@Article{fhmt.2025.074656,
AUTHOR = {Mussad Mohammed Al-Zahrani, Taher Maatallah},
TITLE = {Scalable and Passive Concentrator Photovoltaics Using a Multi-Focal Pyramidal Array: A Multi-Physics Modeling Approach},
JOURNAL = {Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer},
VOLUME = {23},
YEAR = {2025},
NUMBER = {6},
PAGES = {1883--1905},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/fhmt/v23n6/65239},
ISSN = {2151-8629},
ABSTRACT = {Conventional concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) face a persistent trade-off between high efficiency and high cost, driven by expensive multi-junction solar cells and complex active cooling systems. This study presents a computational investigation of a novel Multi-Focal Pyramidal Array (MFPA)-based CPV system designed to overcome this limitation. The MFPA architecture employs a geometrically optimized pyramidal concentrator to distribute concentrated sunlight onto strategically placed, low-cost monocrystalline silicon cells, enabling high efficiency energy capture while passively managing thermal loads. Coupled optical thermal electrical simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics demonstrate a geometric concentration ratio of 120×, with system temperatures maintained below 110°C under standard 1000 W/m<sup>2</sup> Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI). Ray tracing confirms 95% optical efficiency and a concentrated light spot radius of 2.48 mm. Compared with conventional CPV designs, the MFPA improves power-per-cost by 25% and reduces tracking requirements by 50% owing to its wide ±15° acceptance angle. These results highlight the MFPA’s potential as a scalable, low-cost, and energy-efficient pathway for expanding solar power generation.},
DOI = {10.32604/fhmt.2025.074656}
}