Sunlight collection system with asymmetric catadioptric optics
The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses, opposing concave focusing mirrors, and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The lenses and mirrors have an asymmetric shape, such as having aspect ratios of 3:4 or 1:2, so as to have an asymmetric aperture to better receive light at the different ranges of angles of the sun's rays over the course of a year. The long axis of the apertures is generally oriented in an East-West. The movable sheet contains small angled mirrors, and the sheet is translated to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an output of the collection system. A position sensor provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.