A solar tower system is disclosed in which the heat transfer media is a molten salt at a temperature greater than 650? C. The components that carry or hold the molten salt are made from commercially available alloys made by Haynes International and sold under the designations HR-120? alloy, 230? alloy and 233? alloy whose compositions are described herein. The molten salt preferably is MgCl.sub.2KCl.

An improved modular, removable system of building-integrated solar panel photovoltaics for easy residential and commercial roof installation for generating electrical and thermal energy.

Thermally-conductive ceramic and ceramic composite components suitable for high temperature applications, systems having such components, and methods of manufacturing such components. The thermally-conductive components are formed by a displacive compensation of porosity (DCP) process and are suitable for use at operating temperatures above 600 C. without a significant reduction in thermal and mechanical properties.

Thermally-conductive ceramic and ceramic composite components suitable for high temperature applications, systems having such components, and methods of manufacturing such components. The thermally-conductive components are formed by a displacive compensation of porosity (DCP) process and are suitable for use at operating temperatures above 600 C. without a significant reduction in thermal and mechanical properties.

Technologies are disclosed herein for a thin heat exchanger through which coolant may be pumped. The heat exchanger may include an envelope and a heat conduction layer provided over the envelope. The envelope may include one or more channels formed therein. The channels formed between the envelope and the conduction layer may extend the length of the heat exchange layer and be configured to carry coolant therethrough. The heat exchange layer may include an inlet manifold on a first end and an outlet manifold on another end opposing the first end. The inlet manifold may allow the flow of coolant into the heat exchange layer and the outlet manifold may allow the removal of the coolant from the heat exchange layer. Coolant flow may be controlled by a suction pump operating under computer control based at least in part on sensor data.

A hybrid photovoltaic-thermal system provides co-generation of electrical energy and thermal energy. Electrical energy is efficiently generated by photovoltaic panels that are cooled by heat exchangers attached thereto, and the cooling of the photovoltaic panels improves the energy output efficiency of the photovoltaic panels. The heat exchangers flow fluid through its channels, and the fluid collects heat from the photovoltaic panels to which the heat exchangers are attached. The heated fluid is then received at and stored in a thermal battery. The thermal battery can be a fluid tank that encourages the fluid to retain the heat collected from the photovoltaic panels. The thermal battery can then supply the heated fluid to thermal loads as thermal energy.

There is provided a heat collector for solar thermal power generation that suppresses oxidization using a silicon-carbide ceramic sintered body as a base body. The heat collector includes the base body made of a silicon-carbide ceramic sintered body in which channels (cells) for passing through a heat medium are formed, a first glass layer of silicate glass that coats at least a part of surfaces of the base body and contains an alkali metal constituent and/or an alkaline-earth metal constituent, and a second glass layer of silicate glass that coats the first glass layer and has a sum of contents of an alkali metal constituent and an alkaline-earth metal constituent, which is smaller than a sum of contents of the alkali metal constituent and the alkaline-earth metal constituent in the first glass layer.

A nickel-chromium-aluminum alloy includes (in mass %) 12 to 30% chromium, 1.8 to 4.0% aluminum, 0.1 to 7.0% iron, 0.001 to 0.50% silicon, 0.001 to 2.0% manganese, 0.00 to 1.00% titanium, 0.00 to 1.10% niobium, 0.00 to 0.5% copper, 0.00 to 5.00% cobalt, in each case 0.0002 to 0.05% magnesium and/or calcium, 0.001 to 0.12% carbon, 0.001 to 0.050% nitrogen, 0.001 to 0.030% phosphorus, 0.0001 to 0.020% oxygen, max. 0.010% sulfur, max. 2.0% molybdenum, max. 2.0% tungsten, and a remainder of nickel with a minimum content of 50% and the usual process-related impurities for use in solar power towers, using chloride and/or carbonate salt melts as a heat transfer medium, wherein in order to ensure a good processability, the following condition must be met: Fv0.9 with Fv=4.880500.095546*Fe0.0178784*Cr0.992452*AI1.51498*Ti0.506893*Nb+0.0426004*AI*Fe, where Fe, Cr, AI, Ti, and Nb are the concentration of the respective elements in mass %.

Provided are solar collection energy storage and energy conversion or chemical conversion systems. Also provided are tubing components, such as for solar receivers, including Mo and having a MoSiB coating on an external surface. The systems can include a solar receiver containing a heat transfer material or chemically reacting material and can operate at temperatures of 700 C. or higher. The solar receiver can include tubing components selected from a Mo tubing component, a MAX phase material tubing component, a MoSiB composite tubing component, or a combination thereof. The Mo component, when present, can include a coating on surfaces of the Mo component that operate above 700 C.

Provided are solar collection energy storage and energy conversion or chemical conversion systems. Also provided are tubing components, such as for solar receivers, including Mo and having a MoSiB coating on an external surface. The systems can include a solar receiver containing a heat transfer material or chemically reacting material and can operate at temperatures of 700 C. or higher. The solar receiver can include tubing components selected from a Mo tubing component, a MAX phase material tubing component, a MoSiB composite tubing component, or a combination thereof. The Mo component, when present, can include a coating on surfaces of the Mo component that operate above 700 C.