Abstract: A portable, solar powered golf ball warming device includes a hollow black tube as a warming chamber for golf balls. The black tube has separate elastomer loading and dispensing apertures disposed at opposite ends thereof. The black tube is disposed within a transparent housing which also supports a parabolic reflector shield. The parabolic reflector shield reflects solar energy to thereby warm the black tube. During sunny weather conditions, the device provides continuous heat to modern golf balls including those of two piece construction. The golf balls serially move within the warming device such that ambient air does not breach the warming chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for obtaining heat and/or electrical energy from sunlight with at least one solar collector (2) having an absorber (4) and an energy concentrator (6) surrounding the absorber over its length and at least regions of its periphery and optically concentrating the sunlight on the absorber (4). The energy concentrator (6) has a prism arrangement (12) of transparent material at least at its peripheral region which will be illuminated by the sunlight in accordance with the sun's daily movements, with a plurality of axial adjacent prisms (14) running parallel to the absorber (4) and distributed around the periphery. All the prisms (14) are equal sided in cross section and their apexes (18) are directed towards the absorber (4).

Abstract: A solar energy collector for cooking food or sterilizing liquids or articles is described, which may be fixed in place or portable. The device includes a heating (cooking or sterilization) chamber with a double-walled solar radiation concentrator with an outer transparent wall and an inner radiation absorptive wall, with the walls forming a space therebetween which is partially evacuated, means for retaining the food, liquid or articles within the chamber, an apertured casing attached to and surrounding the concentrator, and a support for the device. There may also be a radiation absorptive coating on the surface of the inner wall facing the evacuated space. Sunlight falling on the concentrator through the casing's aperture generates heat within the chamber to cook food or sterilze the liquid or articles.

Abstract: An improved solar energy collector comprising a heat absorber to take in radiant energy and transfer the radiant energy to a heat transfer fluid carried thereby. A transparent jacket is to receive the heat absorber therein. The jacket will allow the radiant energy to pass therethrough and reach the heat absorber. Components are for hermetically sealing the jacket and to form a chamber about the heat absorber. A facility is for allowing the heat transfer fluid to enter and exit from the heat absorber. A structure is for exhausting air out of the chamber, so as to produce a vacuum between the jacket and the heat absorber and to insulate the heat absorber from an external environment.

Abstract: A nonimaging solar collector. A method and article of manufacture of a solar collector includes an outer housing transparent to light, a reflector element positioned within the outer housing, an absorber concentrically disposed relative to the outer housing, and a heat conduction fin coupled to the absorber and having a wedge shape which tapers to a smaller thickness as a function of increasing radial separation from the absorber.

Abstract: A radiant gas heating apparatus of the present invention includes a cylindrical member of a porous ceramic material adapted to be heated by radiation, and a flow passageway which directs gas radially through the pores of the ceramic material from one cylindrical surface of the cylindrical member to the other cylindrical surface thereof. A steam electrolyzing apparatus of the present invention includes a light focusing section having a porous ceramic member disposed within a transparent light-receiving section vessel, an electrolyzing cell having an oxygen electrode and a hydrogen electrode disposed on inner and outer surfaces of a cylindrical electrolyte, and a heat-insulating vessel covering the electrolyzing cell. In the steam electrolyzing apparatus, after low-temperature gas has passed through the space between the porous ceramic member and the light-receiving section vessel, the gas passes through the porous ceramic thereby being heated.