Sensor arrangement for tracking a solar collector assembly, the sensor arrangement comprising a housing; said housing comprising an inclination sensor and a camera; said sensor arrangement comprising a shadow receiver; said shadow receiver being arranged and adapted to receive the full shadow of a solar system's receiver tube; wherein the camera and the shadow receiver are arranged such that the camera may sense the full width of the receiver tube's shadow on the shadow receiver.

Sensor arrangement for tracking a solar collector assembly, the sensor arrangement comprising a housing; said housing comprising an inclination sensor and a camera; said sensor arrangement comprising a shadow receiver; said shadow receiver being arranged and adapted to receive the full shadow of a solar system's receiver tube; wherein the camera and the shadow receiver are arranged such that the camera may sense the full width of the receiver tube's shadow on the shadow receiver.

A method is provided for determining a state of a solar-thermal field with rows, arranged in parallel in a transverse direction of the field, of successively arranged parabolic trough collectors having a mirroring reflector surface, which each have, along their longitudinal extent, a focal point line in which at least one absorber pipe is arranged in each case. The following steps are performed: positioning a recording device to capture recordings at least in the infrared range at a predefined height above the field; creating, by means of the recording device, recordings of images of absorber pipes reflected by the parabolic trough collectors, the recording device being moved over the parabolic trough collectors in a transverse direction transverse to the longitudinal extent and the recordings being made by the recording device in the form of associated image sequences; and determining an intensity of the thermal radiation of the respective absorber pipe by means of radiometric evaluation of the recordings at least in the infrared range.

A method is provided for determining a state of a solar-thermal field with rows, arranged in parallel in a transverse direction of the field, of successively arranged parabolic trough collectors having a mirroring reflector surface, which each have, along their longitudinal extent, a focal point line in which at least one absorber pipe is arranged in each case. The following steps are performed: positioning a recording device to capture recordings at least in the infrared range at a predefined height above the field; creating, by means of the recording device, recordings of images of absorber pipes reflected by the parabolic trough collectors, the recording device being moved over the parabolic trough collectors in a transverse direction transverse to the longitudinal extent and the recordings being made by the recording device in the form of associated image sequences; and determining an intensity of the thermal radiation of the respective absorber pipe by means of radiometric evaluation of the recordings at least in the infrared range.

A system and a process for producing gas and generating power is disclosed herein. The system may be configured to include a produced gas, a production pipe, an indirect heat exchange system, a heat exchange medium, a concentrated solar power system, an energy conversion device, and a heat exchange circulation system. The process may include producing a gas from a reservoir that has a first temperature, heating the produced, via indirect heat exchange with a heat exchange medium, to a second temperature. This indirect heat exchange may produce a cooled heat exchange medium that may be heated again via concentrated solar power. The heated produced gas may be then expanded across an energy conversion device to produce electricity.

The solar evaporator is comprised of a parabolic dish structure and the evaporator located just outside of the focal point. The refrigerant, coming from the heat pump, circulates through the evaporator. After having been heated up by the concentrated solar heat, the refrigerant is routed to the heat pump which compresses the refrigerant so as to extract the maximum amount of heat collected. The goal is to continuously maximize the temperature differential at the receiving coil by keeping the refrigerant at the lowest temperature possible in order to maximize heat gains at the evaporator. Multiple parabolic dishes can work together wherein they are connected in parallel to the header. A sun tracking mechanism ensures that the dishes are always pointing towards the sun. The extract heat can be used for multiple purposes.

The solar evaporator is comprised of a parabolic dish structure and the evaporator located just outside of the focal point. The refrigerant, coming from the heat pump, circulates through the evaporator. After having been heated up by the concentrated solar heat, the refrigerant is routed to the heat pump which compresses the refrigerant so as to extract the maximum amount of heat collected. The goal is to continuously maximize the temperature differential at the receiving coil by keeping the refrigerant at the lowest temperature possible in order to maximize heat gains at the evaporator. Multiple parabolic dishes can work together wherein they are connected in parallel to the header. A sun tracking mechanism ensures that the dishes are always pointing towards the sun. The extract heat can be used for multiple purposes.

A fluidic solar actuation system comprising a plurality of fluidic solar actuators that each include a first fluidic inflatable actuator, and a second fluidic inflatable actuator. The system also includes a fluidic routing system configured to covey a fluid originating from a fluid source to: the respective first fluidic inflatable actuators of the plurality of fluidic solar actuators, the first fluidic inflatable actuators ganged so as to be fluidically connected such that the first fluidic inflatable actuators are configured to be inflated together and separate from the second fluidic inflatable actuators, and the respective second fluidic inflatable actuators of the plurality of fluidic solar actuators, the second fluidic inflatable actuators ganged so as to be fluidically connected such that the second fluidic inflatable actuators are configured to be inflated together and separate from the first fluidic inflatable actuators.

A fluidic solar actuation system comprising a plurality of fluidic solar actuators that each include a first fluidic inflatable actuator, and a second fluidic inflatable actuator. The system also includes a fluidic routing system configured to covey a fluid originating from a fluid source to: the respective first fluidic inflatable actuators of the plurality of fluidic solar actuators, the first fluidic inflatable actuators ganged so as to be fluidically connected such that the first fluidic inflatable actuators are configured to be inflated together and separate from the second fluidic inflatable actuators, and the respective second fluidic inflatable actuators of the plurality of fluidic solar actuators, the second fluidic inflatable actuators ganged so as to be fluidically connected such that the second fluidic inflatable actuators are configured to be inflated together and separate from the first fluidic inflatable actuators.

A double line focusing solar energy collection apparatus of the present invention includes a heat collector, a secondary concentrator, and a bracket. The heat collector includes a primary concentrator and a heat collection tube, in which the primary concentrator has a focus line. The secondary concentrator has a focus line. The bracket supports the primary concentrator, the heat collection tube, and the secondary concentrator. The heat collection tube is located between the primary and secondary concentrators and located on the focus lines of the secondary and primary concentrators. The primary concentrator is a paraboloid reflector or Fresnel reflector. The secondary concentrator is a paraboloid reflector or Fresnel reflector. By adding the secondary concentrator, it achieves low light loss and high heat collection efficiency, and erosion of the heat collection tube by sand, rain, and snow can be effectively prevented, thereby extending the lifetime of the heat collection tube effectively.