Deformations of the parabola

The basic element of the modular system is composed of a parabolic concentrator focusing on a tube

The analysis procedure is based on the mathematical representation of the parabola and of the deformed profiles according to the formula:

with constant curvature c.
By varying the conic constant K you have different types of profiles:

One aspect to be considered in a concentration system is the effect you get when you have a shift of the target (tube) with respect to the focus position, as shown in the following figure

To understand the effect of this displacement you can see the details below of a system focusing on a tube, in which the position of the tube is varied with respect to the focus position (central figure), moving of the same amount towards the parabola (right figure) and moving away from the parabola (left figure).

Tube further from the parabola	Tube in the focus of the parabola	Tube closer to the parabola

For some applications it is not true that the focal position is the best location, it must always be considered that one of the important parameters for concentration applications is the angle of acceptance.