How can I simulate a reflective optical mirror that concentrates sunlight into a line focus?
I want to simulate a reflective optical mirror that concentrates sunlight into a line focus instead of a point focus.
In addition to that, I would like the reflected sunlight to remain on the same target line or approximately the same target region while the sun moves across the sky from sunrise to sunset. In other words, I am interested in whether this should be modeled as a fixed mirror geometry, a heliostat-like tracking mirror, or a reflective concentrator with some form of solar tracking.
What would be the best way to model this? Should I treat it as a cylindrical mirror, a parabolic trough, a heliostat system, or a non-imaging solar concentrator?
I mainly want to visualize the reflected rays and calculate the irradiance distribution along the focal line during different times of the day. Would 2D ray tracing be enough, or should I use a full 3D simulation with solar position changing over time?
Also, which tools would you recommend for this kind of problem: Zemax OpticStudio, TracePro, COMSOL, MATLAB/Python ray tracing, SolTrace, Tonatiuh, or something else?
Some specific questions I have are:
- How should I include the sun’s changing position from sunrise to sunset?
- Is it possible to keep the reflected light on nearly the same target line using only mirror geometry, or would active tracking be required?
- How should I model the sun’s finite angular size, mirror reflectivity, and the irradiance distribution on the receiver?
- Are there any recommended papers, tutorials, or example models for heliostats, parabolic troughs, line-focus solar concentrators, or reflective solar tracking systems?
My goal is to understand the correct optical modeling approach, visualize the reflected rays, and estimate the concentration of solar energy on a fixed or nearly fixed target line throughout the day.
Any advice on terminology, simulation setup, or useful references would be appreciated.
Thank you.