OEC provides optical design and analysis services. In 1999 the physicists Prof. Dr. Harald Ries, Julius Muschawek und Dr. Andreas Timinger founded the company. All of them are specialists in the field of non-imaging optics and have many years of experience in the targeted re-distribution of light and other electromagnetic radiation. The core competence of the company is the design of illumination systems and the tailoring of optical free-form elements. Company’s services are complemented by representing ORA’s high-end software products LightTools and CODE V in the German speaking countries.
OEC members have pioneered academic research in non-imaging optics for many years. Over 100 scientific publications proof their competence. For the design of high precision optical systems OEC uses novel approaches from non-imaging optics, mathematics and numerics. OEC has developed numerical tools like 2-D and 3-D tailoring of freeform elements. With these methods the company can design the geometrical form of reflectors and surfaces of lenses by solving a differential equation. Thus, it is possible to tailor free-form elements in such a manner that a desired brightness distribution on a specific target surface can be produced from any given light source. By numerical optimisation based on ray-tracing and commercial simulation software it is possible to analyse the optical design.
MAIN TASKS IN THE PROJECT
The main task in ECOSOLE project is the detailed optical design and its validation by ray-tracing
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND PUBLICATIONS/PATENTS
Selected publications related to solar concentrator design:
1. Spirkl, W., A. Timinger, H. Ries, A. Kribus, et al., Non-axisymmetric reflectors concentrating radiation from an asymmetric heliostat field onto a circular absorber. Solar Energy, 1998. 63(1): p. 23-30.
2. Timinger, A., A. Kribus, P. Doron, and H. Ries, Facetted concentrators optimized for homogeneous radiation. Applied Optics, 2000. 39(7): p. 1152-1158.
3. Timinger, A., A. Kribus, P. Doron, and H. Ries. Optimized CPC-type Concentrators Built of Plane Facets. in Nonimaging Optics: Maximum Efficiency Light Transfer V. 1999. San Diego, Ca.: Proc. SPIE.
4. Kribus, A., M. Huleihil, A. Timinger, and R. Ben-Mair, Performance of a rectangular secondary concentrator with an asymmetric heliostat field. Solar Energy, 2000. 69(2): p. 139.
5. Timinger, A., T. Smith, A. Kribus, H. Ries, et al., Optical assessment of nonimaging concentrators. Applied Optics, 2000. 39(31): p. 5679-5684.
6. Timinger, A., W. Spirkl, A. Kribus, and H. Ries, Optimized secondary concentrators for a partitioned central receiver system. Solar Energy, 2000. 69(2): p. 153-163.
