Characterization and deviation analysis of a high-flux solar simulator with metal-halide lamps

Utilizing highly concentrated solar power for thermochemical processing as one of the extraterrestrial In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) applications has been highlighted as an essential technique to support deep-space exploration in the future. Multi-source High-Flux Solar Simulators (HFSSs) are widely employed to provide stable irradiance for indoor solar thermal experiments. Meanwhile, numerical modeling that can characterize the radiation transport mechanisms within the solar thermal system has been developed for performance evaluation before field trials. However, significant differences between simulated and measured flux distributions were shown for existing models developed based on the Monte-Carlo Ray-tracing (MCRT) method, which have been attributed to only one or two specific reasons. In this paper, we proposed a comprehensive analysis of the concentration characteristics of a 42kW metal-halide lamp HFSS, developed at Swinburne University of Technology, considering the effect of five aspects. The flux distribution, uniformity, and vector distribution under different configurations were compared to quantify the influence of these factors on receiving irradiance. The suitable arc size, reflector shape, and reflector surface properties of the existing HFSS have also been numerically determined to improve the model and reduce the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for the lamp array from 38.2% to 8.3%. This research provides a potential pathway to numerically predict the radiation transfer performance of HFSSs and determine the suitable configuration for desired solar thermochemical applications.