Ce:Nd:YAG Solar Laser with 4.5% Solar-to-Laser Conversion Efficiency
The efficiency potential of a small-size solar-pumped laser is studied here. The solar laser head was composed of a fused silica aspheric lens and a conical pump cavity, which coupled and redistributed the concentrated solar radiation from the focal zone of a parabolic mirror with an effective colle...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/14/5292 |
| _version_ | 1797433621156462592 |
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| author | Dário Garcia Dawei Liang Cláudia R. Vistas Hugo Costa Miguel Catela Bruno D. Tibúrcio Joana Almeida |
| author_facet | Dário Garcia Dawei Liang Cláudia R. Vistas Hugo Costa Miguel Catela Bruno D. Tibúrcio Joana Almeida |
| author_sort | Dário Garcia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The efficiency potential of a small-size solar-pumped laser is studied here. The solar laser head was composed of a fused silica aspheric lens and a conical pump cavity, which coupled and redistributed the concentrated solar radiation from the focal zone of a parabolic mirror with an effective collection area of 0.293 m<sup>2</sup> to end-side pump a Ce (0.1 at%):Nd (1.1 at%):YAG rod of 2.5 mm diameter and 25 mm length. Optimum solar laser design parameters were found through Zemax<sup>©</sup> non-sequential ray-tracing and LASCAD™ analysis. The utilization of the Ce:Nd:YAG medium with small diameter pumped by a small-scale solar concentrator was essential to significantly enhance the end-side pump solar laser efficiency and thermal performance. For 249 W incoming solar power at an irradiance of 850 W/m<sup>2</sup>, 11.2 W multimode solar laser power was measured, corresponding to the record solar-to-laser power conversion efficiency of 4.50%, being, to the best of our knowledge, 1.22 times higher than the previous record. Moreover, the highest solar laser collection efficiency of 38.22 W/m<sup>2</sup> and slope efficiency of 6.8% were obtained, which are 1.18 and 1.02 times, respectively, higher than the previous records. The lowest threshold solar power of a Ce:Nd:YAG solar-pumped laser is also reported here. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:19:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bf39fb75c3c14adeb4435d21857646e6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:19:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-bf39fb75c3c14adeb4435d21857646e62023-12-01T22:07:47ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-07-011514529210.3390/en15145292Ce:Nd:YAG Solar Laser with 4.5% Solar-to-Laser Conversion EfficiencyDário Garcia0Dawei Liang1Cláudia R. Vistas2Hugo Costa3Miguel Catela4Bruno D. Tibúrcio5Joana Almeida6Centre of Physics and Technological Research, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalCentre of Physics and Technological Research, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalCentre of Physics and Technological Research, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalCentre of Physics and Technological Research, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalCentre of Physics and Technological Research, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalCentre of Physics and Technological Research, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalCentre of Physics and Technological Research, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalThe efficiency potential of a small-size solar-pumped laser is studied here. The solar laser head was composed of a fused silica aspheric lens and a conical pump cavity, which coupled and redistributed the concentrated solar radiation from the focal zone of a parabolic mirror with an effective collection area of 0.293 m<sup>2</sup> to end-side pump a Ce (0.1 at%):Nd (1.1 at%):YAG rod of 2.5 mm diameter and 25 mm length. Optimum solar laser design parameters were found through Zemax<sup>©</sup> non-sequential ray-tracing and LASCAD™ analysis. The utilization of the Ce:Nd:YAG medium with small diameter pumped by a small-scale solar concentrator was essential to significantly enhance the end-side pump solar laser efficiency and thermal performance. For 249 W incoming solar power at an irradiance of 850 W/m<sup>2</sup>, 11.2 W multimode solar laser power was measured, corresponding to the record solar-to-laser power conversion efficiency of 4.50%, being, to the best of our knowledge, 1.22 times higher than the previous record. Moreover, the highest solar laser collection efficiency of 38.22 W/m<sup>2</sup> and slope efficiency of 6.8% were obtained, which are 1.18 and 1.02 times, respectively, higher than the previous records. The lowest threshold solar power of a Ce:Nd:YAG solar-pumped laser is also reported here.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/14/5292solar-pumped laserCe:Nd:YAGparabolic mirrorlaser efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Dário Garcia Dawei Liang Cláudia R. Vistas Hugo Costa Miguel Catela Bruno D. Tibúrcio Joana Almeida Ce:Nd:YAG Solar Laser with 4.5% Solar-to-Laser Conversion Efficiency Energies solar-pumped laser Ce:Nd:YAG parabolic mirror laser efficiency |
| title | Ce:Nd:YAG Solar Laser with 4.5% Solar-to-Laser Conversion Efficiency |
| title_full | Ce:Nd:YAG Solar Laser with 4.5% Solar-to-Laser Conversion Efficiency |
| title_fullStr | Ce:Nd:YAG Solar Laser with 4.5% Solar-to-Laser Conversion Efficiency |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ce:Nd:YAG Solar Laser with 4.5% Solar-to-Laser Conversion Efficiency |
| title_short | Ce:Nd:YAG Solar Laser with 4.5% Solar-to-Laser Conversion Efficiency |
| title_sort | ce nd yag solar laser with 4 5 solar to laser conversion efficiency |
| topic | solar-pumped laser Ce:Nd:YAG parabolic mirror laser efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/14/5292 |
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