Abstract: The present invention is a desiccant system for controlling moisture in a solar collector. The desiccant system has a desiccant bed enclosed within a housing, and is thermally coupled to the solar collector as well as being fluidly coupled to it through an orifice. Waste heat from the solar collector is conducted to the desiccant system and is used to regenerate the desiccant bed. The desiccant system includes moisture barriers which cause moisture from the desiccant to preferentially be released to the external environment rather than entering the solar collector.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ultrasonic and sonic mechanism of deep drilling (USMOD) that is driven by a vibrating actuator and operates in a similar manner to the gopher with regards to drilling debris removal. The actuator induces vibration in the form of a hammering actuation. The mechanism consists of a penetration bit with a diameter that is the same or larger than the actuator. The embodiment of the invention that is disclosed herein emulates a gopher. This ultrasonic gopher is lowered down into the produced borehole, cores the medium, breaks and holds the core, and finally extracts and deploys the core. A USMOD device consists of power drive and a drill-head. The power driver generates ultrasonic pulses to activate the USMOD mechanism and it allows optimized use of power by duty cycling the signal. The drill-head consists of an actuator, free mass and a penetration bit. The actuator consists of a vibration source and a horn that amplifies the amplitude of the vibration.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ultrasonic and sonic mechanism of deep drilling (USMOD) that is driven by a vibrating actuator and operates in a similar manner to the gopher with regards to drilling debris removal. The actuator induces vibration in the form of a hammering actuation. The mechanism consists of a penetration bit with a diameter that is the same or larger than the actuator. The embodiment of the invention that is disclosed herein emulates a gopher. This ultrasonic gopher is lowered down into the produced borehole, cores the medium, breaks and holds the core, and finally extracts and deploys the core.