A joint for systems for transporting a high temperature heat-transfer fluid is provided. The joint includes a fixed conduit, a first sealing ring joined to the fixed conduit, a rotatable conduit in abutment with the sealing ring, and an outer casing delimiting a chamber. A contact region between the rotatable conduit and the first sealing ring is arranged in the chamber. The outer casing is sealingly engaged with the rotatable conduit by a second sealing ring and with the fixed conduit.

A solar gas turbine power generation system based on a photothermal principle includes a gas turbine, a solar collector and a solar reflector, where the gas turbine includes a compressor impeller, a turbine, a recuperator and a combustion chamber, the recuperator includes an outer shell, an intermediate shell and an inner shell, a low-temperature gas inlet passage is formed between the intermediate shell and the outer shell, a high-temperature gas inlet passage is formed between the intermediate shell and the inner shell, an inlet and an outlet of the low-temperature gas inlet passage communicate with an outlet of the compressor impeller and an inlet of the combustion chamber, respectively, and an inlet and an outlet of the high-temperature gas inlet passage communicate with an outlet of the turbine and the outside, respectively; and the solar collector includes an absorber plate covering the outer shell of the recuperator.

A hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic panel based cogeneration system and heat pump and non-tracking non-imaging solar concentrator based CSP stabilized power generation system comprises a hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic panel based cogeneration subsystem to cogenerate electricity and heat, a heat pump subsystem to raise the temperature of the cogenerated heat, a non-tracking non-imaging solar concentrator based CSP subsystem to further upgrade the cogenerated thermal energy, a thermal storage to store the cogenerated heat, and a thermal power regeneration system, to take the stored cogenerated heat to regenerate power. The power output of the cogeneration subsystem supplemented with the power output from the thermal power regeneration system realizes stabilized power output.

A vertically oriented solar concentrator reactor system and method of use for high temperature thermochemical processes and/or electrical power generation. In one embodiment, the vertically oriented solar concentrator reactor system produces a thermochemical reaction of a stream of irradiated particles arranged concentrically with a concentrated light cone. In one aspect, the vertically oriented solar concentrator reactor system collects an irradiated particle stream within a hot particle containment vessel which communicates thermal energy to a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger in turn driving an electrical power generator. In one embodiment, the particles are a lunar regolith.

An optical mining apparatus comprising: a light weight solar reflector; optics for controlling the delivery of concentrated sun light onto the surface of a target; and a temperature controlled gas enclosure that contains the target; wherein said solar reflector is oriented to reflect sun light onto said optics.

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.

A novel portable solar energy system includes a solar concentrator, a thermal storage device, an azimuth adjustment system, an elevation system, and a heat exchanger, all mounted on a rotatable support frame. In a particular embodiment, the thermal storage device remains at a fixed vertical height and fixed tilt orientation when adjustments are made to the azimuth adjustment system and/or the elevation adjustment system.

A novel portable solar energy system includes a solar concentrator, a thermal storage device, an azimuth adjustment system, an elevation system, and a heat exchanger, all mounted on a rotatable support frame. In a particular embodiment, the thermal storage device remains at a fixed vertical height and fixed tilt orientation when adjustments are made to the azimuth adjustment system and/or the elevation adjustment system.

A solar tracking system preferably associated with a double-reflecting dish solar concentrator having an initial parabolic reflective surface for concentrating solar energy upon a focal cloud preferably spatially coinciding with the primary focus of a subsequent elliptical reflective surface for further concentrating solar energy within a beam directed through an opening defined, preferably at the origin, by the initial parabolic reflective surface to heat a thermal transfer fluid flowing through a heating element; said subsequent elliptical reflective surface having a photovoltaic element on its reverse; said photovoltaic element being divided into plural sections, preferably quadrants, from which respective photovoltaic-based voltmeter readings are utilized to reposition the initial parabolic reflective surface's axis of symmetry closer to parallel with the plurality of incoming solar energy thereby effectively tracking the sun and maximizing collectable/concentrated solar energy.

A solar tracking system preferably associated with a double-reflecting dish solar concentrator having an initial parabolic reflective surface for concentrating solar energy upon a focal cloud preferably spatially coinciding with the primary focus of a subsequent elliptical reflective surface for further concentrating solar energy within a beam directed through an opening defined, preferably at the origin, by the initial parabolic reflective surface to heat a thermal transfer fluid flowing through a heating element; said subsequent elliptical reflective surface having a photovoltaic element on its reverse; said photovoltaic element being divided into plural sections, preferably quadrants, from which respective photovoltaic-based voltmeter readings are utilized to reposition the initial parabolic reflective surface's axis of symmetry closer to parallel with the plurality of incoming solar energy thereby effectively tracking the sun and maximizing collectable/concentrated solar energy.