A study of the organization and performance of thermally evaporated aluminum reflector for solar energy system

Aluminum reflectors for the utilization of solar energy were prepared by thermal evaporation in a large-scale industrial production line. The morphology, reflection, and roughness of the specimens were investigated, and the influence of substrates on optical performance was studied with experimental methods. The aluminum films of the reflectors were characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the optical uniformity and reflectivity were tested by optical reflectance experimental platform. The characteristics and evolution of the Al films on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) were compared to those grown on galvanized-iron and aluminum-alloy, the results shown the Al reflectors of ABS had better optical performance than other different basal materials. The research results have an important reference value for the realization of mass production of low-cost and light-weight aluminum mirrors. Our goal is to optimize the use of thermally evaporated aluminum reflectors for light-gathering system.