Solar energy is collected and used for various industrial processes, such as oilfield applications, e.g. generating steam that is injected downhole, enabling enhanced oil recovery. Solar energy is indirectly collected using a heat transfer fluid in a solar collector, delivering heat to a heat exchanger that in turn delivers heat into oilfield feedwater, producing hotter water or steam. Solar energy is directly collected by directly generating steam with solar collectors, and then injecting the steam downhole. Solar energy is collected to preheat water that is then fed into fuel-fired steam generators that in turn produce steam for downhole injection. Solar energy is collected to produce electricity via a Rankine cycle turbine generator, and rejected heat warms feedwater for fuel-fired steam generators. Solar energy is collected (directly or indirectly) to deliver heat to a heater-treater, with optional fuel-fired additional heat generation.

Solar energy collection and storage systems and processes of using such systems. Non-direct solar energy collection and storage systems can generate electricity from solar radiation using a solar thermoelectric generator and at the same time capture solar thermal energy in a working fluid. The working fluid can then transfer the heat to a thermal storage medium where the heat can be retrieved on demand to generate electricity and heat a fluid. Direct solar energy collection and storage systems can store solar thermal energy in a thermal storage medium directly from solar radiation and the heat from the thermal storage medium can be used on demand to generate electricity and heat a fluid.

A steam power plant is suggested having, parallel to the high-pressure preheater passage (VW4 to VW6), a heat reservoir (A) which is loaded with preheated condensate in weak-load times. This preheated condensate is taken from the heat reservoir (A) for generating peak-load and inserted downstream of the high-pressure preheater passage (VW4 to VW6) into the condensate line (19.2) resp. the feed water container (8). Thus it is possible to quickly control the power generation of the power plant in a wide range without significantly having to change the heating output of the boiler of the steam generator (1). A steam power plant equipped according to the invention can thus be operated with bigger load modifications and also provide more control energy.

A heating system is described that uses solar thermal technology in the heating cycle using the compression principle to reduce the electrical consumption of the compressors, thereby increasing the efficiency of systems being used for heating with an increased refrigerant flow. Thermal energy provided from solar thermal energy collectors may be used. The rate of efficiency of the total heating system depends heavily on the size and construction of the heat exchanger array and the pipework to and from these heat exchangers. The system uses proper dimensioning, components in the pipework, and logic groups with sensors and actuators attached in that pipework to increase energy efficiency.

A solar concentrator assembly includes a tripod, a base, a reflective dish, a receptacle, and a thermoelectric module or a heat transfer module. The tripod includes legs and a top tripod connector coupled to top portions thereof. The base includes a rod coupled to the tripod; a bottom support structure coupled to the rod; a top support structure coupled to the bottom support structure; an extension coupled to the bottom support structure and the top support structure; and a cap with recesses mounted to the top support structure. The reflective dish includes support rods received within the recesses; a pliable material forms panels, wherein the support rods are inserted into seams between the panels; and a reflective material disposed on the pliable material. The receptacle is connected to the base and disposed within the reflective dish. The thermoelectric module or the heat transfer module is partially disposed within the receptacle.

A geothermal power generation system using heat exchange between working gas and molten salt includes a heat collector. A plurality of molten salt containers is disposed in a heat transferor at predetermined intervals from each other. A heat exchanger transfers a heat source of the heat collector to the molten salt in the plurality of molten salt containers. The heat transferor is disposed in the ground. Working gas which receives the heat source of the molten salt via heat exchange enters and exits the heat transferor. A turbine unit is connected to the heat transferor, and generates mechanical energy using energy of the working gas. A power generating unit is connected to the turbine unit, and generates electrical energy using the mechanical energy.

A solar heater may include a frame and a plurality of heating coils. One or more legs may be coupled to the frame. An internal baffle may direct water into the heating coils. The solar heater may comprise a wind shield. The solar heater may be convex. The curved shape of the solar heater may allow the solar heater to increase the amount of sunlight received by the solar heater as the sun is in different locations in the sky.

Techniques for subsurface thermal energy storage of heat generated by concentrating solar power enable smoothing of available energy with respect to daily and/or seasonal variation. Solar thermal collectors produce saturated steam that is injected into a producing or wholly/partially depleted oil reservoir that operates as a heat storage reservoir. Some of the saturated steam generated by the collectors is optionally used to generate electricity. Heat is withdrawn from the reservoir as saturated steam and is used to operate an active thermal recovery project (such as a producing thermally enhanced oil reservoir) and/or to generate electricity. Withdrawn heat is optionally augmented by heat produced by firing natural gas. The reservoir is optionally one that has been used for thermally enhanced oil recovery and thus is already warm, minimizing heat losses.

A water heating system having a system inlet pipe (1.002), a hot water delivery pipe (1.003) and a hot water return pipe (1.006) connected to a building hot water distribution network (1.024); the water heating system including one or more water heaters (1.001), the or each water heater having a heater inlet (1.022) and a heater outlet (1.023), a hot water return pipe (1.006) connected between the system inlet and delivery outlet via the building hot water distribution network to form a close loop hot water supply-return circuit; a pump (1.005) connected to circulate water through the hot water supply-return circuit whereby the pump can circulate water through one or more of the water heaters; a valve means (1.007) [a first non-return valve] adapted to prevent inlet water (water delivered to the system inlet) from flowing into the hot water return pipe or the building hot water distribution network.

A system including a steam generation system and a chamber. The steam generation system includes a complex and the steam generation system is configured to receive water, concentrate electromagnetic (EM) radiation received from an EM radiation source, apply the EM radiation to the complex, where the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat, and transform, using the heat generated by the complex, the water to steam. The chamber is configured to receive the steam and an object, wherein the object is of medical waste, medical equipment, fabric, and fecal matter.