Progress 06/01/22 to 07/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:Customers within a 20 km-radius of urban areas, minimizing supply chains and show a potential to reduce farm-to-plate time to below 3 days Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Results highlighted challenges to achieving successful field operations. In particular, precise alignment of a tightly focused free-space beam to a similarly small optical fiber was difficult. In a laboratory, freedom of movement, required for testing over a range of configurations, limits the precision of this alignment. The actual prototype and final product's careful design and rigid fixturing improved alignment. Recreation of solar spectra and beam profiles was difficult to achieve in a laboratory setup. Neither of these issues translated into end-use limitations but resulted in challenges to accurately quantifying performance on a benchtop prior to field deployment. Overall, while measurement and laboratory simulation challenges were present, no issues were discovered that would prevent feasibility of a final product. The proposed approach of using Fresnel lenses and glass optical fibers were feasible and provided at a minimum sufficient light for the target applications. The fiber material/size that should be used to guarantee the lowest possible attenuation losses was high NA, high OH silica glass fiber under 25 dB/km. The larger turning angle (.50) provided a wider acceptable angle, enabling easier capture of incoming light.

Publications

Progress 06/01/21 to 07/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:Customers within a 20 km-radius of urban areas, minimizing supply chains and show a potential to reduce farm-to-plate time to below 3 days Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Results highlighted challenges to achieving successful field operations. In particular, precise alignment of a tightly focused free-space beam to a similarly small optical fiber was difficult. In a laboratory, freedom of movement, required for testing over a range of configurations, limits the precision of this alignment. The actual prototype and final product's careful design and rigid fixturing improved alignment. Recreation of solar spectra and beam profiles was difficult to achieve in a laboratory setup. Neither of these issues translated into end-use limitations but resulted in challenges to accurately quantifying performance on a benchtop prior to field deployment. Overall, while measurement and laboratory simulation challenges were present, no issues were discovered that would prevent feasibility of a final product. The proposed approach of using Fresnel lenses and glass optical fibers were feasible and provided at a minimum sufficient light for the target applications. The fiber material/size that should be used to guarantee the lowest possible attenuation losses was high NA, high OH silica glass fiber under 25 dB/km. The larger turning angle (.50) provided a wider acceptable angle, enabling easier capture of incoming light.

Publications

Progress 06/01/21 to 05/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:Customers within a 20 km-radius of urban areas, minimizing supply chains and show a potential to reduce farm-to-plate time to below 3 days Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Results highlighted challenges to achieving successful field operations. In particular, precise alignment of a tightly focused free-space beam to a similarly small optical fiber was difficult. In a laboratory, freedom of movement, required for testing over a range of configurations, limits the precision of this alignment. The actual prototype and final product's careful design and rigid fixturing improved alignment. Recreation of solar spectra and beam profiles was difficult to achieve in a laboratory setup. Neither of these issues translated into end-use limitations but resulted in challenges to accurately quantifying performance on a benchtop prior to field deployment. Overall, while measurement and laboratory simulation challenges were present, no issues were discovered that would prevent feasibility of a final product. The proposed approach of using Fresnel lenses and glass optical fibers were feasible and provided at a minimum sufficient light for the target applications. The fiber material/size that should be used to guarantee the lowest possible attenuation losses was high NA, high OH silica glass fiber under 25 dB/km. The larger turning angle (.50) provided a wider acceptable angle, enabling easier capture of incoming light.

Publications