Elisa Sani

Absorption and scattering properties of carbon nanohorn-based nanofluids for direct sunlight absorbers.

In the present work, we investigated the scattering and spectrally resolved absorption properties of nanofluids consisting in aqueous and glycol suspensions of single-wall carbon nanohorns. The characteristics of these nanofluids were evaluated in view of their use as sunlight absorber fluids in a solar device. The observed nanoparticle-induced differences in optical properties appeared promising, leading to a considerably higher sunlight absorption with respect to the pure base fluids. Scattered light was found to be not more than about 5% with respect to the total attenuation of light. Both these effects, together with the possible chemical functionalization of carbon nanohorns, make this new kind of nanofluids very interesting for increasing the overall efficiency of the sunlight exploiting device.PACS78.40.Ri, 78.35.+c, 78.67.Bf, 88.40.fh, 88.40.fr, 81.05.U.

Spectrally selective ultra-high temperature ceramic absorbers for high-temperature solar plants

Ultra-high temperature ceramics are the ideal materials for extreme conditions owing to their very high melting points and good thermo-mechanical properties at high temperatures. For these reasons, they are widely known as materials for aerospace applications. This paper presents a comparative spectral characterization of zirconium, hafnium, and tantalum carbides ultra-high temperature ceramics for concentrating solar power applications. Room-temperature reflectance spectra have been measured from the ultraviolet wavelength region to the mid-infrared band. Using these spectral properties, the ceramics were evaluated as sunlight absorbers in receivers for high-temperature thermodynamic solar plants.

Hafnium and tantalum carbides for high temperature solar receivers

Solar thermal technology is a safe, sustainable, and cost-effective energy supply. The present paper reports on the comparative high-temperature emissivity characterization of hafnium and tantalum carbide ultra-high temperature ceramics to evaluate their potential as novel absorbing materials for concentrating solar power plants. For a more meaningful property assessment, ultra-high temperature ceramic samples have been compared also with silicon carbide, a material already used in volumetric solar receivers.

Carbon nanohorn-based nanofluids: characterization of the spectral scattering albedo

The full characterization of the optical properties of nanofluids consisting of single-wall carbon nanohorns of different morphologies in aqueous suspensions is carried out using a novel spectrophotometric technique. Information on the nanofluid scattering and absorption spectral characteristics is obtained by analyzing the data within the single scattering theory and validating the method by comparison with previous monochromatic measurements performed with a different technique. The high absorption coefficient measured joint to the very low scattering albedo opens promising application perspectives for single-wall carbon nanohorn-based fluid or solid suspensions. The proposed approximate approach can be extended also to other low-scattering turbid media.PACS: 78.35.+c Brillouin and Rayleigh scattering, other light scattering; 78.40.Ri absorption and reflection spectra, fullerenes and related materials; 81.05.U- carbon/carbon-based materials; 78.67.Bf optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures, nanocrystals, nanoparticles, and nanoclusters.

Fat emulsions as diffusive reference standards for tissue simulating phantoms

Intralipid 20% was recently suggested as a diffusive reference standard for tissue simulating phantoms. In this work, we extend previously obtained results to other fat emulsions, specifically Intralipid 10%, Intralipid 30%, Lipovenoes 10%, Lipovenoes 10% PhosphoLipid Reduced, Lipovenoes 20%, Lipofundin S 10%, and Lipofundin S 20%. Of particular importance for practical applications, our measurements carried out at a wavelength of 751 nm show the following features. First, these products show high stability and small batch-to-batch variations in their diffusive optical properties, similar to Intralipid 20%. Second, the absorption coefficient of Intralipid, Lipovenoes, and Lipofundin S are very similar and their measured values are within the experimental errors; moreover the reduced scattering coefficient of Intralipid 20%, Lipovenoes 20%, and Lipofundin S 20% are similar and their measured values are within 5%. Third, the reduced scattering coefficient of Intralipid 10% and Intralipid 30% can be scaled from that of Intralipid 20% with an error of 9% and 2%, respectively. A similar scaling property is valid for Lipovenoes and Lipofundin S. We have verified that this scaling property depends on the composition of the fat emulsions: If the ingredients exactly scale with the concentration then the reduced scattering coefficient almost exactly scale as well.

Evaluation of Surface Slope Irregularity in Linear Parabolic Solar Collectors

The paper describes a methodology, very simple in its application, for measuring surface irregularities of linear parabolic collectors. This technique was principally developed to be applied in cases where it is difficult to use cumbersome instruments and to facilitate logistic management. The instruments to be employed are a digital camera and a grating. If the reflector surface is defective, the image of the grating, reflected on the solar collector, appears distorted. Analyzing the reflected image, we can obtain the local slope of the defective surface. These profilometric tests are useful to identify and monitor the mirror portions under mechanical stress and to estimate the losses caused by the light rays deflected outside the absorber.

Pointing Sensors and Sun Tracking Techniques

Every optical system for sunlight concentration requires following the sun in its movement. The sun tracking method is essentially chosen on the base of collection geometry and optical system configuration. A simple, useful, and original technique to realise sun tracking is proposed. It is based on a double guiding system using two complementary procedures. A passive tracking device performs a preliminary collector orientation. Then an active tracking system realises its fine positioning and adjustments exploiting an optical pointing sensor. The core of this active tracking device is the sun finder. Pointing sensors for fibre-coupled, CPV (Concentrating Photo voltaic), and linear collectors are presented, illustrating in detail the working principle and practical use. All sensors were optically characterised in laboratory, under controlled and reproducible conditions. Some field tests completed the experimentation evaluating the sensors performance in outdoor working conditions.

Solar Divergence Collimators for Optical Characterisation of Solar Components

Experimentation and laboratory optical tests on solar components are central aspects of the research on renewable energies. The key element of the proposed testing systems is a solar divergence collimator, which exactly reproduces in laboratory the sunlight divergence, while commercial solar simulators are mainly aimed to replicate intensity and spectrum of the sun. Precise solar divergence reproduction is essential to correctly assess the optical properties and to simulate the operative conditions of a solar collecting device. Optical characterisation and experimentation can give information about production quality and homogeneity; moreover, specific tests can address the serial production of solar components detecting defects type and location. For Concentrating Photovoltaic systems, appropriate tests can analyze solar concentrators of various shapes, dimensions, and collection features. Typically, to characterise a solar component the most important and commonly examined quantities are collection efficiency, image plane analysis, and angle dependence.

Optical design of a light-emitting diode lamp for a maritime lighthouse

Traffic signaling is an emerging field for light-emitting diode (LED) applications. This sustainable power-saving illumination technology can be used in maritime signaling thanks to the recently updated norms, where the possibility to utilize LED sources is explicitly cited, and to the availability of high-power white LEDs that, combined with suitable lenses, permit us to obtain well-collimated beams. This paper describes the optical design of a LED-based lamp that can replace a traditional lamp in an authentic marine lighthouse. This source recombines multiple separated LEDs realizing a quasi-punctual localized source. Advantages can be lower energy consumption, higher efficiency, longer life, fewer faults, slower aging, and minor maintenance costs. The proposed LED source allows us to keep and to utilize the old Fresnel lenses of the lighthouse, which very often have historical value.

Optical characterisation of Carbon-Nanohorn based nanofluids for solar energy and life science applications

Single Wall Carbon Nanohorns (SWCNHs) are innovative carbon nanostructures belonging to the thriving family of carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. They have being studied up to now mainly as non-cytotoxic drug carriers [1], but they are interesting for a huge number of applications such as electronics [2], hydrogen and methane storage [3] and renewable energies. In this paper we investigate their optical properties in view of their use as direct sunlight absorbers in solar thermal devices and as reference standard in Biological Tissue Optics.