Abstract: Thermal recuperation methods, systems, and devices are provided. The methods, systems, and/or devices may provide for: introducing a first fluid into at least a portion of a tank containing a solid; exchanging heat between the solid contained within the tank and the first fluid as the first fluid passes at least around or through the solid; extracting the heated first fluid from at least the portion of the tank containing the solid; and/or passing the heated first fluid with respect to a heat exchanger thermally coupled with a second fluid. The heated first fluid may be cooled as it passes with respect to the heat exchanger and heat may be thermally recuperated between the solid and the second fluid.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include solar power receiver tubes for a concentrated solar power receiver having a tube wall that is optically transparent to solar energy. Concentrated solar power systems and methods featuring the use of optically transparent receiver tubes are also disclosed. The optically transparent receiver tube may include a transparent tube wall fabricated from at least one of the following materials; single crystal alumina (synthetic sapphire), aluminum oxynitride, spinel, quartz or magnesium aluminum oxide.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include concentrating solar power (CSP) systems and solar receivers for CSP systems configured to provide inlet and outlet heat transfer material flow control. The disclosed embodiments feature heat transfer material flowing in and open heat transfer material circuit. Certain embodiments may be implemented with a solid-liquid phase change material as the heat transfer material. Alternative embodiments include methods of heat transfer material flow control in a CSP system and CSP systems configured as described.

Abstract: One disclosed embodiment is a concentrated solar thermal system for re-melting recycled or scrap metal. The system includes a solar receiver configured to receive concentrated solar flux reflected from one or many reflecting surfaces to heat a quantity of the recycled metal and cause at least a portion of the recycled metal to melt. The molten metal is then passed to a solidification stage where the molten metal may be cast into any type of solid form useful for sale or the subsequent production of metal products. The solidified metal may be sold or otherwise removed from the system. In certain embodiments, heat exchange is made to occur between the molten metal and the working fluid of an electrical power generation cycle resulting in electrical power generation. Methods of remelting metal using solar thermal power and methods of generating power using a molten metal heat transfer material derived from recycled metal or scrap are also disclosed.

Abstract: A CSP system is disclosed which couples a thermal and a chemical energy pathway. The thermal pathway utilizes a heat transfer fluid to collect concentrated sunlight as thermal energy at medium temperature and transfer this energy to a thermal-to-electric power cycle. In parallel, the chemical pathway uses a redox material which undergoes direct photoreduction in the receiver to store the solar energy as chemical potential. This redox material is then oxidized at very high temperatures in the power cycle in series with the thermal pathway heat exchanger. This coupling allows the receiver to perform at the high efficiencies typical of state of the art thermal power towers while simultaneously achieving the power cycle efficiencies typical of natural gas combustion plants and achieving a very high overall solar-to-electric conversion efficiency.

Abstract: Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems and methods are disclosed featuring the use of a solid-liquid phase change heat transfer material (HTM). The systems and methods include a solar receiver configured to receive concentrated solar flux to heat a quantity of the solid HTM and cause a portion of the solid HTM to melt to a liquid HTM. The systems and methods also include a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the solar receiver. The heat exchanger is configured to receive liquid HTM and provide for heat exchange between the liquid HTM and the working fluid of a power generation block. The heat exchanger further provides for the solidification of the liquid HTM. The systems and methods also include a material transport system providing for transportation of the solidified HTM from the heat exchanger to the solar receiver.

Abstract: The effectiveness of heat transfer to and from a thermal energy storage medium, for example a phase change medium, is enhanced by the inclusion of thermally-conductive elements within the thermal energy storage medium. The thermally-conductive elements may be filler shapes placed in a self-supporting stacking arrangement, which may be a random stacking arrangement. The effective thermal conductivity of the matrix that includes the thermal energy storage medium and the thermally-conductive elements is higher than the thermal conductivity of the thermal energy storage medium itself. Other thermally-conductive elements may be used, for example thermally-conductive sheets.

Abstract: Concentrating solar power systems and methods featuring the use of a solid-liquid phase change heat transfer material (HTM). The systems and methods include a solar receiver to heat and melt a quantity of solid HTM. Systems also include a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the solar receiver providing for heat exchange between the liquid HTM and the working fluid of a power generation block. The systems and methods also include a hot storage tank in communication with the solar receiver and the heat exchanger. The hot storage tank is configured to receive a portion of the liquid HTM from the solar receiver for direct storage as a thermal energy storage medium. Thus, the system features the use of a phase change HTM functioning as both a heat transfer medium and a thermal energy storage medium.