A water desalinator that employs the use of solar concentration, evaporation and humidification, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle in a closed, modular vessel to produce freshwater from salt, brackish, brines and seawater, and a concentrate stream for further processing. Feed water is received and stored in a basin. Surface humidity is generated by the evaporation of basin water. A lens is used to focus sunlight, tracked the suns path based on biomimicry of a sunflower, on a thermal conductor. The thermal conductor has a rounded side-profile and generates a variable temperature across its radius. Water is pumped from the basin to a sprinkler head to be dripped or sprayed on the thermal conductor to generate water vapour. This water vapour consequently mixes with the air in the reaction vessel to increase system humidity. Humid air is removed from the reaction vessel and condensed in a condenser. Accordingly, the salinity concentration of input water is reduced from the output of the reaction vessel. Multiple reaction vessels or concentrators may be used in tandem to achieve improved performance.

A water desalinator that employs the use of solar concentration, evaporation and humidification, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle in a closed, modular vessel to produce freshwater from salt, brackish, brines and seawater, and a concentrate stream for further processing. Feed water is received and stored in a basin. Surface humidity is generated by the evaporation of basin water. A lens is used to focus sunlight, tracked the suns path based on biomimicry of a sunflower, on a thermal conductor. The thermal conductor has a rounded side-profile and generates a variable temperature across its radius. Water is pumped from the basin to a sprinkler head to be dripped or sprayed on the thermal conductor to generate water vapour. This water vapour consequently mixes with the air in the reaction vessel to increase system humidity. Humid air is removed from the reaction vessel and condensed in a condenser. Accordingly, the salinity concentration of input water is reduced from the output of the reaction vessel. Multiple reaction vessels or concentrators may be used in tandem to achieve improved performance.

A desalination system, including a membrane distillation portion, a solar power concentration portion, and a thermal vapor compression portion operationally connected to the membrane distillation portion and to the solar power concentration portion. The membrane distillation portion includes a first vessel having a first portion and a second portion separated by a hydrophobic membrane operationally connected therebetween and oriented to pass water from the first portion to the second portion, wherein the hydrophobic membrane further comprises a hydrophilic membrane and an air blocking layer connected to the hydrophilic membrane and disposed in the first portion, a vacuum gap adjacent the hydrophobic membrane and disposed in the second portion, a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet operationally connected to the first portion, and a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet operationally connected to the second portion. The solar power concentration portion includes a pump having a pump outlet and a pump inlet operationally connected to a water line and to the vacuum gap, a linear Fresnel mirror collector for collecting and focusing sunlight, and an outlet line operationally connected to the pump outlet and positioned to receive focused sunlight from linear Fresnel mirror collector. The thermal vapor compression portion includes an ejector having an ejector inlet portion and an ejector outlet portion, wherein the ejector inlet portion is operationally connected to the outlet line and to the vacuum gap, a second vessel fluidically connected to the outlet portion and further including a heat exchanger operationally connected to the ejector outlet portion and to a water pipe, a feed spray operationally connected to the second outlet and positioned to spray into the heat exchanger, and a collection portion for receiving concentrated feed spray. The heat exchanger receives desalinated water from the ejector and from the feed spray. The water line carries desalinated water from the heat exchanger. The first outlet passes concentrated brine, and the first inlet receives feed water to be desalinated.

Falling particle solar receivers, systems, and methods are disclosed that include one non-linear falling particle curtain or two or more falling particle curtains within a solar receiver that receives incident solar radiation. The particles heated in the solar receiver may be used to heat a secondary fluid. In an embodiment, the particles may be recirculated to improve energy capture and thermal efficiency. In other embodiments, an air curtain may be used across the aperture of the receiver, and flow-control devices may be used to evenly spread particles across the width of the receiver inlet. Finally, feed particles may be preheated using heat from the solar receiver.

A system of water supply, desalination and mineral salt retrieval includes a solar concentrating tower, the tower includes a pressure vessel that includes a layer of woven or non-woven carbon-nanotubes defining a thermal interface and providing a super heated surface for spray application of seawater or brine.

A water desalinator that employs the use of solar concentration, evaporation and humidification, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle in a closed, modular vessel to produce freshwater from salt, brackish, brines and seawater, and a concentrate stream for further processing. Feed water is received and stored in a basin. Surface humidity is generated by the evaporation of basin water. A lens is used to focus sunlight, tracked the suns path based on biomimicry of a sunflower, on a thermal conductor. The thermal conductor has a rounded side-profile and generates a variable temperature across its radius. Water is pumped from the basin to a sprinkler head to be dripped or sprayed on the thermal conductor to generate water vapour. This water vapour consequently mixes with the air in the reaction vessel to increase system humidity. Humid air is removed from the reaction vessel and condensed in a condenser. Accordingly, the salinity concentration of input water is reduced from the output of the reaction vessel. Multiple reaction vessels or concentrators may be used in tandem to achieve improved performance.

A water desalinator that employs the use of solar concentration, evaporation and humidification, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle in a closed, modular vessel to produce freshwater from salt, brackish, brines and seawater, and a concentrate stream for further processing. Feed water is received and stored in a basin. Surface humidity is generated by the evaporation of basin water. A lens is used to focus sunlight, tracked the suns path based on biomimicry of a sunflower, on a thermal conductor. The thermal conductor has a rounded side-profile and generates a variable temperature across its radius. Water is pumped from the basin to a sprinkler head to be dripped or sprayed on the thermal conductor to generate water vapour. This water vapour consequently mixes with the air in the reaction vessel to increase system humidity. Humid air is removed from the reaction vessel and condensed in a condenser. Accordingly, the salinity concentration of input water is reduced from the output of the reaction vessel. Multiple reaction vessels or concentrators may be used in tandem to achieve improved performance.

A Silver Lining solar transfer module incorporates roof solar photovoltaic cells in a cased layer sandwiched between two water-handling layers. The bottom waste heat layer contains heat transfer pipes tuned for absorbing heat from the bottom of the photovoltaic layer and to dissipate heat into cool water pumped through the transfer pipes from ground level. The top cascade layer uses a casing transparent to solar radiation at the wavelengths used by the solar photovoltaic cells and containing a cascade of relatively cool water pumped from ground level, absorbing heat from the photovoltaic layer. The Silver Lining module is installed with a vertical slant, so that water is gravity fed from the top edge to the bottom edge in the waste heat layer and cascade layer. Fire sprinklers are incorporated into the plumbing of a system of Silver Lining solar transfer modules and provide protection to the roof in fire emergencies.

Falling particle solar receivers, systems, and methods are disclosed that include one non-linear falling particle curtain or two or more falling particle curtains within a solar receiver that receives incident solar radiation. The particles heated in the solar receiver may be used to heat a secondary fluid. In an embodiment, the particles may be recirculated to improve energy capture and thermal efficiency. In other embodiments, an air curtain may be used across the aperture of the receiver, and flow-control devices may be used to evenly spread particles across the width of the receiver inlet. Finally, feed particles may be preheated using heat from the solar receiver.

Falling particle solar receivers, systems, and methods are disclosed that include one non-linear falling particle curtain or two or more falling particle curtains within a solar receiver that receives incident solar radiation. The particles heated in the solar receiver may be used to heat a secondary fluid. In an embodiment, the particles may be recirculated to improve energy capture and thermal efficiency. In other embodiments, an air curtain may be used across the aperture of the receiver, and flow-control devices may be used to evenly spread particles across the width of the receiver inlet. Finally, feed particles may be preheated using heat from the solar receiver.