Diogo Canavarro, researcher at the Renewable Energies Chair - University of Évora (CER-UÉ, Portuguese acronym) is the guest editor of the special issue “Novel Research on Linear Fresnel Reflector Systems” of the journal Optics. Optics is an open access scientific journal dedicated to all fields of optical sciences and technologies for which MDPI is responsible.
This special issue invites the presentation of articles on advances in LFR (Linear Fresnel Reflector) systems, a specific type of solar concentration technology, with an emphasis on new optical developments for this technology. Research articles, review articles and short communications are accepted. The manuscripts, which can be submitted until August 31, 2021, will be peer-reviewed and the accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal, and will be listed together on the special issue website.
According to the CER-UÉ researcher, LFR systems “represent a strong opportunity for low-cost electricity and heat production, but they need to improve their efficiency conversion in order to become more competitive compared to other solar concentration technologies”.
The UÉ researcher says that “optical solutions seeking maximum concentration, methodologies for heliostat field optimization, analytical descriptions of different LFR systems, annual efficiency conversion estimation or cost-reduction strategies are some of the topics that should be addressed in this edition”.
Responsible for the Advanced Optics team at CER-UÉ, Diogo Canavarro develops testing for new point and linear focus concentrators, secondary optics, and design of methods and tools.
In 2014, the researcher received the “Viewer's Choice” award in the first edition of the Non-imaging Optical Design Silent Online Contest, organized by the Optical Society of America (OSA), with the presentation of two solutions for solar thermal concentration systems made with SMS (Simultaneous Multiple Surface) design, and for vacuum tubular receivers, which revealed higher concentration factors than cylinder-parabolic concentrators.
In 2016 he won the 8th edition of the Scientific Award Mário Quartin Graça, promoted by Casa da América Latina, in the category of Technologies and Natural Sciences, with his thesis “Advances in the design of solar concentrators for thermal applications” with an analysis of solar concentrators for energy production, process heat and other applications.
