Abstract

Solar concentrators that generate high radiative flux are crucial for advancing sustainable high-temperature research and industrial processes. Solar furnaces achieve this by focusing sunlight using precisely aligned mirrors, enabling applications in materials science and fuel production. However, existing systems are typically large-scale installations, limiting their accessibility for research institutions with spatial constraints. This study addresses the challenge of designing a compact, high-flux solar furnace while retaining high optical performance. Here we demonstrate through Monte Carlo ray-tracing that a faceted parabolic dish, when coupled with a truncated compound elliptic secondary concentrator, achieves a favourable balance of high peak flux (7.2 MW/m^2 ) and enhanced flux uniformity. Our analysis further reveals that a tailored edge-ray concentrator minimises optical entropy generation, achieving the highest yield despite lower power output. These findings provide a novel framework for optimising secondary concentrator selection based on applicationspecific requirements for flux intensity versus uniformity. This work establishes a practical foundation for developing efficient, small-scale solar furnaces, potentially expanding access to high-temperature solar research capabilities worldwide. The integration of optical and thermodynamic metrics offers a universally applicable approach for evaluating energy conversion systems across disciplines.