, designed to improve the final concentration and temperature. Different options were considered for the SSC, but the primary geometry lead us to choose the TERC one, because it comes closer to the thermodynamic limit and because it is more easy to construct and to use. The TERC design was modified to adequate it to the final use and was severely truncated to permit its placement inside of a vacuum chamber. This last constraint lowered the final concentration and efficiency that we could expect. Anyway the test results show a substantial improvement on the solar furnace performance, which final concentration increased 1.4 times and which average flux density increased up to 3000 kW/m2 on the TERC exit.