Design of parabolic solar daylighting systems based on fiber optic wires: A new heat filtering device

It exist different direct solar harvesting systems for daylighting. Those systems are still under investigation as long as the goal is to get high uniform illumination deep into the building at a lowest cost. Using Plastic Optical Fibers (POFs) is one of the best solutions to make the system cost-effective. Nevertheless, the heat problem affecting the low cost plastic optical fibers needs to be solved for its massive use in new efficient daylighting technologies. In order to solve this issue we highlighted the fact that solutions exist or not in the previous studies for this overheating problem affecting POFs. Furthermore, we present a low cost fiber optic daylighting system coupled to a new patented mechanical part for securing the fiber optic bundle at the focal point while ensuring a three level of heat filtration and uniform illumination. The working principal of this technology has been presented. A series of test were performed using lux meter and an infrared thermometer to investigate the characteristics of the system. The experimental results reveal for this new device a pleasant potential in solar heat filtration and uniformity illumination. Suggestions towards reducing the overheat damages and overall presentation of heat filtering possibilities in new parabolic solar daylighting systems for further researches were made. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.