The present invention provides a solar absorber incorporated bilayer foam solar evaporator for seawater and wastewater purification including a plurality of solar absorbers partially incorporated into a porous polymer framework and partially forming a thermal insulation layer proximal to solar irradiation. In particular, low-cost commercially available B.sub.4C powders are embedded into a porous polymer foam in a one-pot method to form a scaffold of boron carbide bilayer foam (BCBF) with good hydrophilic wettability, heat-shielding, and solar-thermal conversion. The boron carbide bilayer foam (BCBF) of the present invention enables a high cost-performance seawater desalination and wastewater purification at a high evaporation rate of 2.8 kg/m.sup.2/h with 93% solar evaporation efficiency under 1 sun illumination (or 1 kW/m.sup.2). The present invention thereby provides an excellent and cost-effective solar evaporator tool for industrial-level water purification. Following the present method to prepare the BCBF solar evaporator, the fabrication cost can be as low as 3.6 $/m.sup.2.

An apparatus combining a solar tracker and a dual heat source collector includes a heat engine assembly and the solar tracker. The heat engine assembly includes a heat collector, a heat collecting lens, and a heat engine. The heat collector includes a solar heat collecting room and a heat source room. The heat collecting lens is arranged on the heat collector and corresponds to the solar heat collecting room. The heat engine is located in the solar heat collecting room. The solar tracker includes a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, a pivot member, and a driving member. The primary mirror has a first reflective surface and a back surface. The primary mirror has a mounting hole passing through the primary mirror. The secondary mirror is mounted above the primary mirror.

An apparatus combining a solar tracker and a dual heat source collector includes a heat engine assembly and the solar tracker. The heat engine assembly includes a heat collector, a heat collecting lens, and a heat engine. The heat collector includes a solar heat collecting room and a heat source room. The heat collecting lens is arranged on the heat collector and corresponds to the solar heat collecting room. The heat engine is located in the solar heat collecting room. The solar tracker includes a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, a pivot member, and a driving member. The primary mirror has a first reflective surface and a back surface. The primary mirror has a mounting hole passing through the primary mirror. The secondary mirror is mounted above the primary mirror.

The invention subject to the application is related to a solar chimney configuration that is used to produce electrical energy from solar energy using a thermal method; by means of the tripartite chimney system used in the embodiment of the invention the air flows transferred by both the updraft and the downdraft chimneys are utilized, and as a result a high yield of energy is obtained via the vertical turbines that have been positioned at the entrances of the chimneys.

The invention subject to the application is related to a solar chimney configuration that is used to produce electrical energy from solar energy using a thermal method; by means of the tripartite chimney system used in the embodiment of the invention the air flows transferred by both the updraft and the downdraft chimneys are utilized, and as a result a high yield of energy is obtained via the vertical turbines that have been positioned at the entrances of the chimneys.

A heat transfer device (100) includes an inner tube (102) mounted within a tubular chamber (104) of a heat exchanger (106). The hollow tubular chamber (104) has a closed end (108) with inwardly sloping inner surfaces (110) and the inner tube (102) has an open end (112) that terminates short of the closed end (108). A diffuser (114) is provided and is shaped such that an operatively front part (116) thereof substantially conforms to a shape of the inner surfaces (110) of the closed end (108) so as to form a narrow flow passageway (118) between the diffuser (114) and the inner surfaces (110) at the closed end (108), and an operatively back part (120) of the diffuser (114) slopes towards the inner tube (102) and away from its open end (112) to form a diffusion zone (122). Heat transfer assemblies utilising the heat transfer device (100) are also disclosed.

A heat transfer device (100) includes an inner tube (102) mounted within a tubular chamber (104) of a heat exchanger (106). The hollow tubular chamber (104) has a closed end (108) with inwardly sloping inner surfaces (110) and the inner tube (102) has an open end (112) that terminates short of the closed end (108). A diffuser (114) is provided and is shaped such that an operatively front part (116) thereof substantially conforms to a shape of the inner surfaces (110) of the closed end (108) so as to form a narrow flow passageway (118) between the diffuser (114) and the inner surfaces (110) at the closed end (108), and an operatively back part (120) of the diffuser (114) slopes towards the inner tube (102) and away from its open end (112) to form a diffusion zone (122). Heat transfer assemblies utilising the heat transfer device (100) are also disclosed.

Devices, systems, and methods relating to providing a portable, rechargeable vessel for collecting, storing, and recovering thermal energy are provided. In one aspect, vessel includes a structure defining a well and an open-top portion at the top of the well; a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material is disposed in the well, the phase-change material being configured to change phase at temperature in the range of 110-700° C.; one or more thermally-conductive fins interleaved in the phase-change material; and a thermally-conductive heat transfer plate disposed at and substantially covering the open-top portion of the structure, in direct thermal contact with the one or more fins, thereby allowing the transfer plate to directly exchange thermal energy with the phase change material.

Devices, systems, and methods relating to providing a portable, rechargeable vessel for collecting, storing, and recovering thermal energy are provided. In one aspect, vessel includes a structure defining a well and an open-top portion at the top of the well; a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material is disposed in the well, the phase-change material being configured to change phase at temperature in the range of 110-700° C.; one or more thermally-conductive fins interleaved in the phase-change material; and a thermally-conductive heat transfer plate disposed at and substantially covering the open-top portion of the structure, in direct thermal contact with the one or more fins, thereby allowing the transfer plate to directly exchange thermal energy with the phase change material.

A solar heat collector tube in which at least an infrared reflective layer, a sunlight-heat conversion layer and an anti-reflection layer are provided on the outer surface of a tube, through the interior of which a heat medium can flow, wherein the infrared reflective layer is an Ag layer in which silicon, silicon nitride or a mixture thereof is dispersed, and a method for producing the solar heat collector tube wherein the infrared reflective layer that is an Ag layer, in which silicon, silicon nitride or a mixture thereof is dispersed, is formed by sputtering in the presence of a gas including nitrogen gas, with Ag and silicon being used as targets.