Abstract: The thermal ratchet stopping shovel wall solves the problem of thermal ratcheting in packed bed heat storage units. It uses protrusions from the wall containing the packed bed to stop net downward rearrangement of the bed's solid granules. The protrusions limit the downward movement of packed bed granules during one part of a thermal cycle and, in another part of the cycle, the protrusions, with movement relative to the packed bed, “shovel” fallen granules back up to near their positions one cycle earlier.

Abstract: The invention involves a time dependent method for reducing cosine loss from heliostat fields in receiver system solar power plants with not one but multiple towers and multiple receivers. In this method heliostats change which tower mounted receiver they aim reflected Sun rays through day times to reduce cosine loss. In preferred embodiments a field of heliostats of several tens of acres has many towers and receivers. These systems are called dynamic distributed tower receiver systems (DDTRS).

Abstract: The invented method involves the formation of bundles of easily breakable, load bearing product containers and the use of these to form layers of product in shipping industry unit loads. The invented method is intended to avoid the use of wine cases and similar boxes in unit loads.