A solar-powered system including a chamber that is bordered by an evaporation layer and a condensation layer; and a photothermal layer located over the evaporation layer so that sun rays incident on the photothermal layer are transformed into heat and the heat is supplied to the evaporation layer for evaporating water. The sun rays incident on the photothermal layer do not pass through the condensation layer prior to arriving at the photothermal layer.

A solar-powered system includes a support portion; and an evaporation portion having a pumping layer and a photothermal layer. The support portion pumps a fluid to the evaporation portion, the pumping layer evaporates the fluid based on solar power; and the photothermal layer is insulated from the pumping layer.

A double liquid distribution device (1) suitable for use in in a fractionating or wash column (10) including a high collector tray (2) connected to a manifold support (7) via at least two longitudinal liquid downflow ducts (5, 6), the manifold support (7) supporting at least two series of transverse tubular manifolds (8, 8a 8b) and serving to feed liquid respectively to the first series of manifolds (8a) via a first longitudinal duct (5) and to the second series of manifolds (8b) via a second longitudinal duct (6), each manifold (8, 8a 8b) including distribution orifices (8c) in its under face that are suitable for distributing the liquid onto the top face of the packing bed (9). The two longitudinal liquid downflow ducts (5, 6) are connected together in a low portion (5b, 6b) by a communication device (11) fitted with a valve (12) having controlled opening that is suitable for allowing the liquid to be transferred between the two longitudinal ducts in a controlled manner.

Solar thermal devices are formed from a block of wood, where the natural cell lumens of the wood form an interconnected network that transports fluid or material therein. The block of wood can be modified to increase absorption of solar radiation. Combining the solar absorption effects with the natural transport network can be used for various applications. In some embodiments, heating of the modified block of wood by insolation can be used to evaporate a fluid, for example, evaporating water for extraction, distillation, or desalination. In other embodiments, heating of the modified block of wood by insolation can be used to change transport properties of a material to allow it to be transported in the interconnected network, for example, heating crude oil to adsorb the oil within the block of wood.

A wastewater evaporative separation system can include an evaporation panel assembly having a plurality of individual evaporation panels laterally and releasably joined together, the evaporation panel assembly configured for receiving wastewater from a body of wastewater and evaporating water therefrom as the wastewater cascades down the evaporation panel assembly and contaminants become more concentrated. The system also includes a wastewater delivery system fluidly associated with the body of wastewater with a fluid directing assembly delivering the wastewater from the body of wastewater to an upper portion of the evaporation panel assembly.

The present disclosure evaporation panel systems including plurality of evaporation panels, wherein a first evaporation panel and a second evaporation panel of the plurality of evaporation panels each include evaporation shelves and support columns to support and separate to the evaporation shelves. At least a portion of the support columns include evaporation fins so that wastewater is loadable along the support column. The first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel in this example are releasably connectable to one another to form a sub-assembly.

A solar vapor generator system and method are provided. In some embodiments, the system has near perfect energy conversion efficiency in the process of solar vapor generation below room temperature. Remarkably, when the operation temperature of the system is below that of the surroundings, the total vapor generation will be higher than the upper limit that can be produced by the input solar energy.

An evaporation panel can include a first evaporation shelf including a first upper surface and a first lower surface, a second evaporation shelf positioned beneath the first evaporation shelf and having a second upper surface, and a support column disposed between the first evaporation shelf and the second evaporation shelf. In this example, the support column can include an evaporation fin.

A buoyant apparatus that is capable of floating on liquid surfaces, such as bodies of water filled with waste byproducts. The buoyant apparatus supports a plurality of atomizers via rotatable and flexible arms that can achieve 180° adjustments with the respect to a longitudinal axis of the buoyant apparatus, such that the arms can be parallel to a surface of the body of water in both an extended orientation (with the atomizers deployed over the water surface) and a retracted orientation (with the atomizers stored within the surface area of the platform). In addition, the arms can achieve 360° rotational adjustments about the attachment point of the arms to the platform. The atomizers and arms are powered by low voltage direct current (DC) motors that can utilize solar power via photovoltaic cells such that the apparatus can be employed in remote locations without the need for a centralized power grid.

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.