A thermal energy storage system comprising a working fluid to store and transfer thermal energy between a heat source and a thermal load and a vessel to store the working fluid. The vessel has an interior region and a floating separator piston in the interior region to separate a hot portion from a cold portion of the working fluid. There is a first manifold thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and to an input of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel and a second manifold thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and an output of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel. There is a controller configured to maintain the working fluid in a liquid state.

Various examples of systems and methods are provided for Lyapunov control for uncertain systems. In one example, a system includes a process plant and a robust Lyapunov controller configured to control an input of the process plant. The robust Lyapunov controller includes an inner closed loop Lyapunov controller and an outer closed loop error stabilizer. In another example, a method includes monitoring a system output of a process plant; generating an estimated system control input based upon a defined output reference; generating a system control input using the estimated system control input and a compensation term; and adjusting the process plant based upon the system control input to force the system output to track the defined output reference. An inner closed loop Lyapunov controller can generate the estimated system control input and an outer closed loop error stabilizer can generate the system control input.

An energy power generator includes an energy source having a solar energy source further having at least one or more parabolic mirrors for focusing solar energy in a predetermined direction or focal point, an enclosed fluid circuit including a medium supply tank, a pump coupled to the medium supply tank, a boiler tank coupled to the pump, a turbine and generator coupled to the boiler tank, and a condenser having an output of the turbine as an input and the condenser further providing an output used as a feedback input to the medium supply tank. The generator can further include one or more parabolic mirrors oriented or focused towards the predetermined focal point on or through the boiler tank, where the boiler tank has heat applied to increase the pressure used to operate the turbine.

In one embodiment, a concentrated solar power system includes a solar tower, multiple solar receivers mounted to the solar tower at different vertical elevations, and a plurality of heliostats provided on the ground within a heliostat field, wherein each heliostat is configured to concentrate solar radiation on any of the solar receivers mounted to the solar tower.

In one embodiment, a concentrated solar power system includes a solar tower, multiple solar receivers mounted to the solar tower at different vertical elevations, and a plurality of heliostats provided on the ground within a heliostat field, wherein each heliostat is configured to concentrate solar radiation on any of the solar receivers mounted to the solar tower.

A convection-driven power generator comprising a flow intake configured to supply fluid to the generator, a flow duct having a duct inlet and a duct outlet wherein the duct outlet is spaced downstream from the duct inlet along the flow duct, the duct inlet being fluidly coupled to the flow intake. A heating chamber fluidly is coupled to the duct outlet so as to receive fluid from the duct outlet, the heating chamber comprising an external wall configured to transmit light radiation incident thereon such that fluid within the heating chamber is heated by the transmitted light radiation. A flow exhaust is fluidly coupled to the heating chamber and configured to exhaust fluid heated by the heating chamber from the heating chamber. A turbine is arranged within the flow duct, downstream of the flow intake, and exposed to fluid flow through the flow duct such that when fluid flows through the flow duct the turbine is caused to rotate by the fluid flow; and at least one lens element is configured to focus the light radiation transmitted by the external wall within the heating chamber.

A solar concentrator comprising: a base; a framework, the framework being hingedly joined to the base such that the framework can be rotated relative to the base; and a plurality of mirrors arranged relative to a first axis of the framework, such that all of the mirrors are located on one side of a plane which contains the first axis, each mirror being fixed to the framework and each mirror being arranged to reflect light travelling parallel to the first axis towards a common focus which lies on the first axis.

A solar concentrator comprising: a base; a framework, the framework being hingedly joined to the base such that the framework can be rotated relative to the base; and a plurality of mirrors arranged relative to a first axis of the framework, such that all of the mirrors are located on one side of a plane which contains the first axis, each mirror being fixed to the framework and each mirror being arranged to reflect light travelling parallel to the first axis towards a common focus which lies on the first axis.

A system for generating electricity, heat, and desalinated water having a gas turbine system connected to a first electric generator, a waste heat recovery boiler (WHRB) system, a combined heat and power (CHP) generation system connected to a second electric generator, one or more solar powered energy systems, and a desalination system. The desalination system is connected to the CHP generation system and the WHRB system. The gas turbine system generates electricity and heat, the WHRB system is connected to and uses the exhaust of the gas turbine system to provide heat and steam power to the CHP generation system. The CHP generation system produces and provides electricity and heat to the desalination system, which produces product water, and at least one solar powered energy system provides thermal energy to one or more of the gas turbine system, the WHRB system, the CHP generation system, and the desalination system.

A system is disclosed that utilizes renewable energy to generate high temperature, superheated steam for driving a prime mover, such as a steam turbine coupled to an electrical generator, and/or to deliver heat where only a portion of the renewable energy system needs to withstand a high temperature working fluid that is necessary to generate high temperature superheated steam.