Winston, Roland (Energy)
Winston, Roland
Roland Winston is an American physicist who founded the field of non-imaging optics, which focuses on transferring light efficiently and controlling its distribution. Non-imaging optics act as light funnels that sometimes collect and intensify radiation more effectively than lenses and mirrors. One of his devices uses an innovative optical surface called a compound parabolic concentrator to concentrate light more intensively than traditional optics. In some applications, this technology has concentrated sunlight up to 84,000 times the natural level of sunlight at the Earth’s surface. Potential applications include the irradiation of the surface of materials, pumping lasers, and harnessing solar energy to cool buildings, generate electricity, and industrial process heat.
