Abstract: The present invention relates to a low temperature, low frequency Stirling engine. Its special geometry allows for large heat exchanger surfaces and great regenerators in order to reach good “Carnoization” efficiency factors. Displacer and power piston may be connected with circular polymer based membrane sealings to the cylinder walls. The cold space of the Stirling Engine may cylindrically Surround the outer periphery of the working cylinder, making thermal isolation obsolete. The engine is for instance suited to operate as base power prime mover using thermal solar collectors and may be coupled with hot oil or pressurized water heat storages. In the reverse mode, the Engine works as effective Heat-Pump/Cooling Engine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a Membrane Stirling Engine. The inventors propose a Membrane Stirling Engine, with working gas, with a hot part and with a cold part, where the working gas of the Stirling engine is found both in its hot part as well as its cold part in the membrane skins, which have two ends, whereby they are closed on one end hermetically and on the other end they are open, where they lead into the hot or cold space of a regenerator chamber with their open end tightly sealed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a low temperature, low frequency Stirling engine. Its special geometry allows for large heat exchanger surfaces and great regenerators in order to reach good “Carnoization” efficiency factors. Displacer and power piston may be connected with circular polymer based membrane sealings to the cylinder walls. The cold space of the Stirling Engine may cylindrically Surround the outer periphery of the working cylinder, making thermal isolation obsolete. The engine is for instance suited to operate as base power prime mover using thermal solar collectors and may be coupled with hot oil or pressurized water heat storages.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a low temperature, low frequency Stirling engine. Its special geometry allows for large heat exchanger surfaces and great regenerators in order to reach good “Carnoization” efficiency factors. Displacer and power piston may be connected with circular polymer based membrane sealings to the cylinder walls. The cold space of the Stirling Engine may cylindrically Surround the outer periphery of the working cylinder, making thermal isolation obsolete. The engine is for instance suited to operate as base power prime mover using thermal solar collectors and may be coupled with hot oil or pressurized water heat storages. In the reverse mode, the Engine works as effective Heat-Pump/Cooling Engine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a low temperature, low frequency Stirling engine. Its special geometry allows for large heat exchanger surfaces and great regenerators in order to reach good “Carnoization” efficiency factors. Displacer and power piston may be connected with circular polymer based membrane sealings to the cylinder walls. The cold space of the Stirling Engine may cylindrically Surround the outer periphery of the working cylinder, making thermal isolation obsolete. The engine is for instance suited to operate as base power prime mover using thermal solar collectors and may be coupled with hot oil or pressurized water heat storages. In the reverse mode, the Engine works as effective Heat-Pump/Cooling Engine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a Membrane Stirling Engine. The inventors propose a Membrane Stirling Engine, with working gas, with a hot part and with a cold part, where the working gas of the Stirling engine is found both in its hot part as well as its cold part in the membrane skins, which have two ends, whereby they are closed on one end hermetically and on the other end they are open, where they lead into the hot or cold space of a regenerator chamber with their open end tightly sealed.

Abstract: Linearly imaging converging lenses situated in parallel, which track the elevation of the sun around their east-west axis, have a high degree of area usage and are therefore particularly suitable for architectonic integration. They act selectively in regard to the incident solar radiation, because they convert the direct sunlight via receivers situated in their focal lines into useful energy, and illuminate the spaces lying underneath with pleasant diffuse light. Their weak point is that they change the focal width and the lateral displacement of the focal line as a function of the solar azimuth angle. The present invention describes a tracking system which transfers the geometrical conditions into a mechanical coupling system which corrects the focal width and the displacement of the focal lines exactly and simultaneously. The tracking system represents a mechanical analog computer which solves trigonometric equations using nested orbit functions.

Abstract: A light element with a translucent surface includes an energy converter, wherein the translucent surface is so formed as to direct only that portion of the radiation onto the energy converter that impinges on the translucent surface. The energy converter may be a solar cell, a fluid line or a light guide. The light element is particularly suited for illuminating interior spaces with diffuse light.

Abstract: A thermodynamic force amplifying machine that causes a liquid working medium to perform useful work in a three-stroke working cycle (isochoric heating, isothermal expansion, contraction through regenerative cooling) making use of an external heat source and of an external cold source. The work performed by the auxiliary drive (12) at the displacer (11) is thereby much smaller than the one produced in the conversion system (18, 19) (force amplification). An inversely operating machine driven by an external power source acts as a heat pump/refrigerator.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device for converting radiation energy into electric power, includes a front side exposed to radiation from a radiation source, a backside; and a cooling unit having a liquid medium, e.g. water, arranged between the front side and the radiation source. The liquid medium is surrounded by an envelope, and forms with the envelope a selective filter allowing passage of radiation useful for the photovoltaic effect and converting the longer wave radiation into hear which is immediately dissipated to substantially prevent heating of the photovoltaic module.

Abstract: A light element with a translucent surface includes an energy converter, wherein the translucent surface is so formed as to direct only that portion of the radiation onto the energy converter that impinges on the translucent surface. The energy converter may be a solar cell, a fluid line or a light guide. The light element is particularly suited for illuminating interior spaces with diffuse light.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device for converting radiation energy into electric power, includes a front side exposed to radiation from a radiation source, a backside; and a cooling unit having a liquid medium, e.g. water, arranged between the front side and the radiation source. The liquid medium is surrounded by an envelope, and forms with the envelope a selective filter allowing passage of radiation useful for the photovoltaic effect and converting the longer wave radiation into hear which is immediately dissipated to substantially prevent heating of the photovoltaic module.

Abstract: A device (1) has a drive (2) with a gas chamber 93), a plate (4) moveably disposed therein, a heater (5), a cooler (8) and a regenerator (11). An auxiliary drive (14) can move the plate (4) without driving the machine (13). The plate (4) may thus advantageously be moved with little force, and the device (1) may be modified in a simple manner to permit a automatic start of the device through exposure to the sun.

Abstract: A solar water heater with integrated storage tank can be filled isothermally with water of which the temperature is freely selected and which, when the tank is full, passes into a thermosiphoning mode. A collector and the storage tank are housed compactly in one flat unit and, because of unpressurized operation, allows easy and economical assembly. Two principles of solar hot-water heating are combined in the invention: primarily cold water is raised to the desired final temperature in ONE PASS through the absorber, thereby achieving good collector efficiencies and rapid response; and, when the storage is full, thermosiphoning circulation sets-in automatically and further heats the storage content and/or compensates for heat losses.

Abstract: In a Stirling engine having a housing chamber (1) which is divided by a reciprocating gas-permeable regenerator plate (4) into two part chambers (6, 7), of which one can be heated and the second is provided with cooling (13), the second part chamber (7) communicating with a working cylinder which acts on a working shaft (14) or a flywheel mass (10) via a first drive device (9) and on the regenerator plate (4) via a second drive device, it is proposed to design the housing chamber (1) in a wedge-shape and to mount the regenerator plate (4) pivotably about a pivoting axis (5) in the tip of the housing chamber. As a result of the proposed design of the housing chamber (1) with the pivotable fixing of the regenerator plate (4) which at the same time serves as a displacement piston, the displacement function of the regenerator plate (4) is fully effected by low-wear pivoting motion about the pivoting axis (5).

Abstract: In an apparatus for collecting and storing solar energy, in order to improve the efficiency while maintaining a simple structure, a storage container is divided horizontally into a smaller upper water volume and a larger lower water volume by means of an intermediate bottom, and a device for attaining thermal equalization between the upper volume and the top of the lower volume is provided. This device is preferably embodied by a pump, which draws water from the upper volume and delivers it to the lower volume, and for volumetric equalization, a line penetrating the intermediate bottom is provided.

Abstract: A membrane concentrator mirror comprises a rigid, circular-segment-shaped frame-like basic body with a hermetically closed bottom wall, the basic body having a union device for connection with a conduit leading to a device for generating sub-pressure, a membrane being hermetically stretched over the basic body in such a way that it is deformable under the influence of a sub-pressure, and this membrane consisting of a plurality of membrane segments the outer end of which is limited in a circular segment shape, the membrane segments being connected with one another along radially extending rims. An improvement of the optical quality and a reliable connection of different membrane sections is to be achieved. To this effect the membrane segments are connected with one another in such a way that rigid, radially extending clamping profiles secure the radially extending outer rims by means of clamping devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for heating water by solar energy, including a container made from a plastic film or sheeting for the water to be supplied to consumers, having a cold water inlet opening preceded by an inlet valve and having a withdrawal opening, wherein the top of the container is transparent and the bottom is dark in color. To further develop a known apparatus of this type such that water can be withdrawn even for relatively large-scale needs and it can be connected to an installed water system, it is provided that the outlet opening is followed by a pump and a check valve, that the inlet valve is electromagnetically actuatable, and that a sensor for measuring the instantaneous water temperature and an adjusting device for adjusting the desired temperature of the water to be supplied are connected to the inlet valve. The higher the instantaneous water temperature, the more cold water the inlet valve admits into the container.

Abstract: In the case of a heat engine, in particular a Stirling engine, comprising a displacement piston and a working piston which are coupled together in a housing sealed in a leak-proof manner against the outside so that they can oscillate in a linear direction, in which case the gas space between the displacement piston and the working piston is connected to the gas space between the displacement piston and the housing by way of a heater, a cooler and a regenerator arrangement to which an external source of heat may be connected, in order to make possible the take-off of mechanical energy from the closed housing for external use, provision is made for one magnetic or magnetizable coupling device (9, 15) located within the housing (1) to be connected at least with the working piston (2) and there is also a corresponding magnetic or magnetizable coupling device (8, 18) outside the housing (1) which is movably mounted in parallel with the piston travel.

Abstract: The heat collector system comprises a heat collector connected to a heat p. The heat collector has an inlet conduit and contains a heat transmitting fluid and is effective to take radiation heat from the environment. The heat collector has a structural configuration effective to additionally absorb convection heat as a convector which causes a good heat transmission between the ambient air and the heat transmitting fluid. A rated and controlled cooling device is connected to the heat conduit of the heat collector. The cooling device is effective to supply fluid to the heat collector at a temperature below the temperature of the ambient air. Further features of the invention include a regulating device effective to regulate the difference in temperature between the temperature of the ambient air and the cooling temperature.