A portable solar shower is a showering device that can heat the water in a tank to a user defined temperature, with the help of a large solar panel. In order to accomplish that, the device includes a thermostat that displays multiple temperatures, a vacuum insulated water tank that helps maintain the temperature of the water at the user defined temperature level for long hours, and a retractable showerhead and shower pipe. Further, the device is mounted over an upper surface of a vehicle, thereby not compromising any luggage or trunk space of the vehicle. The portable solar shower further includes a power unit that provides power to water pumps and all the necessary circuitry within the device. Furthermore, the device includes an additional smaller solar panel that can provide energy to the power unit, thereby enabling the user to run the shower unit on natural renewable sources of energy.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a cooling device using a heat pipe in which, using casting, the heat pipe is embedded inside a housing, and the method includes a filling step in which a predetermined support member is filled inside a pipe to prevent deformation of the pipe by a pressure of a melt being injected into a cavity of a mold that is closeable, a pipe seating step in which the pipe filled with the predetermined support member is seated in the cavity, a melt injecting step in which the melt is injected into the cavity to surround the pipe, a cooling and withdrawing step in which the injected melt is cooled and a molded product is withdrawn, an injecting step in which a working fluid is injected into the pipe through an injection end, and a finishing step in which, after the injecting step, the pipe is sealed.

A solar collector has an opaque cover heated by solar energy. Heat flows from the opaque cover by conduction, convection, and infrared emittance across a gap within an at least substantially airtight enclosure to an absorber containing a working fluid. The exterior surface of the opaque cover has high solar energy absorptance and the interior surface has high infrared emittance. The exterior surface preferably has low infrared emittance. In one embodiment, fully wetted surface geometry permits direct and reflected infrared absorption by the absorber. The opaque cover eliminates the weight, cost and other shortcomings of glass. A hollow continuous side wall with rounded corners provides an embodiment that is robust yet economical, that is easy to manufacture and seal, that permits a reduced thickness of the opaque cover and mitigates the destructive potential of severe winds, and that can withstand the compressive forces experienced by an evacuated solar collector.

A hybrid receiver for a concentrator photovoltaic-thermal power system combines a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module and a thermal module that converts concentrated sunlight into electrical energy and thermal heat. Heat transfer fluid flowing through a cooling block removes waste heat generated by photovoltaic cells in the CPV module. The heat transfer fluid then flows through a helical tube illuminated by sunlight that misses the CPV module. Only one fluid system is used to both remove the photovoltaic-cell waste heat and capture high-temperature thermal energy from sunlight. Fluid leaving the hybrid receiver can have a temperature greater than 200° C., and therefore may be used as a source of process heat for a variety of commercial and industrial applications. The hybrid receiver can maintain the photovoltaic cells at temperatures below 110° C. while achieving overall energy conversion efficiencies exceeding 80%.

Devices and methods for concentrated radiative cooling using radiative cooling coatings in combination with mid-infrared reflectors. Concentrated radiative cooling (CRC) devices include an object to be cooled that is coated with a radiative cooling material and a mid-infrared (mid-IR) reflector configured to reflect thermal energy radiated from a surface of the object to deep space. The object may be nested in a mid-IR reflective trough such that substantially an entirety of the object's surface area contributes to radiative cooling. The radiative cooling material may be a coating such as a paint or film that is applied directly to the object's exterior surfaces to reduce thermal resistances. The radiative cooling coating is configured to lose thermal energy from the object by means of exhibiting high emissivity for wavelengths of 8 to 13 micrometers, and in some arrangements of 5 to 30 micrometers.

The invention provides in some aspects a thermal energy collection system comprising a first solar collector through which a first heat transfer fluid flows to absorb energy from sunlight as it passes through the first solar collector, and a second solar collector that collects energy from sunlight that has passed through the first solar collector. The first heat transfer fluid of the thermal energy collection system according to these aspects of the invention is in thermal coupling with the first solar collector, but not with the second solar collector. In other aspects, the invention provides a radiator system, comprising a multi-wall panel, an interior of which is in fluid coupling with, and that forms part of, a fluid circuit through which a first heat transfer fluid flows. A reflective surface is disposed in a vicinity of a second face of the multi-wall panel. Still other aspects of the invention provide a reflective film solar energy collector and a solar energy absorber.

A portable solar shower is a showering device that can heat the water in a tank to a user defined temperature, with the help of a large solar panel. In order to accomplish that, the device includes a thermostat that displays multiple temperatures, a vacuum insulated water tank that helps maintain the temperature of the water at the user defined temperature level for long hours, and a retractable showerhead and shower pipe. Further, the device is mounted over an upper surface of a vehicle, thereby not compromising any luggage or trunk space of the vehicle. The portable solar shower further includes a power unit that provides power to water pumps and all the necessary circuitry within the device. Furthermore, the device includes an additional smaller solar panel that can provide energy to the power unit, thereby enabling the user to run the shower unit on natural renewable sources of energy.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a cooling device using a heat pipe in which, using casting, the heat pipe is embedded inside a housing, and the method includes a filling step in which a predetermined support member is filled inside a pipe to prevent deformation of the pipe by a pressure of a melt being injected into a cavity of a mold that is closeable, a pipe seating step in which the pipe filled with the predetermined support member is seated in the cavity, a melt injecting step in which the melt is injected into the cavity to surround the pipe, a cooling and withdrawing step in which the injected melt is cooled and a molded product is withdrawn, an injecting step in which a working fluid is injected into the pipe through an injection end, and a finishing step in which, after the injecting step, the pipe is sealed.

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.

A heat recovery system includes a compressor, a solar panel, and a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger in fluid connection to form a closed circuit. The compressor is configured to facilitate fluid movement in the fluid circuit between the solar panel, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. The solar panel includes a plurality of solar cells connected in parallel, and each solar cell includes a plurality of metal tubes for fluid to pass through. A temperature sensor is mounted within each of the solar cells and configured to measure temperature inside the respective solar cell. Each solar cell is connected to the circuit via a respective pressure valve, and the status of the pressure valve is configured to depend on the measurement of the temperature sensor in the respective solar cell.