An air conditioning system and method of air conditioning is provided. The air conditioning system includes an intake mechanism configured to draw into the air conditioner a first amount of air and an amount of moisture from an exterior of the air conditioner. The system further includes metal organic frameworks in fluid communication with the intake mechanism, the metal organic frameworks configured to adsorb the amount of moisture from the first amount of air. The system further includes an indirect evaporative cooler configured to cool the first amount of air. The system further includes a solar heater configured to heat a second amount of air. The system further includes a heat exchanger configured to contact the second amount of air with the metal organic frameworks to regenerate the metal organic frameworks.

A roof or wall comprising an insulating selective surface (1) for the use of transferring net heat energy into or out of an enclosure, such as a building. The insulating selective surface comprises at least one transparent cover (2) that comprises a chamber (9), and in the chamber is a moveable plate (4) comprising a plurality of surfaces (5, 6). At least one of the surfaces is a selective surface which can be moved to substantially face the sky, or moved to face away from the sky. The device insulates the enclosure from conductive losses, while using the sun to heat the enclosure, or the cold of deep space to cool the enclosure depending on how the plate is moved.

The present disclosure provides a photovoltaic-photothermal reaction complementary full-spectrum solar utilization system, comprising: a waveband thermal reactor having a reactant flow channel and a reaction chamber therein, a photovoltaic cell attached to a surface of the waveband thermal reactor, and a full spectrum concentrator configured to concentrate full spectrum sunlight onto a surface of the photovoltaic cell, wherein the full spectrum concentrating device concentrates the full spectrum sunlight onto a upper surface of the opaque or transmissive photovoltaic cell, wherein a portion of the sunlight is converted into electric energy and another portion of the sunlight is converted into thermal energy, and wherein the thermal energy is utilized by the waveband thermal reactor to preheat reactant(s) in the reaction chamber and to make a portion of the reactant(s) to undergo an endothermic chemical reaction such that the thermal energy is stored as chemical energy.

A material may be included in a cooling film or cooling panel to achieve cooling even under direct solar irradiation. The material includes one or more constituent materials and an outer surface configured to interact thermally with the atmosphere and with solar radiation. The material exhibits an emissivity of at least 0.8 in spectral range of 5 μm to 15 μm, an ultraviolet reflectivity of at least 0.5 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, an ultraviolet absorptivity of at least 0.75 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, or a combination thereof. A cooling film, or cooling panel, may be affixed to an exterior surface of a vehicle, structure, or system to provide cooling even under direct solar irradiance.

A composite cooling film (100) comprises an ultraviolet-reflective multilayer optical film (120) and a reflective microporous layer (110) secured thereto. The ultraviolet-reflective multilayer optical film (120) hat is at least 50 percent reflective of ultraviolet radiation over a majority of the wavelength range of at least 340 but less than 400 nanometers. The reflective microporous layer (110) has a continuous phase comprising a nonfluorinated organic polymer and is diffusely reflective of solar radiation over a majority the wavelength range of 400 to 2500 nanometers, inclusive. The composite cooling film (100) has an average absorbance over the wavelength range 8-13 microns of at least 0.85. An article (1200) comprising the composite cooling film (100) adhered to a substrate (1210) is also disclosed.

A composite cooling film (100) comprises an antisoiling layer (160) secured to a first major surface of a reflective microporous layer (110). The reflective microporous layer (110) comprises a first fluoropolymer and is diffusely reflective of electromagnetic radiation over a majority of wavelengths in the range of 400 to 2500 nanometers. The antisoiling layer (160) has an outwardly facing antisoiling surface (162) opposite the micro-voided polymer film. An article (1100) comprising the composite cooling film (1112) secured to a substrate (1110) is also disclosed.

In a solar water taking and power generating device, a concentrating-cooling plate encloses the opening, and at least one freshwater collecting channel is formed between the seawater tank and the concentrating-cooling plate; a cation exchange membrane includes a semiconductor film body, nanoparticles, and a capillary water-transporting conduit, wherein the semiconductor film body is provided with cation-selective channels; sunlight illuminates the cation exchange membrane and the nanoparticles through the concentrating-cooling plate, so that the first temperature, the first seawater concentration and the first electric potential in the first side are higher than those in the second side, respectively. The evaporated seawater enters the freshwater tank after condensed, and the cations transfer from the first side to the second side to form an ionic current.

The present disclosure provides a photovoltaic-photothermal reaction complementary full-spectrum solar utilization system, comprising: a waveband thermal reactor having a reactant flow channel and a reaction chamber therein, a photovoltaic cell attached to a surface of the waveband thermal reactor, and a full spectrum concentrator configured to concentrate full spectrum sunlight onto a surface of the photovoltaic cell, wherein the full spectrum concentrating device concentrates the full spectrum sunlight onto a upper surface of the opaque or transmissive photovoltaic cell, wherein a portion of the sunlight is converted into electric energy and another portion of the sunlight is converted into thermal energy, and wherein the thermal energy is utilized by the waveband thermal reactor to preheat reactant(s) in the reaction chamber and to make a portion of the reactant(s) to undergo an endothermic chemical reaction such that the thermal energy is stored as chemical energy.

The present invention provides an apparatus for preparing a metal based on solar energy thermal reduction. The apparatus includes a solar energy collection and photothermal conversion system and a thermal reduction system. The solar energy collection and photothermal conversion system includes: a solar energy collection device (1), a solar energy concentration device (2), and a solar energy transfer device (3) or a photothermal conversion and transfer device. The thermal reduction system includes: a metal reduction chamber (15), an electric field and/or magnetic field generation device (15-3), and a separation and cooling device (15-4). The solar energy collection and photothermal conversion system transfers sunlight or heat to the metal reduction chamber to decompose a metal oxide, and a product resulted from the decomposition is dissociated under the effect of an electric field/magnetic field, and a liquid metal is obtained upon cooling. The apparatus further includes a waste heat recovery and recycle system. According to the present invention, the metal oxide is heated and decomposed by directly using the solar energy, which improves energy utilization rate, greatly prevents environmental pollution and energy waste, and has a great application prospect.

The present invention provides an apparatus for preparing a metal based on solar energy thermal reduction. The apparatus includes a solar energy collection and photothermal conversion system and a thermal reduction system. The solar energy collection and photothermal conversion system includes: a solar energy collection device (1), a solar energy concentration device (2), and a solar energy transfer device (3) or a photothermal conversion and transfer device. The thermal reduction system includes: a metal reduction chamber (15), an electric field and/or magnetic field generation device (15-3), and a separation and cooling device (15-4). The solar energy collection and photothermal conversion system transfers sunlight or heat to the metal reduction chamber to decompose a metal oxide, and a product resulted from the decomposition is dissociated under the effect of an electric field/magnetic field, and a liquid metal is obtained upon cooling. The apparatus further includes a waste heat recovery and recycle system. According to the present invention, the metal oxide is heated and decomposed by directly using the solar energy, which improves energy utilization rate, greatly prevents environmental pollution and energy waste, and has a great application prospect.