Abstract:
Systems and methods for concentrating and storing solar energy are provided. A solar energy receiver for use with the systems and methods may include a container for holding a solar absorption material, such as a phase change material, and a cooled cover disposed above the container for condensing and collecting vaporized phase change material collected along an underside of the cover.
Abstract:
Invented is a method of making combustion air for a fossil fuel burner, as a coal burning power plant, oil refinery or gas fired household appliance. Combustion air is made from solar, wind, biomass, hydropower or geothermal. A staged progression using lower cost greenhouses, or flatplates, or solarponds, feed warm air to higher cost concentrator solar collectors. Wind energy, biomass, geothermal energy heat and compress combustion air. Hydropower also heats and compresses combustion air. Solar evaporation from salt or impure water creates water or local rain for the hydropower system. Combustion air thus is made economically hot, compressed and high velocity, and placed into a heavily insulated pipes for long distance transmission to a distant power plant.
Abstract:
A horizontal structure defines an expansive floating solar pond underlain by an open-ended chamber, and a distributed network of heat engines produce electricity based on the temperature differential between the heated solar pond water and ambient seawater. Each heat engine includes a heat exchanger disposed near the bottom of the solar pond, a working fluid boiler at least partially submerged in the solar pond, a turbine-generator, and a working vapor condenser disposed under the solar pond in the open-ended chamber. A heat exchange fluid is circulated through the heat exchanger and the boiler to vaporize working fluid for powering the turbine-generator, and cold ambient seawater is passed through the condenser to condense working vapor downstream of the turbine-generator. Warmed seawater from the condenser is exhausted into the open-ended chamber, where it is naturally retained by convection to minimize heat transfer from the solar pond to the ambient seawater.
Abstract:
Salt-containing water is desalinated by first passing salt-containing water through a heat exchanger disposed in a basin containing solar-heated brine formed by several layers of water lying one above the other in the basin, each of the layers of water forming the brine having a higher salt content than the layer present there above. The heat exchanger is in the lowermost layer of water having a higher temperature than the temperature of the layers of water lying above the lowermost layer of water. The salt-containing water is heated in the basin by solar energy indirect heat exchange with the solar-heated brine to obtain heated salt-containing water. At least part of the heated salt-containing water is evaporated to obtain water vapor, and the water vapor is condensed to obtain desalinated water.
Abstract:
Zero discharge processing methods for the treatment of agricultural drainage water (ADW) are disclosed. The disclosed methods are capable of meeting the three critical issues in treating ADW: (1) selective removal of sulfate scale-prone species and toxic species; (2) production of usable water that at least meets irrigation water quality; and (3) recovery of sodium sulfate and sodium chloride as valuable commodities.
Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a plate installed at the bottom of a salt lake to extract lithium, the plate being able to increase a lithium extraction amount by being installed on the bottom of a salt lake or an evaporation pond for lithium extraction and quickly evaporating salt water. The plate installed at the bottom of a salt lake to extract lithium of the present disclosure includes a base configured to be brought in close contact with a bottom of a salt lake for extraction of lithium and having a box shape with an open top, a low specific heat panel configured to cover the open top of the base and made of a material of which specific heat is lower than specific heat of the bottom of the salt lake, and a low-emissivity coating layer formed in a predetermined thickness on a top of the low specific heat panel.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for concentrating and storing solar energy are provided. A solar energy receiver for use with the systems and methods may include a container for holding a solar absorption material, such as a phase change material, and a cooled cover disposed above the container for condensing and collecting vaporized phase change material collected along an underside of the cover.
Abstract:
A Salinity Gradient Solar Pond has saturated salt water in the bottom of the pond and nearly fresh water at the top, with a gradient zone between the top and bottom. Due to this salinity stratification the upward diffusion of salt is a natural consequence in SGSP's. This upward diffusion of salt has been found to range 60-80 gr/m2/day (Tabor, H.; Solar Ponds, Solar Energy, v.27 (3), pp.181-194, 1981 and v.30 (1), pp.85-86, 1983). Controlling the salinity gradient in SGSP systems is vital to their reliable operation. One proposed method for controlling the salinity gradient is the so called “Falling Pond” method, where water is extracted from the saturated bottom layer by some means and returned to the nearly fresh upper layer. This action creates a downward velocity in the pond's layers which can be matched to counter the upward diffusion of salt, thereby maintaining the pond's gradient stationary in space.
Abstract:
A solar pond includes a upper convection zone including an ionic liquid; a non-convection zone; and a lower convection zone. The ionic liquid may be an imidazolium salt, an ammonium salt, a pyridinium salt, a piperidium salt, or a phosphonium salt.
Abstract:
A carbonized manure photothermal evaporator derived from naturally abundant farm waste has high solar absorptance, effective water transportation, and rapid salt dissipation. It achieves high evaporation under 1-sun irradiance and is recyclable, durable, and cost-effective for use in energy-efficient solar-driven interfacial desalination.