An apparatus for production of steam from an aqueous liquid includes (a) a solar panel with a pliable, essentially impermeable, polymer membrane having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the outer surface is adapted to be directed towards the sun; a lattice structure adapted to support the inner surface of the polymer membrane; a backing, which together with the pliable polymer film, encases the lattice structure; an inlet for the aqueous liquid; an outlet for the steam produced, and (b) means for providing a vacuum connected to the outlet. The apparatus can be produced with few and relatively simple components thereby reducing the cost of the apparatus.

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.

The present invention is related to using a plasmonic energy conversion device comprised of a non-permeable substrate and of a plurality of nanorods, either free standing or embedded in aluminum matrix, that utilizes plasmons to generate vapor from a fluid as a result of being exposed to radiation. Methods of manufacturing the plasmonic energy converter device are described.

Systems and techniques are described herein for an insulation system that utilizes a treated gas, such as water vapor, to fill an at least partially transparent cavity that is part of a structure, to provide insulating properties and/or changes in exposure to the sun for a space, proximate to the structure. In some aspects, an insulation system may include a treated gas generation system, which includes at least one of a heating element, a cooling element, or a diffusing element for treating the gas. The system may also include a gas movement system in communication with the gas generation system. The system may further include a gas conduit system in communication with the gas movement system, where the gas movement system causes the treated to be injected into the gas conduit system to change insulation and/or sun exposure characteristics of a space in proximity to the gas conduit system.

The time for steam generated in a low temperature heating device to reach a saturated steam temperature is reduced a low temperature heating device configured to heat supplied water by using heat of sunlight to generate steam; a steam separation device configured to separate two-phase water-steam fluid generated in the low temperature heating device into water and steam; and a high temperature heating device configured to heat the steam separated in the steam separation device by using heat of sunlight reflected by a plurality of heliostats to generate superheated steam.

A turbine for solar thermal power generation and a Brayton cycle are disclosed. The turbine includes a blade which has a cooling working medium inlet and a cooling working medium jet orifice. The blade is provided as a cavity with hollow interior; the cooling working medium inlet is located inside the blade; the cooling working medium jet orifice is provided on the blade surface on which is provided a spectral conversion coating; the spectral conversion coating converts heat on the blade surface into conversion characteristic band radiation which is radiation energy adjacent to cooling working medium characteristic band radiation of a cooling working medium. The turbine adopts a characteristic spectral coating and a jet cooling to enhance the cooling effect for a turbine blade and to improve the system efficiency of the Brayton cycle.

Disclosed is a nanowire bundle array. Particularly, the nanowire bundle array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of nanowire assemblies arranged therein. Each of the nanowire assemblies includes nanowires, a surface of at least a portion of which is coated with a thin metal film and the widths between the nanowires gradually decrease from one end to another end.

A molten salt central receiver arrangement for transferring heat from panels to a molten salt that flows through the panels. A control device allows to change the condition of at least one of the panel arrangements of the molten salt central receiver arrangement depending on at least an operating parameter of at least one panel and/or depending on an environment signal that characterizes the actual or forecast available heat for the heat transfer to the molten salt. In normal operation passes, each having one or more panels, are connected in series such that molten salt flows in a serpentine or alternating way upward and downward through subsequent passes. In a parallel flow condition, molten salt may flow upward through all of the panels in parallel. In a drain condition, the molten salt is forced out of one or more panels and replaced by compressed air.

Systems and methods for selectively producing steam from solar collectors and heaters, for processes including enhanced oil recovery, are disclosed herein. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a water source, a solar collector that includes a collector inlet, a collector outlet, and a plurality of solar concentrators positioned to heat water passing from the collector inlet to the collector outlet, a fuel-fired heater, a steam outlet connected to an oil field injection well, and a water flow network coupled among the water source, the solar collector, the heater, and the steam outlet. The system can further include a controller operatively coupled to the water flow network and programmed with instructions that, when executed, direct at least one portion of the flow through the solar collector and the fuel-fired heater in a first sequence, and direct the at least one portion or a different portion of the flow through the solar collector and the fuel-fired heater in a second sequence different than the first sequence.

The invention provides circular processes using siloxanes as high-temperature heat transfer fluid (HTF), wherein the siloxanes go over from the state of the supercooled liquid into the state of the high-density supercritical fluid by means of heat uptake without a phase transition and energy is then transferred as energy without a phase transition.