A plant for the accumulation and transfer of thermal energy, which plant has an accumulation device of the kind with a bed of fluidizable solid particles. The plant further has for each accumulation device: electric resistor means arranged within the casing and thermally connected with the bed of particles, which electric resistors are configured for transmitting thermal energy generated by Joule effect to the particles and they are fed by exceeding electric energy from wind or photovoltaic source; and heat exchange means, also thermally connected with the bed of particles and which can be selectively actuated to receive thermal energy therefrom,
the overall configuration being such that the thermal energy is transferred from the resistor means to the fluidizable solid particles of the bed and from the fluidizable solid particles to the heat exchange means.

An energy harvesting system is provided. The system includes a waveguide operable for trapping at least some light energy. The waveguide defines a surface and an edge. A photovoltaic cell is coupled to the surface or the edge of the waveguide. A waveguide redirecting material is provided on the surface of the waveguide. The waveguide redirecting material is formed of a solidified colored luminescent paint. The paint is configured to be applied and adhere to the surface of the waveguide and redirect light energy to the photovoltaic cell. A method of generating and demonstrating solar power using the system is also provided.

Disclosed are systems and methods for manufacturing energy directing systems for directing energy of multiple energy domains. Energy relays and energy waveguides are disclosed for directing energy of multiple energy domains, including electromagnetic energy, acoustic energy, and haptic energy. Systems are disclosed for projecting and sensing 4D energy-fields comprising multiple energy domains.

The present disclosure relates to down-shifting nanophosphors, a method for preparing the same, and a luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) using the same. The down-shifting nanophosphors according to an embodiment of the present disclosure include a core including NaYF.sub.4 nanocrystals doped with neodymium (Nd) and ytterbium (Yb), and further include a neodymium (Nd)-doped crystalline shell surrounding the core, or further include a NaYF.sub.4 crystalline shell surrounding the crystalline shell. Therefore, the down-shifting nanophosphors efficiently absorb near infrared rays with a wavelength range of 700-900 nm and efficiently emit near infrared rays with a wavelength range of 950-1050 nm. In addition, the down-shifting nanophosphors according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has a size of 60 nm or less, and thus can be applied to manufacture transparent LSC films with ease and can realize transparent solar cell modules having high near infrared ray shifting efficiency.

Solar power collection systems characterized by using a collimated or otherwise concentrated beam of solar radiation to directly heat a porcelain or other high-heat capacity ceramic heating element by contact with an absorption surface on the element, which element in turn heats a thermal storage medium by conduction, methods of using the systems for collecting solar energy, and applications of the systems are disclosed.

Solar power collection systems characterized by using a collimated or otherwise concentrated beam of solar radiation to directly heat a porcelain or other high-heat capacity ceramic heating element by contact with an absorption surface on the element, which element in turn heats a thermal storage medium by conduction, methods of using the systems for collecting solar energy, and applications of the systems are disclosed.

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 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 light guide apparatus that can redirect light impinging on the apparatus over a wide range of incident angles and can concentrate light without using a tracking system and methods for fabrication. This apparatus uses conditions of total internal reflection and refraction near the critical angle for total internal reflection (near TIR) in order to trap light within the apparatus.

The present disclosure discloses a wind-solar reactor system and a working method thereof. The wind-solar reactor system comprises a nuclear reactor system, a wind power generation system, a solar power storage system and a balance energy system, wherein the nuclear reactor system uses an integrated small modular reactor design, the solar power storage system uses a tower-type solar power storage system design, and a hydrogen production system uses a copper-chlorine cycle hydrogen production technology. A reactor keeps rated full-power operation, generated electricity is adjusted and distributed through a power controller, most of the electricity is used for smoothing the fluctuation of wind power generation, and the excess electricity is used for hydrogen storage of the hydrogen system. Solar power is used for heating saturated steam generated by the reactor into superheated steam through a heater, and then the superheated steam enters a high-pressure cylinder to do work by expansion.