A solar powered boiler assembly for producing steam with solar energy includes a bowl that is positioned in the ground. A boiler is positioned in the bowl and the boiler has a fluid therein. A dome is removably positioned on the bowl. A plurality of lenses each extends through the dome such that each of the lenses is exposed to sunlight. Each of the lenses focuses the sunlight onto the boiler to heat the boiler. In this way the boiler produces steam by heating the fluid therein. A reflector is coupled to the dome and the reflector is comprised of a light reflecting material for reflecting sunlight onto the lenses.

Mixed heliostat field combining, in the same field, heliostats of different sizes and/or with different types of facets, all of them having at least one facet and being canted or not, and either having spherical, cylindrical, flat or quasi-flat (spherical with a high curvature radius) facets, such that the solar field is optimised in order to minimise shadows and blockages between heliostats, as a result of correct positioning of the heliostats in the field.

An integrated wind and solar solution is provided, including a solar energy collection assembly (100) and a vertical axis wind turbine (400), combined to provide an integrated power output. In preferred embodiments, the vertical axis wind turbine is positioned above the solar energy collection assembly. Concentrating solar mirror collectors (116) are used to direct sunlight to a heat engine (250), which converts the collected heat energy into rotary motion. Rotary motion from the heat engine and from the vertical axis wind turbine preferably are on the same rotating axis (600), to facilitate load sharing between these two sources. A dual axis azimuth-altitude solar panel alignment tracking system is used in order to boost the energy conversion capability of the solar energy collectors.

A system (100) and method can monitor a reflectance of a mirror target that includes at least one curved mirror (M). The system (100) can take a first irradiance measurement of the sun (S), the first irradiance measurement representing a direct solar irradiance. The system (100) can take a second irradiance measurement that represents an irradiance from a reflection of the sun (S) from the mirror target plus background irradiance from a reflection of the sky from the mirror target. The system (100) can take a third irradiance measurement that represents the background irradiance from the reflection of the sky from the mirror target. The system (100) can determine a reflectance of the mirror target from the first, second, and third irradiance measurements. The system (100) can compare the reflectance to a specified reflectance threshold, and, upon determining that the reflectance of the mirror target is less than the specified reflectance threshold, can generate an alert signal.

A solar generator includes a base, a turntable provided to the base, a solar array disposed atop the turntable and a cover or dome that is disposed atop the base to define an enclosure surrounding the solar array and turntable. The solar array can include separate solar cell segments arranged side-by-side in a row. Multiple rows can be provided. The rows are spaced-apart such that each row can be oriented towards the sun with less potential for shading the other solar panel arrays in adjacent rows. A motor control unit operates motors to adjust the azimuth and elevation angle of the solar elements in the array so that the sun's position in the sky can be tracked.

A system for reclaiming carbon fiber from carbon fiber containing material using solar energy includes a sunlight focusing system, a sample platform for placement of carbon fiber containing material to be treated by focused sunlight from the sunlight focusing system, the sample platform being provided with a gas absorption pipe, and a waste gas treatment system connected with the gas absorption pipe.

A heliostat optical panel assembly has a curved optical panel, a curved backing panel spaced from the curved optical panel and multiple spacers interposed between and attached to the curved optical panel and the curved backing panel. The spacers are distributed between the curved optical panel and the curved backing panel in a modular pattern to provide shear stiffness to the optical panel assembly.

A solar energy collection and transmission device includes a light-transmitting body, a transmission layer and a plurality of reflectors connected to each other, wherein the transmission layer is provided with a light collection port. Each reflector includes an acquisition transmission plate having a reflective surface defined by an arc. The solar energy collection and transmission device also has a large light wavelength collection range which can be directly utilized or transformed after collection, having a high aggregation degree, small transmission loss, unrestricted shape and wide application range.

Omnivorous solar thermal thrusters and adjustable cooling structures are disclosed. In one aspect, a solar thermal rocket engine includes a solar thermal thruster configured to receive solar energy and one or more propellants, and heat the one or more propellants using the solar energy to generate thrust. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use a plurality of different propellant types, either singly or in combination simultaneously. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use the one or more propellants in both liquid and gaseous states. Related structures can include valves and variable-geometry cooling channels in thermal contact with a thruster wall.

A heliostat surface shape detection system and a method based on multi-view image recognition are described. The system includes a multi-view image collector array, a bracket and a computer. The multi-view image collector array is arranged on the bracket so that the main optical axes of image collectors are parallel to each other and point to the heliostat; the multi-view image collector array is connected with the computer via data lines, and transmits the collected image data to the computer for heliostat surface shape calculation.