A retrofittable towel warmer for use with a hot tub preferably comprises a flexible conduit portion which is attachable to one of the jets of the hot tub together with a rigid thermally conductive portion which is detachably mountable on an exterior mast support. There is also preferably provided an exterior housing surrounding the thermally conductive portion designed to provide maximum thermal contact with the cloth material to be heated. The entire unit may be immersed in the hot tub or pool water when not in use. In an alternate embodiment a container having a thermally absorptive medium is provided in a structure which is easily mounted on the mast. In an alternate embodiment a container having a thermally absorptive medium is provided in a structure which is easily mounted on a supporting mast.

A method of cooling air includes a liquid coolant subsystem including a cool water source configured to hold water, an air cooling subsystem including an air chamber that contains air therein, an air conditioning apparatus including a heat exchanger of a liquid-to-air type having a heat sink in thermal communication, a fan assembly configured to move air along the heat sink of the heat exchanger, a thermostat, a temperature sensor, and a control circuit in electronic communication with the temperature sensor and the thermostat, a plumbing subsystem including an inlet piping component in fluid communication with heat exchanger, an outlet piping component in fluid communication with the exchanger, and a solenoid valve. The control circuit may be configured to activate the fan assembly and to open the solenoid valve, allowing for the transfer heat to water from the air moved by the fan assembly.

Provided is a heat storage including a container including a first container made of ceramics and a second container made of ceramics, the first container and the second container being combined, and a heat storage material housed inside the container. The first container and the second container are bonded via a bonding member. A volume occupied by pores in the first container, in a first contact region including a surface section in contact with the bonding member, is greater than a volume occupied by pores in regions other than the first contact region. A volume occupied by pores in the second container, in a second contact region including a surface section in contact with the bonding member, is greater than a volume occupied by pores in regions other than the second contact region.

The invention relates to a method and to a steam power plant, wherein solar energy can be very flexibly and very efficiently coupled into the water steam circuit of the steam power plant.

Embodiments provide a system and method for harvesting solar thermal energy. According to at least one embodiment, there is provided a system which includes an absorption module, a storage module, and a flow control module. The absorption module retains a working fluid in a substantially constant volume and facilitates absorption of solar thermal energy in the working fluid. The storage module is fluidically coupled to the absorption module and is spatially positioned such that working fluid stored therein has higher gravitational potential energy relative to that stored in the absorption module. The flow control module permits passage of the working fluid from the absorption module to the storage module based on pressure of the working fluid in the absorption module exceeding a predefined threshold. When the working fluid transfers from the absorption module to the storage module, the thermal kinetic energy of the working fluid is transformed into gravitational potential energy thereof.

Heat storage devices and circuits suitable for storing solar energy, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. Representative systems can include a solar energy collection system having a first solar field coupled between a first working fluid source and a target heat user via first fluid network, at least one heat storage device, and a second solar field coupled to the at least one heat storage device via a second fluid network. The second fluid network carries a second working fluid and is isolated from fluid communication with the first fluid network. At least one heat exchanger is coupled to the first and second fluid networks to provide thermal communication between the first and second fluid networks.

Reactors are provided that can include a first set of fluid channels and a second set of fluid channels oriented in thermal contact with the first set of fluid channels. The reactor assemblies can also provide where the channels of either one or both of the first of the set of fluid channels are non-linear. Other implementations provide for at least one of the first set of fluid channels being in thermal contact with a plurality of other channels of the second set of fluid channels. Reactor assemblies are also provided that can include a first set of fluid channels defining at least one non-linear channel having a positive function, and a second set of fluid channels defining at least another non-linear channel having a negative function in relation to the positive function of the one non-linear channel of the first set of fluid channels. Processes for distributing energy across a reactor are provided. The processes can include transporting reactants via a first set of fluid channels to a second set of fluid channels, and thermally engaging at least one of the first set of fluid channels with at least two of the second set of fluid channels.

Reactors are provided that can include a first set of fluid channels and a second set of fluid channels oriented in thermal contact with the first set of fluid channels. The reactor assemblies can also provide where the channels of either one or both of the first of the set of fluid channels are non-linear. Other implementations provide for at least one of the first set of fluid channels being in thermal contact with a plurality of other channels of the second set of fluid channels. Reactor assemblies are also provided that can include a first set of fluid channels defining at least one non-linear channel having a positive function, and a second set of fluid channels defining at least another non-linear channel having a negative function in relation to the positive function of the one non-linear channel of the first set of fluid channels. Processes for distributing energy across a reactor are provided. The processes can include transporting reactants via a first set of fluid channels to a second set of fluid channels, and thermally engaging at least one of the first set of fluid channels with at least two of the second set of fluid channels.

The invention provides an unpowered anti-frost anti-heave heat gathering device and subgrade thereof, comprising a solar heat absorber, a circulating tube, a transducer, and a heat gathering tube, wherein the solar heat absorber and the transducer are connected by the circulating tube to form a circulation loop, through which a liquid state circulating working medium flows, the solar heat absorber is configured to absorb solar energy and transfer heat to the transducer through the liquid state circulating working medium, the heat gathering tube comprises a heat absorption section and a heat release section in communication, the heat absorption section is inserted into the transducer for absorbing heat from the transducer and transferring heat to the heat release section, and the heat release section is inserted into a subgrade for heating the subgrade.

Solar energy is collected and used for various industrial processes, such as oilfield applications, e.g. generating steam that is injected downhole, enabling enhanced oil recovery. Solar energy is indirectly collected using a heat transfer fluid in a solar collector, delivering heat to a heat exchanger that in turn delivers heat into oilfield feedwater, producing hotter water or steam. Solar energy is directly collected by directly generating steam with solar collectors, and then injecting the steam downhole. Solar energy is collected to preheat water that is then fed into fuel-fired steam generators that in turn produce steam for downhole injection. Solar energy is collected to produce electricity via a Rankine cycle turbine generator, and rejected heat warms feedwater for fuel-fired steam generators. Solar energy is collected (directly or indirectly) to deliver heat to a heater-treater, with optional fuel-fired additional heat generation.