A thermal receiver, such as a solar flux thermal receiver, is disclosed comprising a modular arrangement of arrayed microchannels or micropins to heat a working fluid by heat transfer. Disclosed solar receivers provide a much higher solar flux and consequently a significant reduction in thermal losses, size, and cost, relative to known receivers. Unit cell receivers can be numbered up and combined in parallel to form modules, and modules combined to form full scale receivers.

The invention relates to a base trough (4) for a thermal module (1), thermal module (1) comprising such base trough (4), a system for extracting thermal energy and the use of such base trough (4) for extracting thermal energy from sunlight.

The invention relates to a base trough (4) for a thermal module (1), thermal module (1) comprising such base trough (4), a system for extracting thermal energy and the use of such base trough (4) for extracting thermal energy from sunlight.

A low profile flexible solar thermal panel has low-cost, thin sheet foil and film materials fabricated as an integrated airtight solar thermal panel and a dual-port bifurcated duct adapter and formed metal foil air passages. The bifurcated air duct and formed metal foil layer enables, the panel to require only a single duct orifice through a mounting surface (such as a roof or wall) to provide both ingress and egress for air flow. The formed metal foil layer supplies a rigid support for two laminar air passages that steer forced air from the ingress port through a lower laminar air passage and returns it through the upper laminar air passage to the egress port in the bifurcated duct. The air duct enables measurement of the inlet air temperature, outlet air temperature and circulated air volume, further enabling electronic measurement of total energy produced in standard units.

A portable solar heating device that having a mat shaped flexible main body with bounded edges, the main body including a front flexible layer formed of a material transparent to electromagnetic radiation, a back flexible heat insulating layer, and a flexible electromagnetic radiation absorbing layer located between the front and back layer, the electromagnetic radiation absorbing layer including a plurality of protrusions extending towards the front flexible layer, at least one allowing ambient fluids into a fluid heating chamber located between the front layer and the electromagnetic radiation absorbing layer and at least one outlet allowing heated fluids to escape from the chamber, an electric fan attached to the outlet to assist in moving heated fluids out from the chamber, and at least one solar cell for powering the electric fan.

A hybrid photovoltaic-thermal system provides co-generation of electrical energy and thermal energy. Electrical energy is efficiently generated by photovoltaic panels that are cooled by heat exchangers attached thereto, and the cooling of the photovoltaic panels improves the energy output efficiency of the photovoltaic panels. The heat exchangers flow fluid through its channels, and the fluid collects heat from the photovoltaic panels to which the heat exchangers are attached. The heated fluid is then received at and stored in a thermal battery. The thermal battery can be a fluid tank that encourages the fluid to retain the heat collected from the photovoltaic panels. The thermal battery can then supply the heated fluid to thermal loads as thermal energy.

A hybrid photovoltaic-thermal system provides co-generation of electrical energy and thermal energy. Electrical energy is efficiently generated by photovoltaic panels that are cooled by heat exchangers attached thereto, and the cooling of the photovoltaic panels improves the energy output efficiency of the photovoltaic panels. The heat exchangers flow fluid through its channels, and the fluid collects heat from the photovoltaic panels to which the heat exchangers are attached. The heated fluid is then received at and stored in a thermal battery. The thermal battery can be a fluid tank that encourages the fluid to retain the heat collected from the photovoltaic panels. The thermal battery can then supply the heated fluid to thermal loads as thermal energy.

A bladed solar thermal receiver for absorbing concentrated sunlight is disclosed. The receiver includes a plurality of panels arranged in a bladed configuration for absorbing sunlight. The bladed configurations can be radial or planar. The receiver design increases the effective solar absorptance and efficiency by providing a light trap for the incident solar radiation while reducing heat losses from radiation and convection.

A bladed solar thermal receiver for absorbing concentrated sunlight is disclosed. The receiver includes a plurality of panels arranged in a bladed configuration for absorbing sunlight. The bladed configurations can be radial or planar. The receiver design increases the effective solar absorptance and efficiency by providing a light trap for the incident solar radiation while reducing heat losses from radiation and convection.

A thermal receiver, such as a solar flux thermal receiver, is disclosed comprising a modular arrangement of arrayed microchannels or micropins to heat a working fluid by heat transfer. Disclosed solar receivers provide a much higher solar flux and consequently a significant reduction in thermal losses, size, and cost, relative to known receivers. Unit cell receivers can be numbered up and combined in parallel to form modules, and modules combined to form full scale receivers.