Abstract: A temperature sensor includes a block body, a first thermocouple, and a second thermocouple. The first thermocouple includes a first strand, a second strand, a first insulator surrounding the first strand and the second strand, and a first metal sheath surrounding the first insulator. The second thermocouple includes a third strand, a fourth strand, a second insulator surrounding the third strand and the fourth strand, and a second metal sheath surrounding the second insulator. An end portion of each of the first thermocouple and the second thermocouple is buried in the block body.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and a method for controlling the heating of the base within a chemical vapour deposition chamber, which apparatus is applicable to an MOCVD reaction chamber.

Abstract: A receiver module for a solar power station receiver, including a metal structure and an absorber module, the metal structure defining a cavity extending along a longitudinal axis in a base of which the absorber module is housed. The cavity includes an aperture configured to be aligned towards at least one mirror of the solar power station, the aperture is edged by two side portions of the metal structure extending longitudinally on either side of the cavity. The receiver module also includes thermocouples positioned on each of the side portions relative to the longitudinal axis to detect a temperature difference between a reference temperature and two points of the metal structure that are opposite relative to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A solar heating system for a building and other architectural structures including a solar heating system. The solar heating system comprises a solar heating module with an enclosure of panels bounding a plenum. An interior panel is disposed inside the enclosure. A collector panel, which is separated from the interior panel to define a heating chamber, is exposed to, and heated by, solar radiation. Outside air enters the heating chamber though passages in the collector panel, where the air is heated by heat transferred from the collector panel. An air-moving device is coupled with an air outlet from the plenum. The air-moving device applies a negative pressure in the heating chamber effective for drawing the outside air through the passages into the heating chamber and for withdrawing the heated air from the heating chamber through a delivery opening to the plenum for subsequent removal through the air outlet.

Abstract: A building component system includes a building component that is controllable between a first state and a second state in response to a sensed condition. The system may include a sensor on a first side of the building component and a sensor on the second side of the building component. The building component may be a window that is controllable between an opaque state and a clear state by a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) network that senses the conditions on both sides of the window.

Abstract: An air type solar system of the present invention has a heat-collecting unit for heating air by solar heat, and a blower fan for blowing the air as a heat medium from the heat-collecting unit. The blower fan is of a large scale, which is capable of: blowing the air at a rate of about 100 to 2000 m3/hour; and rotating by a direct-current generated from solar cells under normal conditions. In addition, the amount of airflow is confined by an automatic electrical control in winter to adjust the temperature of heat-collected air to an appropriate temperature for heating and humidification. Therefore, the air type solar system of the present invention can be appropriately operated in quest of an effective use of the solar cells while there is no need to use any storage cell.

Abstract: An air type solar system of the present invention has a heat-collecting unit for heating air by solar heat, and a blower fan for blowing the air as a heat medium from the heat-collecting unit. The blower fan is of a large scale, which is capable of: blowing the air at a rate of about 100 to 2000 m3/hour; and rotating by a direct-current generated from solar cells under normal conditions. In addition, the amount of airflow is confined by an automatic electrical control in winter to adjust the temperature of heat-collected air to an appropriate temperature for heating and humidification. Therefore, the air type solar system of the present invention can be appropriately operated in quest of an effective use of the solar cells while there is no need to use any storage cell.

Abstract: Delivering heat from modem high temperature solar collectors to storage tanks is more effectively done using a pressurized, high temperature fluid loop using nonflammable and low toxicity heat transfer fluids and is the subject of this patent. Nontoxic water/antifreeze mixtures can be used in pressurized (14#, (14 Pounds Square Inch pressure above atmosphere)) systems up to 265 degrees Fahrenheit before the mixture boils. Boiling under pressure transports either steam or heat out of the closed system. The steam must be condensed and returned to the closed loop system to keep it full. In order to accomplish this in a practical manner a pressurizing cap and overflow reservoir are used. The system will either shed excess heat collected by boiling or limit the heat input from the collector panel by increasing its heat loss due to increasing solar collector temperature above ambient.

Abstract: A solar power system having a solar concentrator for concentrating solar energy, a receiver for converting the solar energy into another form of energy, and a control system for controlling the flux input to the solar receiver. The control system includes a plurality of sensors and a controller. The solar receiver is divided into a plurality of discrete sectors, with at least one of the sensors being coupled to each sector and producing a sensor signal that is related to the magnitude of the flux input to that sector. The controller is coupled to the sensor monitors each of the sensor signals, calculates a differential.

Abstract: A solar energy collecting system includes a water tank and a solar collector and a pump for pumping water from the water tank to the solar collector. A sensor is arranged close to the solar collector. A CPU is connected to the pump and the temperature sensor in order to circulate the water according to the water temperature at the inlet of the solar collector. The water can be circulated in a fast speed when at noon. The water may be heated with a lengthened heating time and may be heated with a smaller temperature difference so as to effectively collect solar energy.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for converting solar energy into heat wherein a solar collector includes a plurality of mutually-coupled solar energy collector elements (1) coupled to a heat transfer fluid circuit, each collector element including a collector channel (3) located on the bottom of a collector chamber (37) delimited by a transparent cover, the collector chamber normally being connected to a high temperature reservoir (12) via connecting lines (10, 11), until a control valve arrangement (18) is reversed and the collector channel is disconnected from the high temperature reservoir and connected to a low temperature reservoir (13) for heat pump (26) operation when the temperature of the circulating heat transfer fluid falls below a predetermined minimum value detected by a temperature sensor (35) associated with the collector channel.