An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (103) is provided which includes a radioactive fuel source (111), and an external combustion engine (107) powered by said radioactive fuel source.

Systems and methods for falling particle receivers are disclosed that include shield or deflector structures around the receiver aperture to reduce wind effects and/or heat losses from the falling particles. External and internal structures are disclosed that can be tailored to reduce particle, thermal, and radiative losses from within the cavity receiver due to external wind and the falling particles that are irradiated within the receiver. Structures of varying shapes, sizes, and composition (transparent, reflective) are described.

A heat engine is disclosed. The heat engine comprises a housing, a first liquid and a second liquid located within the housing. The first liquid has a higher density and lower boiling point than the second liquid. The heat engine further comprises a heat exchanger which transfers heat to the first liquid to evaporate the first liquid to form a first liquid vapour. The heat engine also comprises at least one fluid flow member which to moves in response to a fluid flow created by the interaction of the first liquid vapour and the second liquid. The liquid-gas phase change of the first fluid provides an alternative mechanism for converting heat into work with numerous advantages. The heat engine has minimal moving parts, a relatively long lifetime, does not require a specific fuel, does not directly release toxic or un-environmentally friendly gases, and can be adapted to a specific source of waste heat.

A branched polysiloxane compound and methods for its preparation are disclosed. The branched polysiloxane compound may be used as a heat transfer fluid.

The disclosed technology includes methods of extracting geothermal energy, generally comprising the steps of: insertion of a thermal mass into a Heat Absorption Zone, absorbing heat in thermal mass, raising the thermal mass to a Heat Transfer Zone, and transferring the heat from the thermal mass. The acquired heat can be used to generate electricity or to drive an industrial process. The thermal mass can have internal chambers containing a liquid such as molten salt, and can also have structures facilitating heat exchange using a thermal exchange fluid, such as a gas or a glycol-based fluid. In some embodiments, two thermal masses are used as counterweights, reducing the energy consumed in bringing the heat in the thermal masses to the surface. In other embodiments, solid or molten salt can be directly supplied to a well shaft to acquire geothermal heat and returned to the surface in a closed loop system.

A multi-hybrid power generator and system that facilitate energy harvesting, generation, and storage from interchangeable power sources. The system including a plurality of battery banks; a plurality of power management devices, a plurality of battery banks; a first gearbox, a first generator, a second gearbox, a second generator, a crankshaft having a first crankshaft and a second crankshaft that allow for independent operation of one from the other, a multi-hybrid generator including a plurality of hydraulic electrical actuation devices (HEADs) for driving the first and second generators, and an intelligent power controller communicatively coupled to an electrical load and to the plurality of power management devices for selectively controlling power monitoring, power generation, power distribution and power storage between or to the plurality of battery banks, the at least one electrical load and the plurality of HEADs.

A solar power generating system for generating electricity and providing heat includes; at least one generator for generating the electricity; a heating element for heating a heat transfer fluid; a turbocharger having at least one turbocharger turbine and at least one turbocharger compressor, wherein the at least one turbocharger compressor is adapted to receive and pressurize the heat transfer fluid, and the at least one turbocharger turbine is coupled to the at least one turbocharger compressor, wherein the at least one turbocharger compressor receiving and expanding a heated compressed heat transfer fluid coming from the heating element to drive the at least one turbocharger compressor and; a control unit configured to control the solar power generating system by comparing thermophysical properties obtained from more than one sensors placed in the solar power generating system with predetermined data in the control unit.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods to control particle mass flow rate in solar receivers and associated heat exchangers based on feedback from one or more temperatures of particles in the system.

A heliostat frame includes a primary beam and several secondary beams arranged on the primary beam at intervals. The secondary beams are fixed on the primary beam along an extending direction of a center axis of the primary beam, and the secondary beam is provided with several supporting block assemblies. The supporting block assembly includes supporting blocks and adhesive sheets. The supporting blocks are connected with a reflective surface of the heliostat through the adhesive sheets. A height of each of the supporting blocks is configured according to its position on the secondary beam, so that a line connected by centers of top surfaces of all of the supporting blocks on the secondary beam is arc-shaped. The heliostat frame reduces the requirements for the manufacturing accuracy of the secondary beam while guaranteeing surface accuracy of the heliostat, thereby effectively reducing the production costs and improving the manufacturing efficiency.

A method, approach, system, apparatus and solution that generates electricity from the removal heat of sustainable thermal cycles combined with a renewable thermal energy source.