Abstract: A lightweight reflective film formed into one or more frustums of cones with the large diameter of the cones pointed toward the sun concentrate the sun's rays as the rays are reflected through the cone(s) to the narrow end(s). The rays are concentrated onto one or more absorbing surfaces, and the collected energy can be used to heat a fluid that flows in channels within the absorbing body or bodies. The reflective film can be inexpensive plastic. An enclosing lightweight plastic or other flexible material surrounds an assembly of one or more of the cone concentrators, and the entire structure is made rigid by slight interior air pressure and by interior diagonal wires or by lightweight structural members. This system is less expensive than standard parabolic dish solar collectors and is lighter in weight. It requires less precise sun-tracking systems than dish or trough collectors. It can achieve higher temperatures and higher solar collection efficiency than solar troughs.

Abstract: A kinetic pump and method of pumping a liquid comprising providing an acceleration tube for the acceleration of a liquid contained therein by an introduced high-pressure vapor or gas, receiving the liquid from the acceleration tube with a compressed-air surge tank, admitting the liquid from the acceleration tube into the compressed-air surge tank via a check valve, draining the liquid from the compressed-air surge tank from an outlet, and adding additional liquid to the acceleration tube via an inlet, wherein during each first half cycle of the method, the vapor or gas forces the liquid to accelerate in the acceleration tube, whereby a portion of the liquid is forced into the compressed-air surge tank, and wherein during each second half cycle of the pump, the vapor or gas is substantially removed from the acceleration tube and the liquid flows back to its original location and the additional liquid is added to the liquid.