A material may be included in a cooling film or cooling panel to achieve cooling even under direct solar irradiation. The material includes one or more constituent materials and an outer surface configured to interact thermally with the atmosphere and with solar radiation. The material exhibits an emissivity of at least 0.8 in spectral range of 5 m to 15 um, an ultraviolet reflectivity of at least 0.5 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, an ultraviolet absorptivity of at least 0.75 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, or a combination thereof. A cooling film, or cooling panel, may be affixed to an exterior surface of a vehicle, structure, or system to provide cooling even under direct solar irradiance.

A material may be included in a cooling film or cooling panel to achieve cooling even under direct solar irradiation. The material includes one or more constituent materials and an outer surface configured to interact thermally with the atmosphere and with solar radiation. The material exhibits an emissivity of at least 0.8 in spectral range of 5 m to 15 um, an ultraviolet reflectivity of at least 0.5 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, an ultraviolet absorptivity of at least 0.75 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, or a combination thereof. A cooling film, or cooling panel, may be affixed to an exterior surface of a vehicle, structure, or system to provide cooling even under direct solar irradiance.

The particle-to-working fluid heat exchanger is a particle-to-working fluid counter-flow direct contact heat exchanger formed from a heat exchange chamber having opposed upper and lower ends. A diameter of the heat exchange chamber decreases from the upper end to the lower end, with a fluid inlet positioned adjacent the lower end for receiving a stream of fluid. The stream of fluid is tangentially and upwardly directed within the heat exchange chamber. The heat exchange chamber also has a fluid outlet positioned adjacent the upper end thereof. A distribution manifold for the heat exchange chamber produces a plurality of streams of heated particles which exchange thermal energy with the stream of fluid to generate a stream of heated fluid and a volume of cooled particles. A solar power generator, in the form of a solar tower, is further provided, which incorporates the particle-to-working fluid counter-flow direct contact heat exchanger.

The particle-to-working fluid heat exchanger is a particle-to-working fluid counter-flow direct contact heat exchanger formed from a heat exchange chamber having opposed upper and lower ends. A diameter of the heat exchange chamber decreases from the upper end to the lower end, with a fluid inlet positioned adjacent the lower end for receiving a stream of fluid. The stream of fluid is tangentially and upwardly directed within the heat exchange chamber. The heat exchange chamber also has a fluid outlet positioned adjacent the upper end thereof. A distribution manifold for the heat exchange chamber produces a plurality of streams of heated particles which exchange thermal energy with the stream of fluid to generate a stream of heated fluid and a volume of cooled particles. A solar power generator, in the form of a solar tower, is further provided, which incorporates the particle-to-working fluid counter-flow direct contact heat exchanger.

A defogger defogs a reflective mirror with heat from sunlight without relying on electric power. A defogger for a reflective mirror includes a heat collector with a hollow structure to store heat from sunlight, an air inlet port through which air is fed into the heat collector, a warm-air outlet port through which air from the heat collector is discharged in a heated state, a support attached to a pole of the reflective mirror, and a connector connecting the heat collector and the support. The structure allows warm air discharged through the warm-air outlet port to come in contact with the surface of the reflective mirror to increase the surface temperature and thus defog the reflective mirror.

A defogger defogs a reflective mirror with heat from sunlight without relying on electric power. A defogger for a reflective mirror includes a heat collector with a hollow structure to store heat from sunlight, an air inlet port through which air is fed into the heat collector, a warm-air outlet port through which air from the heat collector is discharged in a heated state, a support attached to a pole of the reflective mirror, and a connector connecting the heat collector and the support. The structure allows warm air discharged through the warm-air outlet port to come in contact with the surface of the reflective mirror to increase the surface temperature and thus defog the reflective mirror.

A method for cleaning a solar power system includes operating a solar power system that comprises a plurality of solar power cells mounted on a spherical frame; rotating the spherical frame to move the plurality of solar power cells into a volume of a hemispherical reservoir that is mounted to the spherical frame; rotating the spherical frame to move the plurality of solar power cells into a solar cell cleaning solution fluid enclosed within the volume of the hemispherical reservoir defined between an interior surface of the reservoir and the spherical frame; and removing, with the solar cell cleaning solution, a plurality of particulates attached to the plurality of solar power cells.

A method for cleaning a solar power system includes operating a solar power system that comprises a plurality of solar power cells mounted on a spherical frame; rotating the spherical frame to move the plurality of solar power cells into a volume of a hemispherical reservoir that is mounted to the spherical frame; rotating the spherical frame to move the plurality of solar power cells into a solar cell cleaning solution fluid enclosed within the volume of the hemispherical reservoir defined between an interior surface of the reservoir and the spherical frame; and removing, with the solar cell cleaning solution, a plurality of particulates attached to the plurality of solar power cells.

The present invention is a solar concentrator composed of a generally V-shaped trough of reflective Fresnel steps. The Fresnel reflective steps concentrate the sunlight entering the mouth of the V-shaped trough and parallel to its central axis into a central focal area. By disposing a solar energy receiving element at the central focal area of sunlight concentration a preferred embodiment as a concentrating solar energy collector is realized. Various types of solar energy receiving structures are shown that serve to convert the concentrated sunlight into other forms of useful energy to realize the preferred embodiment as a concentrating solar energy collector.

The present invention is a solar concentrator composed of a generally V-shaped trough of reflective Fresnel steps. The Fresnel reflective steps concentrate the sunlight entering the mouth of the V-shaped trough and parallel to its central axis into a central focal area. By disposing a solar energy receiving element at the central focal area of sunlight concentration a preferred embodiment as a concentrating solar energy collector is realized. Various types of solar energy receiving structures are shown that serve to convert the concentrated sunlight into other forms of useful energy to realize the preferred embodiment as a concentrating solar energy collector.