An inflatable non-imaging solar concentrator based concentrating solar thermal and photovoltaic system powered water desalination system comprises a concentrating electricity and heat cogeneration subsystem, a battery storage subsystem, a thermal storage subsystem with electric heater, a thermal power regeneration subsystem, and a water distillation system with electric heater. The inflatable non-imaging solar concentrator makes the concentrating system substantially low cost, and the hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic panels used to construct the cogeneration receiver make the system ultra-high efficient. The cogenerated thermal energy is stored in a thermal storage and the cogenerated electric energy is stored in a battery storage to heat the stored thermal energy to pre-set high temperature for thermal power regeneration. The thermal energy after thermal power generation is used to desalinize water with assistance of electric heater powered by the stored electricity. An extra conventional photovoltaic system is added to compensate the concentrating hybrid solar thermal and photovoltaic system.

A transportation network for providing propellant in space can include optical mining vehicles that concentrate solar energy to spall captured asteroids, capture released volatiles, and store them in reservoirs as propellants. The network can also have orbital transfer vehicles that use solar thermal rocket modules that focus solar energy on heat exchangers to force propellant through nozzles, as well as separable aeromaneuvering tanker modules with reusable heatshields and storage tanks. The network can have propellant depots positioned between Earth and a transport destination. The depots can mechanically couple to accept propellant delivery and to supply it to visiting space vehicles.

Disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods for transitioning a substantially planar mirror (2) to a curved configuration. A device or system may comprise a clamping assembly for associating with a mirror (2) and a rotating assembly configured to rotate at least a portion of a mirror according to a rotation angle (). In some cases, a rotation angle is adjustable.

A CSP system including a reflector and a receiver for concentrating the solar radiation incident on the reflector onto the receiver, comprising a shadow blind and a shadow receiver as well as a colour and/or brightness digitizing sensor arranged to detect the shadow of the shadow blind on the shadow receiver in order to determine a deviation of the actual shadow position from a target shadow position, a tracking means configured to adapt the position of the reflector and the receiver according to the deviation.

A deformable mirror with variable curvature including: a plate having a reflective face and opposite hidden face and whose shape has a center (C) and radiuses (r), and at least one actuator intended to exert a force on the hidden face in order to deform the plate. The plate comprises a plurality of primary and secondary portions. The secondary portions being interposed between the primary portions, each of the primary portions extending locally substantially along and on either side of a respective radius (r) among said radiuses (r), and having a stiffness different from the adjacent secondary portions. The deformable mirror is intended to the introduction or the correction of an optical aberration in a light beam.

Radiant energy traps are disclosed which comprise diffuse radiant energy concentrators with at least one reflector and receiver. A diffuse light concentrator (DLC) with optimizable flexibility may be used in multiple applications, such as solar electric, thermal (air or water), hybrid or a combination system.

A system for providing a contour map of the surface of a heliostat from reflected sunlight using a fly's eye camera. The system includes an entrance screen configured to receive sunlight reflected by said heliostat; an array of imaging apertures extending across the entrance screen, each aperture forming an image of said heliostat from a different viewpoint to provide a plurality of heliostat images; one or more digital cameras configured to view all of said plurality of heliostat images; an image processor configured to map out from the plurality of heliostat images a location of sunlight delivered to the entrance screen to obtain a plurality of maps, and to provide, based on centroids of said maps a tip and tilt of each said subsection The reflecting surface profile of the heliostat is obtained by integration of the subsection tilts across all the subsections.

A deformable mirror with variable curvature including: a plate having a reflective face and opposite hidden face and whose shape has a center (C) and radiuses (r), and at least one actuator intended to exert a force on the hidden face in order to deform the plate. The plate comprises a plurality of primary and secondary portions. The secondary portions being interposed between the primary portions, each of the primary portions extending locally substantially along and on either side of a respective radius (r) among said radiuses (r), and having a stiffness different from the adjacent secondary portions. The deformable mirror is intended to the introduction or the correction of an optical aberration in a light beam.

Thin film housing structures for collecting solar energy, and associated systems and methods. A representative system includes an enclosure having an interior region, the enclosure further having a support structure that includes a plurality of curved portions. The system further includes a flexible, thin film carried by, and fixed relative to, the curved portions, the thin film being positioned to transmit solar radiation into the interior region. A receiver is positioned in the interior region, the receiver carrying a working fluid. A solar concentrator is positioned in the interior region to direct the solar radiation to the receiver to heat the working fluid. A controller is operatively coupled to the solar concentrator and is configured to adjust a position of the solar concentrator based at least in part on a position of the sun.

A portable solar concentrator includes a stand, a plurality of inner panels supported by the stand, and a plurality of outer panels attached to the inner panels. The inner panels have a reflective surface, and are configured to direct solar energy at a target. The outer panels have a reflective surface and can be configured in an active position to direct solar energy at the target, and can be configured in an inactive position to direct solar energy away from the target.