A solar electricity generator including an array of photovoltaic power generating elements, and a single continuous smooth solar reflecting surface, the surface being arranged to reflect light from the sun onto the array of photovoltaic power generating elements, wherein the flux per area at a point of minimum flux per area on the array is approximately 75% of the flux per area at a point of maximum flux per area, the intercept factor of the array is at least 70%, and the optical fill factor of the array is at least 60%.

The solar energy concentrator and collector system consists of a) longitudinal sheets, plates or bands of transparent plastic, carrying linear Fresnel lenses, b) longitudinal sheets, plates or bands of transparent plastic, carrying mirrors. Fresnel type or formed by multiple mini or linear reflective micro-mirrors integrated into them, b) sheets, plates or arched bands that carry multiple lenses or mini-lenses of cylinder segment section, c) mirrors arranged in a Fresnel type shape, d) of V-shaped mirrors, e) semi-parabolic mirrors of) plastic lenses filled with liquid, supported peripherally by cables, poles or a frame, which concentrate the solar rays in an equally longitudinal focus or duct, with a flattened ovoid or rectangular section. of large surface that carries a fluid, which when it is water evaporates, driving a turbine and goes to a generator.

An assembly of units comprised of mirrors assembled along at least one parabolic arc, each mirror having two opposing lateral edges and opposing longitudinal internal and external edges, each of the two mirrors being longitudinally secured to the other mirror along their respective longitudinal internal edges by at least one securing device positioned at the centre of the parabolic arc; and secured at each lateral edge to the wheel supports.

A light-concentrating lens assembly for a solar energy system, the assembly comprising a primary off-axis quarter-section parabolic reflector for reflecting incident light, a secondary off-axis quarter-section parabolic reflector for receiving light reflected from the primary off-axis quarter-section parabolic reflector, a compound paraboloid concentrator (CPC) for receiving light reflected from the secondary off-axis quarter-section parabolic reflector and a housing for holding the primary and secondary off-axis parabolic reflectors as well as the CPC.

An apparatus is disclosed including: a trough shaped reflector extending along a longitudinal axis and including at least one reflective surface having a shape which substantially corresponds to an edge ray involute of the absorber.

A solar heat boiler is provided which is capable of avoiding damage to heat transfer tubes without increasing facility cost and construction cost. The solar heat boiler includes: a low-temperature heating device by which water supplied from a water supply pump is heated by heat of sunlight; a steam-water separation device by which two-phase fluid of water and steam generated in the low-temperature heating device is separated into water and steam; a high-temperature heating device by which the steam separated by the steam-water separation device is heated by the heat of sunlight; and a circulation pump by which the water separated by the steam-water separation device is supplied to the low-temperature heating device.

A receiver system for a Fresnel solar plant is provided. The system includes an absorber tube defining a longitudinal direction and a mirror array that runs parallel to the longitudinal direction. The mirror array has a mirror-symmetrical curve profile having at least one top apex for concentrating light beams onto the absorber tube. The mirror array has ventilation holes in the region of the apex.

A desalination system, including a membrane distillation portion, a solar power concentration portion, and a thermal vapor compression portion operationally connected to the membrane distillation portion and to the solar power concentration portion. The membrane distillation portion includes a first vessel having a first portion and a second portion separated by a hydrophobic membrane operationally connected therebetween and oriented to pass water from the first portion to the second portion, wherein the hydrophobic membrane further comprises a hydrophilic membrane and an air blocking layer connected to the hydrophilic membrane and disposed in the first portion, a vacuum gap adjacent the hydrophobic membrane and disposed in the second portion, a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet operationally connected to the first portion, and a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet operationally connected to the second portion. The solar power concentration portion includes a pump having a pump outlet and a pump inlet operationally connected to a water line and to the vacuum gap, a linear Fresnel mirror collector for collecting and focusing sunlight, and an outlet line operationally connected to the pump outlet and positioned to receive focused sunlight from linear Fresnel mirror collector. The thermal vapor compression portion includes an ejector having an ejector inlet portion and an ejector outlet portion, wherein the ejector inlet portion is operationally connected to the outlet line and to the vacuum gap, a second vessel fluidically connected to the outlet portion and further including a heat exchanger operationally connected to the ejector outlet portion and to a water pipe, a feed spray operationally connected to the second outlet and positioned to spray into the heat exchanger, and a collection portion for receiving concentrated feed spray. The heat exchanger receives desalinated water from the ejector and from the feed spray. The water line carries desalinated water from the heat exchanger. The first outlet passes concentrated brine, and the first inlet receives feed water to be desalinated.

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.

In one embodiment a solar collector is provided. The collector has a modular heat transfer component, which includes a heat transfer core to heat up a heat transfer fluid. The collector makes use of the heat transfer fluid itself to prevent heat loss through radiation.