Provided is a solar thermal power generation facility that includes: a compressor; a medium heating heat receiver that receives sunlight and heats a compressed medium from the compressor; a turbine that is driven by the compressed medium heated by the medium heating heat receiver; a power generator that generates electric power by driving of the turbine; and a tower that supports these components. The compressor, the turbine, and the power generator are formed as arranged devices. A plurality of the arranged devices are aligned in a vertical direction.

A hairpin heat exchanger (1), wherein the bundle of parallel U-bent tubes (2) is extended out of the exchanger and connected, via bent tubes (11), respectively beyond an end of the internal shell (3) and of the external shell (4) at the first straight section to a first header (9) distributing the first fluid to the bundle of straight tubes (2) and beyond an end of the internal shell (3) and of the external shell (4) at the second straight section to a second header (10) collecting the first fluid under the form of liquid, vapor or a mixture liquid/vapor from the bundle of straight tubes (2).

A device for storage and exchange of thermal energy of solar origin, which device is configured to receive a concentrated solar radiation using an optical system of beam down type, which device comprises: a containment casing which defines an internal compartment and has an upper opening configured to allow entry of the concentrated solar radiation, which opening puts in direct communication the internal compartment with the external environment having no closure or screen means; a bed of fluidizable solid particles, received within the internal compartment, which bed has an irradiated operative region directly exposed, in use, to the concentrated solar radiation that enters through said opening and a heat accumulation region adjacent to said operative region; fluidization elements of the bed of particles, configured to feed fluidization air within the compartment, which fluidization means is configured to determine different fluid-dynamic regimens in the operative region and in the accumulation region, based upon different fluidization speeds, wherein, in use, the particles of the operative region absorb thermal energy from the solar radiation and they give it to the particles of the accumulation region.

Separators and mixers for delivering controlled-quality solar-generated steam over long distances for enhanced oil recovery, and associated systems and methods. A representative method includes heating water to steam at a solar field, separating a liquid fraction from the steam, directing the steam toward a target steam user via a first, steam conduit, and directing the liquid fraction toward the target steam user in parallel with the steam via second, liquid fraction conduit. The method can further include mixing the liquid fraction and the steam before delivering the combined liquid fraction and steam to the target user.

Energy storage systems are disclosed. The systems may store energy as heat in a high temperature liquid, and the heat may be converted to electricity by absorbing radiation emitted from the high temperature liquid via one or more photovoltaic devices when the high temperature liquid is transported through an array of conduits. Some aspects described herein relate to reducing deposition of sublimated material from the conduits onto the photovoltaic devices.

A solar vapor generator includes an absorber to absorb sunlight and an emitter, in thermal communication with the absorber, to radiatively evaporate a liquid under less than 1 sun illumination and without pressurization. The emitter is physically separated from the liquid, substantially reducing fouling of the emitter. The absorber and the emitter may also be heated to temperatures higher than the boiling point of the liquid and may thus may be used to further superheat the vapor. Solar vapor generation can provide the basis for many sustainable desalination, sanitization, and process heating technologies.

A solar powered boiler assembly for producing steam with solar energy includes a bowl that is positioned in the ground. A boiler is positioned in the bowl and the boiler has a fluid therein. A dome is removably positioned on the bowl. A plurality of lenses each extends through the dome such that each of the lenses is exposed to sunlight. Each of the lenses focuses the sunlight onto the boiler to heat the boiler. In this way the boiler produces steam by heating the fluid therein. A reflector is coupled to the dome and the reflector is comprised of a light reflecting material for reflecting sunlight onto the lenses.

There are various source of heat energy. Amongst the various sources Solar energy, waste heat form garbage, waste heat from transformers, waste heat from chemical reactions, waste heat from plant and machinery, heat from geo-thermal or the vast heat energy lying in the seas and oceans are some of the major ones which are free and unused. Apart from these, we can also produce heat energy from fuels like fossil fuels, hydrogen gas, forest products etc. A lot of heat energy is being wasted and though converted to mechanical or electric energy it is not that efficient. However, using the evaporation or sublimation and condensation process brought about through difference in temperature and the use of buoyancy factor to increase the efficiency of the energy production, the heat energy can be converted to mechanical or electrical energy in excess of hundred percent. Moreover, heat energy obtained from hydrolysis of some chemicals like salts or hydroxides and their dehydration for reuse or the heat stored as latent heat on melting of salts can be utilized for huge storage of energy for some months or more and use it through this invention method. The energy lying in the water under the oceans during winter can be easily utilized for production of huge energy when there are very low (freezing) temperatures on the surface of the earth.

Solar/Rankine steam cycle hybrid concentrating solar power (CSP) systems and methods for designing or retrofitting existent natural circulation boilers using saturated or superheated steam produced by direct steam generation (DSG) or Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) steam generators and CSP solar field technology systems are described. Additionally, methods and processes of retrofitting the existent Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG) or biomass, gas, oil or coal fired boilers to operate integrated to a molten salt/water-steam heat exchangers are disclosed. The hybrid CSP systems are highly efficient due to the increase of steam generated by the solar section comprising either the DSG receiver or the molten salt-water-steam sequential heat exchangers, pre-heaters, boiler/saturated steam generators, super-heaters and re-heaters. The additional saturated, superheated and reheated steam produced is directed to a Rankine cycle according to its pressure, temperature and steam quality significantly reducing the fuel consumption within a cogeneration or Combine Cycle Power Plant.

The method is for conveying solar power from a sun. A solar concentrator conveys and concentrates solar power as rays into a glass rod. The solar concentrator has a tapering device disposed at a bottom thereof. The glass rod has a first curved glass loop section, a second curved glass loop section and a straight glass section. The straight glass section has an outer end that is positioned in proximity to a water surface to heat the water. The first loop section is rotated relative to the second loop section at a first gap and the second section is rotated relative to the curved section at a second gap so that the concentrator can follow the path of the sun during the day.