A novel solar chimney-based liquid desiccation system includes a solar collector, an embedded desiccator with a novel structure, and a heated chimney. The solar collector heats up an incoming external airflow with solar radiation, and mobilizes the heated air to pass through the embedded desiccator. The embedded desiccator contains a liquid solution or another content that can undergo a thermal transfer process upon contacting the heated air from the solar collector. Typically, this thermal transfer process involves desiccation of the liquid solution and vaporization of some liquid or other elements. This desiccation process may be utilized to separate liquid from remaining contents, or as a purification process. The embedded desiccator is further connected to the heated chimney with a heated inner surface to minimize undesirable reflux and condensation within the chimney structure. A liquid recovery unit may also be added to the system to collect condensed liquid after desiccation.

Devices, systems, and methods relating to providing a portable, rechargeable vessel for collecting, storing, and recovering thermal energy are provided. In one aspect, vessel includes a structure defining a well and an open-top portion at the top of the well; a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material is disposed in the well, the phase-change material being configured to change phase at temperature in the range of 110-700° C.; one or more thermally-conductive fins interleaved in the phase-change material; and a thermally-conductive heat transfer plate disposed at and substantially covering the open-top portion of the structure, in direct thermal contact with the one or more fins, thereby allowing the transfer plate to directly exchange thermal energy with the phase change material.

The invention discloses drying systems and drying processes, particularly designed to efficiently dry grains. The grain drying system of the invention comprises a machine consisting of a drying rotor characterized by containing thermal panels and having an efficient design that allows air circulation. Alternatively, the grain drying system is consisting of a drying rotor comprising thermal panels and an efficient air circulation system, together with a vacuum rest rotor for the grains. The invention also relates to a grain drying process comprising a stage in a drying rotor consisting of thermal panels and an efficient air circulation system, and optionally a second vacuum rest stage in a vacuum rest rotor, where the first and second stages alternate one, two, three or more times as required. In general, the systems and processes disclosed in the invention involve elements and stages that allow the grain to be dried by controlled heating of the grain by exposure to electromagnetic radiation and efficient air flow, or through multiple stages that comprise controlled heating of the grain by exposure to electromagnetic radiation and efficient air flow, the rest of the grains under vacuum, and a new stage of controlled heating of the grain by exposure to electromagnetic radiation and efficient air flow thus achieving high efficiency in drying times without altering the structure of the grains and without generating polluting emissions, since the system does not require fossil fuels for its operation.

To position a solar oven radiation collection device, a structural extension assembly extends in a radial direction with respect to a structure. A moveable transport provides linear movement of the solar oven radiation collection device along an axis of the structural extension assembly. A linear deploy electric motor is used to control linear movement of the solar oven radiation collection device along the axis of the structural extension assembly. A solar altitude electric motor is used to adjust orientation of the solar oven radiation collection device to take into account changes in solar altitude with respect to time. A solar azimuth electric motor is used to adjust orientation of the solar oven radiation collection device to take into account changes in azimuth with respect to time.

Technologies are disclosed herein for a thin heat exchanger through which coolant may be pumped. The heat exchanger may include an envelope and a heat conduction layer provided over the envelope. The envelope may include one or more channels formed therein. The channels formed between the envelope and the conduction layer may extend the length of the heat exchange layer and be configured to carry coolant therethrough. The heat exchange layer may include an inlet manifold on a first end and an outlet manifold on another end opposing the first end. The inlet manifold may allow the flow of coolant into the heat exchange layer and the outlet manifold may allow the removal of the coolant from the heat exchange layer. Coolant flow may be controlled by a suction pump operating under computer control based at least in part on sensor data.

A solar clothes dryer (1) comprising an outer housing (2); a solar powered air heater (18) in the housing (2), and a drying chamber (6) within the housing (2) to receive heated air from the solar powered air heater (18) wherein the clothes dryer comprises a heat recovery system and/or a solar powered radiator system.

A household appliance particularly suitable for use in a hybrid electrical power supply system including a household appliance body and at least one drive motor of the household appliance connected to a processing and control board, and at least one electrical power storage element and the processing and control board is configured to manage the charging and discharging of the at least one electrical power storage element according to a consumption of the at least one drive motor.

The present disclosure provides a smart clothes drying device and a smart clothes drying method. The smart clothes drying device includes a light intensity sensor, an integrated controller, an umbrella and at least one clothes hanger. The light intensity sensor is to sense light intensity and output a light intensity signal. The integrated controller is to receive the light intensity signal and control opening or closing of the umbrella according to a comparison result of comparing the light intensity signal with a closing light intensity threshold or an opening light intensity threshold in such a manner that the integrated controller controls opening the umbrella when the light intensity signal is greater than the opening light intensity threshold, and the integrated controller controls closing the umbrella when the light intensity signal is less than the closing light intensity threshold.

A novel solar chimney-based liquid desiccation system includes a solar collector, an embedded desiccator with a novel structure, and a heated chimney. The solar collector heats up an incoming external airflow with solar radiation, and mobilizes the heated air to pass through the embedded desiccator. The embedded desiccator contains a liquid solution or another content that can undergo a thermal transfer process upon contacting the heated air from the solar collector. Typically, this thermal transfer process involves desiccation of the liquid solution and vaporization of some liquid or other elements. This desiccation process may be utilized to separate liquid from remaining contents, or as a purification process. The embedded desiccator is further connected to the heated chimney with a heated inner surface to minimize undesirable reflux and condensation within the chimney structure. A liquid recovery unit may also be added to the system to collect condensed liquid after desiccation.

A system and process for producing carbon nano-materials is disclosed. A carbonate material such as Li.sub.2CO.sub.3 is heated via a furnace to transform into molten carbonate. CO.sub.2 is bubbled into the molten carbonate. The molten carbonate is subjected to electrolysis by passing current from an anode to a cathode. A transition metal nucleation agent is added to result in nucleation sites that grow carbon nano-materials at the cathode. This process separates oxygen at the anode and carbon nano-materials at the cathode. The characteristics of the carbon nano-material may be controlled by varying current density, feed gas, transition metal composition, temperature, viscosity and electrolyte composition.