A method of determining pathogen inactivation may include performing an energy balance on a fluid heating system. Performing an energy balance may include calculating temperatures of a fluid at a plurality of locations as the fluid flows through the fluid heating system. The method of determining pathogen inactivation may also include receiving inactivation kinetic data regarding a pathogen present in the fluid and determining pathogen inactivation amounts based on exposure to the temperatures. Performing an energy balance may include receiving a plurality of input parameters relating to the fluid heating system. The plurality of input parameters may relate to a solar collection system and an associated fluid control system. The solar collection system may include a parabolic mirror and the fluid control system may include an elongated flow element arranged along a focal axis of the parabolic mirror.

A photovoltaic intensification system includes a solar array stand, further including a mounting base; a mounting column; a solar array frame, a solar array, solar array lenses or reflectors, a light sensor, an elevation actuator, and a horizontal actuator; and a solar system cart, further including: a cart enclosure, a radiant solar cooker chamber, cart reflectors, and cart wheels. Further included are a vertical tilt ring, a strong-arm rod, a mass pivot rod, an elevation actuating ring, a horizontal tilt ring, and mounting brackets. A power and control system for photovoltaic intensification further includes a battery charger, a battery, an A/C inverter, a solar control unit, a remote control, a thermo electric freezer component, and a heat exchanger. A solar control unit includes a light sensor control circuit and a temperature control circuit, or a processor, a non-transitory memory, an input/output, an actuator controller, and a temperature controller.

A method is provided for using asymmetrically focused photovoltaic conversion in a hybrid parabolic trough solar power system. Light rays received in a plurality of transverse planes are concentrated towards a primary linear focus in an axial plane, orthogonal to the transverse planes. T band wavelengths of light are transmitted to the primary linear focus, while R band wavelengths of light are reflected towards a secondary linear focus in the axial plane. The light received at the primary linear focus is translated into thermal energy. The light received at the secondary linear focus is asymmetrically focused along a plurality of tertiary linear foci, orthogonal to the axial plane. The focused light in each tertiary linear focus is concentrated into a plurality of receiving areas and translated into electrical energy. Asymmetrical optical elements are used having an optical input interfaces elongated along rotatable axes, orthogonal to the axial plane.

Provided herein is a solar energy light collecting device, which includes a light reflection module, a sun tracking module, and a control module. The light reflection module includes reflection units, reflection unit support beams and a support wheel frame assembly. The sun tracking module includes an angle adjustment set, a height adjustment set, and a supporter set. The control module includes a sense control unit and a driving motor. The sense control unit senses the direction of the sunlight and controls the driving motor to drive the sun tracking module, such that the light reflection module faces the direction of the sunlight. Moreover, an additional balance adjustment module can also be adopted to resolve the spatial disposition problem.

A solar panel that attains very low cost/Watt objectives is achieved by applying an optical concentrator with planar symmetry in combination with a simple 1-axis tracking system. The concentrator uses a Cassegrain optical system to provide moderate concentration factors that can be adjusted by varying the ratio of the focal lengths of the concave and convex reflecting surfaces. Concentrator dimensions can be scaled to any convenient size. They can be arrayed in parallel to form a solar panel that has the same form factor as a 1-sun solar panel. One-axis tracking is achieved by simply rotating the collector elements in synchronism so the sun is maintained in the plane of symmetry for each of the collector elements that comprise the panel.

The present invention relates to a system for a parabolic solar concentrator (SCA) having a substantially continuous reflective surface aiming to maximize the efficiency of the parabolic solar concentrator and of its fabrication method. The system of the present invention allows the fabrication of a low cost parabolic solar concentrator, based on a torsion bar, ribs and a plurality of reflective pieces of sheet metal preferably covered with a reflective film. The parabolic solar concentrator according to a preferred embodiment allows the reduction of surfaces shading the reflective surface. Another advantage is the lack of presence of supporting or movement elements protruding in the concave side of the parabola, not including receiver tube components and supports, thereby increasing the reflection efficiency and solar collection.

The present invention relates to a system for a parabolic solar concentrator (SCA) having a substantially continuous reflective surface aiming to maximize the efficiency of the parabolic solar concentrator and of its fabrication method. The system of the present invention allows the fabrication of a low cost parabolic solar concentrator, based on a torsion bar, ribs and a plurality of reflective pieces of sheet metal preferably covered with a reflective film. The parabolic solar concentrator according to a preferred embodiment allows the reduction of surfaces shading the reflective surface. Another advantage is the lack of presence of supporting or movement elements protruding in the concave side of the parabola, not including receiver tube components and supports, thereby increasing the reflection efficiency and solar collection.

The invention relates to a passive tracking device for tracking the position of the sun, which comprises a hollow parallelepiped casing through which the solar radiation entering through a first lens located at the upper end of the parallelepiped casing passes towards a discriminating reflector arranged at the lower end of the same casing; the tracking device redirects as much incoming radiation as possible towards side chambers for absorbing radiation, heating a working fluid contained in the side chamber; producing a volumetric expansion in the working fluid that, communicating with shafts for the rotation of the tracking device, allows the orientation with the normal/perpendicular position with respect to the position of the sun, and to guide the alignment direction of other tracking devices for collecting energy in devices for collecting photovoltaic and/or thermal energy that are mechanically connected to the tracking device.

The invention relates to a passive tracking device for tracking the position of the sun, which comprises a hollow parallelepiped casing through which the solar radiation entering through a first lens located at the upper end of the parallelepiped casing passes towards a discriminating reflector arranged at the lower end of the same casing; the tracking device redirects as much incoming radiation as possible towards side chambers for absorbing radiation, heating a working fluid contained in the side chamber; producing a volumetric expansion in the working fluid that, communicating with shafts for the rotation of the tracking device, allows the orientation with the normal/perpendicular position with respect to the position of the sun, and to guide the alignment direction of other tracking devices for collecting energy in devices for collecting photovoltaic and/or thermal energy that are mechanically connected to the tracking device.

Devices and methods for concentrated radiative cooling using radiative cooling coatings in combination with mid-infrared reflectors. Concentrated radiative cooling (CRC) devices include an object to be cooled that is coated with a radiative cooling material and a mid-infrared (mid-IR) reflector configured to reflect thermal energy radiated from a surface of the object to deep space. The object may be nested in a mid-IR reflective trough such that substantially an entirety of the object's surface area contributes to radiative cooling. The radiative cooling material may be a coating such as a paint or film that is applied directly to the object's exterior surfaces to reduce thermal resistances. The radiative cooling coating is configured to lose thermal energy from the object by means of exhibiting high emissivity for wavelengths of 8 to 13 micrometers, and in some arrangements of 5 to 30 micrometers.