An external solar receiver, for a concentrating thermodynamic solar power plant of the type with a tower and heliostat field, has a wind tight modular inner structure, also called casing, and a plurality of heat exchanger tube receiver panels fastened to that inner structure. Each panel has a plurality of metal boxes supporting the heat exchanger tubes and assembled to one another by assembly means allowing the disassembly, each box being covered with thermal insulation via an anchor. The tubes are secured to the boxes by a removable and floating connector.

A solar powered boiler assembly for producing steam with solar energy includes a bowl that is positioned in the ground. A boiler is positioned in the bowl and the boiler has a fluid therein. A dome is removably positioned on the bowl. A plurality of lenses each extends through the dome such that each of the lenses is exposed to sunlight. Each of the lenses focuses the sunlight onto the boiler to heat the boiler. In this way the boiler produces steam by heating the fluid therein. A reflector is coupled to the dome and the reflector is comprised of a light reflecting material for reflecting sunlight onto the lenses.

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.

In one embodiment, a thermodynamic system includes multiple types of thermodynamic cycles and multiple types of solar thermal fields that provide thermal energy to the thermodynamic cycles.

The production of NH.sub.3, Urea, UAN, and DAP, starting from inherently intermittent renewable energy, such as photovoltaic and wind power, is made economical by use of molten salt thermal energy storage (ESS) and water electrolyzer (WE) concentrated oxygen. The process inputs and equipment apply air; hydrogen-containing fuel, such as biomass; WE (concentrated O.sub.2 and H.sub.2 producing); thermal ESS equipped with a turbine and generator to steady the electricity input to the WE; and an ammonia plant. The thermal ESS enables minimally sized process equipment including, the WE, the air separation unit and less hydrogen storage. The concentrated oxygen from the water electrolyzer uniquely enables high-temperature thermal ESS input, water and CO.sub.2 collection and other fertilizer products, including Urea, UAN and DAP. DAP production is facilitated by using WE high-purity O.sub.2 oxidation and ammonium nitrate is similarly facilitated by anhydrous NH.sub.3 oxidation.

The power plant system includes a molten salt reactor assembly, a thermocline unit, phase change heat exchangers, and process heat systems. The thermocline unit includes an insulated tank, an initial inlet, a plurality of zone outlets, and a plurality of gradient zones corresponding to each zone outlet and being stacked in the tank. Each gradient zone has a molten salt portion at a portion temperature corresponding to the molten salt supply from the molten salt reactor being stored in the tank and stratified. The molten salt portions at higher portion temperatures generate thermal energy for process heat systems that require higher temperatures, and molten salt portions at lower portion temperatures generate thermal energy for process heat systems that require lower temperatures. The system continuously pumps the molten salt supply in controlled rates to deliver the heat exchange fluid supply to perform work in the corresponding particular process heat system.

Method for conversion of energy, by which a sun energy, or heat energy, or radiation energy is converted in an other form of energy, where the energy in its heat form or in the form of radiation is supplied to a vaporizer of a heat pipe, and this energy is converted in the energy of a working gas of the heat pipe through (as a consequence of) the absorption of this energy by the working liquid of the heat pipe; the energy in its heat form is extracted (conducted away) from the condenser of the heat pipe, and the energy of movement of the gas of the heat pipe is converted in others, not heat forms of energy, in particular into electric energy, where additionally to the capillary or gravitational forces, usually acting in the heat pipe transport zone to recover the heat pipe liquid, an additional energy, in its mechanical or electrical or any other not-heat form, is supplied to the working liquid of the heat pipe, among other possibilities, from outside in respect to the heat pipe, and this additional energy is converted in a mechanical energy of a mechanical movement of this heat pipe working liquid, and at the same time one directs the gas flow from the vaporizer to the condenser through one or several constrictions, where the cross-section area of this constriction or these constrictions in the plane, which one is perpendicular to the direction of the gas flow, is essentially mach less than an average cross-section area of the vaporizer or condenser, which way an effectiveness of energy conversion is increased.

A solar powered boiler assembly for producing steam with solar energy includes a bowl that is positioned in the ground. A boiler is positioned in the bowl and the boiler has a fluid therein. A dome is removably positioned on the bowl. A plurality of lenses each extends through the dome such that each of the lenses is exposed to sunlight. Each of the lenses focuses the sunlight onto the boiler to heat the boiler. In this way the boiler produces steam by heating the fluid therein. A reflector is coupled to the dome and the reflector is comprised of a light reflecting material for reflecting sunlight onto the lenses.

Solar/Rankine steam cycle hybrid concentrating solar power (CSP) systems and methods for designing or retrofitting existent natural circulation boilers using saturated or superheated steam produced by direct steam generation (DSG) or Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) steam generators and CSP solar field technology systems are described. Additionally, methods and processes of retrofitting the existent Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG) or biomass, gas, oil or coal fired boilers to operate integrated to a molten salt/water-steam heat exchangers are disclosed. The hybrid CSP systems are highly efficient due to the increase of steam generated by the solar section comprising either the DSG receiver or the molten salt-water-steam sequential heat exchangers, pre-heaters, boiler/saturated steam generators, super-heaters and re-heaters. The additional saturated, superheated and reheated steam produced is directed to a Rankine cycle according to its pressure, temperature and steam quality significantly reducing the fuel consumption within a cogeneration or Combine Cycle Power Plant.

Method for conversion of energy, by which a sun energy, or heat energy, or radiation energy is converted in an other form of energy, where the energy in its heat form or in the form of radiation is supplied to a vaporizer of a heat pipe, and this energy is converted in the energy of a working gas of the heat pipe through (as a consequence of) the absorption of this energy by the working liquid of the heat pipe; the energy in its heat form is extracted (conducted away) from the condenser of the heat pipe, and the energy of movement of the gas of the heat pipe is converted in others, not heat forms of energy, in particular into electric energy, where additionally to the capillary or gravitational forces, usually acting in the heat pipe transport zone to recover the heat pipe liquid, an additional energy, in its mechanical or electrical or any other not-heat form, is supplied to the working liquid of the heat pipe, among other possibilities, from outside in respect to the heat pipe, and this additional energy is converted in a mechanical energy of a mechanical movement of this heat pipe working liquid, and at the same time one directs the gas flow from the vaporizer to the condenser through one or several constrictions, where the cross-section area of this constriction or these constrictions in the plane, which one is perpendicular to the direction of the gas flow, is essentially mach less than an average cross-section area of the vaporizer or condenser, which way an effectiveness of energy conversion is increased.