A system and method of extracting frozen water from soil or a regolith and capturing the water is provided. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a water collection system to extract and collect water from regolith. The system is configured to heat the regolith in situ to a temperature at which frozen water in the regolith will vaporize. The water vapor is then captured and collected. In one embodiment, the system includes a power system to provide energy to the regolith to heat the regolith, an enclosure to trap the water vapor released from the heated regolith, and a container operably interconnected to the enclosure to collect the water vapor. In one embodiment, the system can be positioned at a production facility on the Earth, the Moon, Mars, or an asteroid.

A hybrid solar-thermoelectric device includes a solar device and a thermoelectric device coupled thereto. The thermoelectric device includes a flexible first substrate, and a number of sets of N and P thermoelectric legs coupled to the first substrate. Each set includes an N and a P thermoelectric leg electrically contacting each other through a conductive material on the first substrate. The thermoelectric device also includes a rigid second substrate, a conductive thin film formed on the second substrate, and a number of pins corresponding to the number of sets of N and P thermoelectric legs. Each pin couples the each set on an end thereof away from the first substrate to the conductive thin film formed on the second substrate, and is several times longer than a height of the N and P thermoelectric legs.

A thermoelectric device includes a flexible first substrate, and a number of sets of N and P thermoelectric legs coupled to the first substrate. Each set includes an N and a P thermoelectric leg electrically contacting each other through a conductive material on the first substrate. The thermoelectric device also includes a rigid second substrate, a conductive thin film formed on the second substrate, and a number of pins corresponding to the number of sets of N and P thermoelectric legs. Each pin couples the each set on an end thereof away from the first substrate to the conductive thin film formed on the second substrate, and is several times longer than a height of the N and P thermoelectric legs.

The present invention relates to a solar evacuated heat collecting panel for collecting solar energy and more particularly, to a solar evacuated heat collecting panel having a heat absorbing plate and a heat medium circulating tube mounted therein so as to withstand external stress by means of a glass window structure and to minimize loss of solar energy collected therein. The present invention provides a solar evacuated heat collecting panel for collecting solar heat to obtain energy, the solar evacuated heat collecting panel comprising: a case made of glass or a metallic material; a glass window mounted on the upper portion of the case so as to form a space together with the case; a heat collecting portion comprising a heat collecting plate seated inside the case and the glass window and at least one heat medium circulating tube attached to the lower portion of the heat collecting plate by brazing welding and mounted so as to penetrate one side of the case; a side spacer made of a metallic material so as to connect a edge of the glass window and a edge of the case to each other; an inner spacer that penetrates the heat absorbing plate so as to support the case and the glass window at a predetermined interval; and an evacuating tube mounted on one side of the case so as to evacuate the interior of the panel.

The present invention relates to a solar evacuated heat collecting panel for collecting solar energy and more particularly, to a solar evacuated heat collecting panel having a heat absorbing plate and a heat medium circulating tube mounted therein so as to withstand external stress by means of a glass window structure and to minimize loss of solar energy collected therein. The present invention provides a solar evacuated heat collecting panel for collecting solar heat to obtain energy, the solar evacuated heat collecting panel comprising: a case made of glass or a metallic material; a glass window mounted on the upper portion of the case so as to form a space together with the case; a heat collecting portion comprising a heat collecting plate seated inside the case and the glass window and at least one heat medium circulating tube attached to the lower portion of the heat collecting plate by brazing welding and mounted so as to penetrate one side of the case; a side spacer made of a metallic material so as to connect a edge of the glass window and a edge of the case to each other; an inner spacer that penetrates the heat absorbing plate so as to support the case and the glass window at a predetermined interval; and an evacuating tube mounted on one side of the case so as to evacuate the interior of the panel.

The disclosed invention relates to solar-thermal receiver tubes for heating high-temperature fluids such as molten salts and oils, such as those used in conjunction with trough reflectors or concentric concentrators. The disclosed invention utilizes fused silica receiver tube assemblies that provide optical absorption by way of optically-absorbing media that is imbedded within the thermal transfer fluid, preferably comprising inorganic dyes that comprise pulverized thin film coatings or dissolved materials that are specifically designed for maximizing optical absorption. Alternatively, the chemistry of the transfer fluid can be modified to increase optical absorption, or the optically absorbing media may comprise fine powders with density preferably similar to the thermal transfer fluid, such as fine graphite powder; or, in another preferred embodiment, absorbing means within the heat transfer fluid comprise a solid absorbing element disposed along the central axis of the receiver tube's interior.

A system includes an algae bioreactor that contains an algae slurry, a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the algae bioreactor to receive the algae slurry from the algae bioreactor and heat and increase a pressure of the algae slurry, and one or more valves and a flash vessel in fluid communication with a discharge of the heat exchanger to flash the algae slurry and create steam and algae biomass. A separator receives the algae biomass from the flash vessel and separates oils from the algae biomass to generate a biofuel.

An inflatable non-imaging solar concentrator powered high temperature thermo-chemical reaction system, which is designed to reduce CO2 into CO and H2O into H2 for liquid fuels such as methanol and kerosene, comprises: 1) an inflatable non-imaging solar concentrator with a transparent cover and a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC); 2) the first stage of the multi-stage non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator with a domed divergent Fresnel Lens transparent cover and a CPC; 3) the second stage of the multi-stage non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator with a domed divergent Fresnel Lens transparent cover and a CPC; 4) a high temperature thermo-chemical reactor with a steel high pressure vessel, an insulation layer, a first CeO2 catalyst layer, and a second CeO2 catalyst layer.

An inflatable non-imaging solar concentrator powered high temperature thermo-chemical reaction system, which is designed to reduce CO2 into CO and H2O into H2 for liquid fuels such as methanol and kerosene, comprises: 1) an inflatable non-imaging solar concentrator with a transparent cover and a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC); 2) the first stage of the multi-stage non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator with a domed divergent Fresnel Lens transparent cover and a CPC; 3) the second stage of the multi-stage non-imaging non-tracking solar concentrator with a domed divergent Fresnel Lens transparent cover and a CPC; 4) a high temperature thermo-chemical reactor with a steel high pressure vessel, an insulation layer, a first CeO2 catalyst layer, and a second CeO2 catalyst layer.

A solar collector includes a box shaped collection space bounded by a rectangular bottom (10), a frame (12), and an outer rectangular glass pane (14). The box shaped collection space includes therein an inner rectangular glass pane (16) that is disposed in a first direction from the bottom and is separated from the outer rectangular glass pane by spacers (18). An absorber sheet (20) and at least one fluid conducting riser (22) are positioned intermediate of the bottom and the inner rectangular glass pane. At least two ventilation caps (30) extend in overlying relation of respective corners of the solar collector. Inner sides (32I) of the ventilation caps include a pattern (34P, 34Z) of air ventilation passages that provide at least one ventilation channel that extends from outside the collector space to between the inner and outer rectangular glass panes.