Solar collectors can provide power for electricity, thermal propulsion, and material processing (e.g., mining asteroids). In one aspect, an apparatus for collecting solar energy and simultaneously protecting against damage from a resulting energy beam includes a solar energy collection system including at least one concentrator and a target configured to use, store, or convert the solar energy, the collection system configured to cause solar energy to focus on the target, at least one sensor configured to detect misalignment of the concentrator by determining that some or all of the collected solar energy is offset from the target, and a safety system configured to redirect the energy or interpose a safety structure for shielding other non-target systems from receiving too much solar energy from the collection system.

A water desalinator that employs the use of solar concentration, evaporation and humidification, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle in a closed, modular vessel to produce freshwater from salt, brackish, brines and seawater, and a concentrate stream for further processing. Feed water is received and stored in a basin. Surface humidity is generated by the evaporation of basin water. A lens is used to focus sunlight, tracked the suns path based on biomimicry of a sunflower, on a thermal conductor. The thermal conductor has a rounded side-profile and generates a variable temperature across its radius. Water is pumped from the basin to a sprinkler head to be dripped or sprayed on the thermal conductor to generate water vapour. This water vapour consequently mixes with the air in the reaction vessel to increase system humidity. Humid air is removed from the reaction vessel and condensed in a condenser. Accordingly, the salinity concentration of input water is reduced from the output of the reaction vessel. Multiple reaction vessels or concentrators may be used in tandem to achieve improved performance.

A concentrator apparatus can include a light receiver and a light concentrator. The light concentrator can include a first concentrating lens with a first focal point on the light receiver. A first side of the first concentrating lens can be closer to the first focal point than a second side of the first concentrating lens.

An example light concentrator system for precision thermal processes includes a stabilizing base and a structure attached to the stabilizing base. The structure includes support arms. An azimuth control rotates the structure. A primary solar collector on the support arms is rotatable about two axes based on various positions of the sun throughout the day. Elevation actuators adjust an angle of the primary solar collector relative to position of the sun. Collector distancing actuators adjust distance of the primary solar collector toward and away from the sun. A variety of Thermal Processing Units (TPUs) are configured for a specific process or set of processes implementing concentrated solar energy from the primary solar collector at the receiver plane. Position of the spot can be moved on a fixed receiver plane through translation of the lens relative to the support arms or through rotation of a redirecting mirror.

A mobile system for treatment of a fluid containing organic material using sunlight may provide a trailer and a fluid treatment system mounted on the trailer. The fluid treatment system may include a solar tracking subsystem coupled to the trailer, a lens support mounted on the trailer and controlled by the solar tracking subsystem, a refracting lens coupled to the lens support, and a receiver mounted on the trailer. The receiver may be positioned with respect to the refracting lens to receive substantial concentrated light energy from the sunlight passing through the refracting lens. The fluid may be routed through the receiver for treatment of the organic material with concentrated sunlight.

Almost all energy on Earth comes from the Sun. It radiates power to Earth using electromagnetic (EM) waves. However, only a small fraction of the radiation was captured in the forms of photovoltaic, solar heat, hydropower, fossil fuel, and wind. The consumption of the energy comes with serious environmental penalties such as global warming and environmental damages. A system and methods are disclosed to allow capturing, storage, conversion and release of electromagnetic waves and their energy.

A concentrated solar power generation system includes a movable platform having a groove, a Fresnel lens located in the groove of the movable platform, a header located below the Fresnel lens, a plurality of heat collection tubes arranged in a circular array, a reflector with a tapered surface, and a support base. The header has a water circulation pipe, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. The inlet pipe and the outlet pipe each are communicated to the water circulation pipe. A lower end of each of the heat collection tubes is fixed on the support seat, and an upper end of each of the heat collection tubes contacts the water circulation pipe. The reflector is mounted on the support base and located in a space enclosed by the heat collection tubes.

A water desalinator that employs the use of solar concentration, evaporation and humidification, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle in a closed, modular vessel to produce freshwater from salt, brackish, brines and seawater, and a concentrate stream for further processing. Feed water is received and stored in a basin. Surface humidity is generated by the evaporation of basin water. A lens is used to focus sunlight, tracked the suns path based on biomimicry of a sunflower, on a thermal conductor. The thermal conductor has a rounded side-profile and generates a variable temperature across its radius. Water is pumped from the basin to a sprinkler head to be dripped or sprayed on the thermal conductor to generate water vapour. This water vapour consequently mixes with the air in the reaction vessel to increase system humidity. Humid air is removed from the reaction vessel and condensed in a condenser. Accordingly, the salinity concentration of input water is reduced from the output of the reaction vessel. Multiple reaction vessels or concentrators may be used in tandem to achieve improved performance.

A system for receiving, transferring, and storing solar thermal energy. The system includes a concentrating solar energy collector, a transfer conduit, a thermal storage material, and an insulated container. The insulated container contains the thermal storage material, and the transfer conduit is configured to transfer solar energy collected by the solar energy collector to the thermal storage material through a wall of the insulated container.

A planar non-imaging optical element (10) for a solar concentrator is described. Groups of circular and concentrically arranged microstructures (35) are arranged to refract light incident normal to the plane (504) of the optical element (10) towards the centre point (502). The angle of the microstructures (35) with respect to the plane (504) of the optical element (10) within each group increases with increasing radial distance from the centre point (502) and are selected such that upon normally incident light (60) they to form a focal area common to all of the groups at a focal plane (506) of the optical element (10) and further selected such that the light refracted from the smallest radial distance from the centre point (502) within a given group and the light refracted from the largest radial distance from the centre point (502) within a given group cross at a plane (518) closer to the optical element (10) than is the focal plane (506).