Author(s) :

Vrishank Ram, Abhinav Shivalli, Edwin Mu.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Fresnel lenses are segmented convex lenses with a reduced mass that can collimate light and direct it at a focal point, and have proven useful in solar concentrator technologies like solar cells. In this study, we analyze the feasibility of using Fresnel lenses in solar sails (devices that utilize light from the Sun as a form of stellar propulsion). A major challenge for solar sails is maximizing surface area while minimizing mass, which increases propulsion. By focusing and capturing light over a larger surface while being less massive, Fresnel lenses could improve the area-mass ratio (AMR), and this investigation analyzes whether they increase the efficiency of solar sails. After designing the lens and sail, we used ANSYS Lumerical FDTD and other simulation methodologies to model light interaction with the lens, measuring lens material efficiency through the intensity of the focused light. The results provided a theoretical design with a theoretical AMR nearly double that of NASA’s ACS-3 solar sail; once optical losses are applied to both designs on the same basis, the improvement is more modest. These idealized values hold only when the physical limits of manufacturing extremely thin lenses are not considered. Current works focus on novel surface materials, increased thermal efficiency, or structural design changes for efficiency. Through this work, we present an analysis of AMR improvement through the integration of Fresnel lenses into solar sails, with quantitative comparisons to designs such as the ACS-3, contributing to the limited existing literature on this application.