A desalination system includes a distillation unit to which a fluid to be desalinated is provided and through which a heat transfer fluid flows, and a solar concentration unit configured to heat the heat transfer fluid. The solar concentration unit includes an array of linear Fresnel reflectors, each linear Fresnel reflector of the array of linear Fresnel reflectors rotating about a respective axis, a receiver configured for absorption of light redirected by the array of linear Fresnel reflectors, the receiver comprising tubing through which the heat transfer fluid flows, and a frame supporting and positioning the receiver relative to the array of linear Fresnel reflectors. The frame defines a track along which the receiver is movable to adjust a relative position of the receiver along the respective axis of each linear Fresnel reflector of the array of linear Fresnel reflectors.

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for heat transfer systems at temperatures in the range of 20 C to 800 C. The systems consist of heat pipes configured such that they fit inside conventional heat exchangers, and more effectively transfer or recover heat from hot fluids, and that operate without user intervention over long periods of time.

A thermal utilization system is capable of producing power, storing energy via a chemical or and a hydropower-elevation means. It also capable of transport fluid as vapor over obstacles and terrains, as well as desalinate water. It may in some embodiments do all or some of these tasks simultaneously and with the same amount of energy. It may run with any source of energy including renewable energy sources such as solar energy, and wind. The system may use that energy to run a heat engine and, at the same time, stores that energy via chemical separation. When energy is needed, the system may withdraw the chemical substances and lets them interact to claim the energy back, and then use it to run a heat engine and desalinate water. Some parts of the system can be used for cooling and heating. The system may be configured to be an air conditioner unit or a refrigerator that has an internal back up energy storage.

A cyclone-assisted distillation system including an energy supply system configured to generate water vapor; a cyclone-generating device configured to generate a vortex with the water vapor received from the energy supply system, the vortex generating a water vapor jet; and a distillation system configured to generate distillated water from saltwater, based on a steam jet obtained from (1) the water vapor of the energy supply system and (2) the water vapor jet from the cyclone-generating device.

The invention discloses a photothermal evaporation material integrating light absorption and thermal insulation, comprising a heat insulator and a light absorber that covers the external surface of the heat insulator, the light absorber is vertically-oriented graphene, the heat insulator is a graphene foam, and the vertically-oriented graphene and graphene foam are connected by covalent bonds; the light absorber is vertically-oriented graphene whose surface is modified with hydrophilic functional groups. The invention also discloses a method for fabricating the photothermal evaporation material integrating light absorption and thermal insulation. The invention also discloses a solar energy photothermal seawater desalination device and a high-temperature steam sterilization device. The photothermal evaporation material integrating light absorption and thermal insulation overcomes the problem of easy separation between the light absorber and the heat insulator, realizes rapid and efficient photothermal evaporation, and improves the stability and photothermal conversion efficiency of the solar photothermal seawater desalination device and the high-temperature steam sterilization device.

A single-phase fluid (SPF) storage is introduced for desalination of high-salt water using thermal energy from a concentrated solar power (CSP) unit. The SPF having a specific volumetric enthalpy higher than that of water at critical point in the operating ranges from 20 to 300 bar in pressure and 190 to 400 C in temperature is used as a new type of thermal energy storage (TES) medium and heat transfer fluid (HTF). It produces wet steam of a quality required by the desalination unit generating both steam for utilization of latent heat and condensate for sensible heat when its pressure is reduced to lower operating pressures. With a MED-TVC unit by using the steam as motive steam, the capacity of the CSP unit and SPF storage can be reduced as much as the energy recycled in the desalination unit.

In an example method, first electrical power is generated using one or more solar panels. Saline water is desalinated using a desalination facility powered, at least in part, by the first electrical power. The desalinated water is stored in a reservoir located at a first elevation. A usage of an electrical grid is monitored, and a determination is made that one or more criteria are satisfied at a first time. In response, the desalinated water is directed from the reservoir to a turbine generator located at a second elevation, second electrical power is generated using the turbine generator, the desalinated water is directed from the turbine generator into an aquifer located at a third elevation, and at least a portion of the second electrical power is provided to the electrical grid.

The various embodiments described herein include devices and systems for thermal energy storage. A single-temperature-thermal-energy storage (SITTES) system for desalinating seawater and/or producing electrical power is described. The SITTES system includes insulated tanks, a molten eutectic salt media arranged within the insulated tanks, heat exchangers arranged within the insulated tanks, and an outlet. In the SITTES system the heat exchangers are coupled to one another and configured to transfer heat between the salt media and a seawater media, and the outlet is configured to output a steam portion of the seawater media, thereby providing desalination of the portion of the seawater media and steam for electrical power generation.

A portable floating sea water desalination system is presented to realize ultra-high efficiency and extremely low cost water purification. The disclosed system comprises an inflatable non-imaging solar concentrator based compact desalinator subsystem, a photovoltaic powered distillation subsystem, and an inflatable rubber boat system. The inflatable non-imaging solar concentrator concentrates both beam light and diffuse light into an envelope type evaporator to evaporate the brine water to realize extremely low cost. A nano materials absorber is incorporated into the evaporator to realize ultra-high efficiency. A portion of the heated brine water contained in the evaporator is circulated to the photovoltaic powered distillation subsystem for further evaporation. Both of the subsystems above are mounted on the inflatable rubber boat subsystem for portability.

The integrated desalination and air conditioning system can provide desalinated (fresh) water, cold air or both in a single efficient system. The system incorporates a humidification-dehumidification (HdH) desalination system with a water-lithium bromide (H.sub.2O—LiBr) vapor absorption cycle (AbC) system. The AbC system includes an AbC generator that provides a heating source for an AbC condenser that heats the air input of the HdH; two AbC absorbers that provide heating sources for the feed seawater; a first AbC evaporator that provides a cooling source for the humidified air produced in the HdH; and a second AbC evaporator that provides a cooling source for use outside the system. The heat input for the AbC generator can be provided by low-grade heat sources, such as waste heat or solar thermal energy. The system is capable of producing fresh water and/or cold air at different capacities, depending on water demands and cooling load requirements.