Did You Know...
...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8042337 | Method and apparatus for solar tracking and energy collection This invention relates to the sun location tracking method and apparatus of solar heat or photovoltaic collectors which are composed of a solar heat comparison collector for tracing the sun, a solar heat collector for reverting the collectors to sunrise position, an... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8033110 | Solar power generation with multiple energy conversion modes A multi-mode solar power generation system can include a first energy conversion system that generates electricity from a working fluid heated by a portion of solar radiation focused by a plurality of heliostats. The multi-mode solar power generation system can also... | 10/11/2011 |
| 7854119 | Hydroelectric device The present invention provides a hydroelectric device having a closed conduit portion extending along an elevational drop, with a turbine positioned at a lower elevation and in fluid communication with the closed conduit portion. The closed conduit portion contains ... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7779635 | Solar energy power generator A solar energy power generator comprises a solar energy heating device for absorbing solar energy for heating medium flowing therethrough; a secondary heating device for further heating medium flowing through the solar energy heating device so as to generate air con... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7685820 | Supercritical COturbine for use in solar power plants A solar-powered supercritical carbon dioxide turbine system includes a supercritical carbon dioxide turbine system and a solar heating system. The solar heating system has a molten salt heat transfer fluid for providing thermal energy to the supercritical carbon dio... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7677042 | Water vaporization apparatus A water vaporization apparatus is provided which uses the heat from the sun to vaporize water from a water collection means. The water collection means has a water container member which may be partially submerged in a water reservoir, or connected to a remote reser... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7536861 | Solar heat engine system The invention includes a solar collector subsystem and a heat engine. The solar collector system uses heliostat mirrors, a parabolic mirror, and a convex concentrator lens or compound parabolic concentrator to gather a large amount of solar energy into a very intens... | 05/26/2009 |
| 7437875 | Thermally driven cooling systems Designs of cooling systems that operate entirely on solar energy are disclosed. Such cooling systems may be used in refrigeration and air conditioning. According to one aspect of the designs, a solar energy collecting device is disposed outdoor to collect solar ener... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7340898 | Solar-thermal powered generator A solar-thermal powered generator has an absorber assembly which includes a gas permeable body of light absorbing material operative to absorb incident light and convert the absorbed light into heat. The gas permeable body of light absorbing material is supported in... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7340899 | Solar power generation system An economical solar generator system is provided wherein the solar energy collector is constructed from a plurality of heat exchangers of the kind used as evaporators in automobile air conditioners. The solar generator system includes a plurality of said heat exchan... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7331178 | Hybrid generation with alternative fuel sources A generating facility is provided for generating electricity from both solar and non-solar energy sources. The solar generating portion of the facility includes capability to directly generate electricity from solar insolation, or to store the solar energy in a tang... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7299633 | Solar dish concentrator with a molten salt receiver incorporating thermal energy storage A solar power system capable of storing heat energy and converting sun light to electrical power. The solar power system includes a solar collection system which gathers and transmits concentrated solar energy to an absorber/cavity. The thermal energy is extracted f... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7247953 | Solar energy conversion and transmission system A system consisting of one or more satellites carrying photovoltaic panels that capture solar energy and convert it to electricity for storage and transmission to earth by a microwave energy beam. The earth station absorbs the microwave energy beam in a pressurized ... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7201215 | Vapor-lift pump heat transport apparatus A vapor-lift pump heat transport apparatus having a small heat resistance and a large heat transport capacity. A heat exchange circulating solution container has a first space and a second space communicating with the first space through a communication opening and ... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7168252 | Solar heated generator A system for producing electricity includes a boiler unit which has a lens mounted thereon in a position to concentrate solar rays onto fluid contained in the boiler unit. A conduit system has an inlet end fluidically connected to the boiler unit to receive heated f... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7154190 | All-weather energy and water production via steam-enhanced vortex tower The space-saving, long operating, and cheap vortex plants of large power intensively combine solar, either waste and secondary, or geothermal heating of slightly pressured water with use of wind, giving competitive electricity and water production without firing of ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7112893 | Power generating wind turbine A turbine system includes a rigid frame including a plurality of elongated rectilinear beams. The rigid frame spans across a top portion of a cooling tower and is axially registered with the passageway for receiving a unidirectional convection air stream upwardly th... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7104064 | Solar power station A method of operating a solar power station solar power station including a solar panel assembly having multiple towers, a solar panel pivotally mounted to an upper end of each tower, and a control system. Each of the towers has multiple floors and is individually e... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7084518 | Method and apparatus for solar power conversion A solar power conversion system using a plurality of engines to convert solar energy to electrical energy. The plurality of engines are supported adjacent to a housing having a single thermal cavity. The cavity is provided with solar energy from a solar collector. E... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7062914 | Heat engines and associated methods of producing mechanical energy and their application to vehicles A closed cycle gas turbine system (40) comprising system comprising a compressor (52) for producing compressed gas, a gas turbine (42) for receiving the compressed gas, a heat storage means (44) having a first heat transfer means and adap... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7051529 | Solar dish concentrator with a molten salt receiver incorporating thermal energy storage A solar power system capable of storing heat energy and converting sun light to electrical power. The solar power system includes a solar collection system which gathers and transmits concentrated solar energy to an absorber/cavity. The thermal energy is extracted f... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7003955 | Enhanced pumped storage power system An enhanced pumped storage power system. More particularly, the invention is a regenerative power system that utilizes the gravitational forces of downward movement of large quantities of water to convert same to electrical energy. In the preferred mode of implement... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6981377 | System and method for generation of electricity and power from waste heat and solar sources Recovery of electric power from low-grade waste heat/solar energy, comprising a closed-cycle charged refrigerant loop. Pressurized refrigerant fluid is pumped at ambient temperature through a heat exchanger connected to a waste heat/solar source to extract heat ener... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6978931 | Energy credit card system A method of providing an energy credit system is disclosed for providing redeemable energy or mass transit credits to consumers who contribute power to a shared electric power grid wherein the excess power generated by each consumer to the power grid is measured and... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6979911 | Method and apparatus for solar power conversion A solar power conversion system using a plurality of engines to convert solar energy to electrical energy. The plurality of engines are supported adjacent to a housing having a single thermal cavity. The cavity is provided with solar energy from a solar collector. E... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6957536 | Systems and methods for generating electrical power from solar energy Systems and methods capable of producing electrical power from solar energy through the use of air cycles without fossil fuel combustion. The system includes a solar receiver, a generator, a compressor, and an expander. The expander is coupled to the generator to dr... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6943461 | All-weather energy and water production via steam-enhanced vortex tower A wind vortex tower is enhanced by kinetic energy and heat of quasi-tangential and upward jets of saturated steam energizing, accelerating tornado-type flow and supporting stable electricity generation during the insufficient winds and calm. For action instead of ab... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6931851 | Solar central receiver with inboard headers A solar power plant having a plurality of receiver panels mounted in a circular fashion about a solar receiver. Each receiver panel includes a plurality of tubes that terminate at each end at a header. To eliminate the presence of gaps between the tubes of adjacent ... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6920757 | Water displacement apparatus A water displacement apparatus is provided which uses the heat from the sun to displace water from a water collection means. The water collection means has a water container member which may be partially submerged in a water reservoir, or connected to a remote reser... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6886339 | Trough-stirling concentrated solar power system A solar power collection system capable of operating with a positioning system that provides movement of the system about only a single axis of rotation. The solar power collection system includes a concentrator having at least one parabolic-trough-shaped mirror tha... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6820420 | Solar-based power generating system A solar-based power generating system including an electrical alternator or generator for generating electrical power in which the alternator or generator is driven by a refrigerant circulating through a closed-loop heat transfer system including an evaporator expos... | 11/23/2004 |
| 6775982 | Solar heat utilization stirling engine power generation plant Objects of the invention is to make a fuel for generating power unnecessary, to generate no carbon dioxide (CO2) by generating power without burning substance, and to make it possible to supply a hot water at the same time of generating power. A solar hea... | 08/17/2004 |
| 6772593 | Solar vortex electric power generator The SOLAR VORTEX ELECTRIC POWER GENERATOR utilizes hot, unstable air on a flat surface when drawn under the collector surface to rise in a central tower where it acts as a controlled tornado turning blades and a shaft to power a generator. This provides power during... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6735946 | Direct illumination free piston stirling engine solar cavity A solar power system is provided for converting sunlight into electricity. The solar power system utilizes a mirror to focus the sunlight into a cavity of an absorption chamber. The cavity includes heat conducting shoes which absorb the solar energy reflected by the... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6701711 | Molten salt receiver cooling system A flow of molten salt is provided through a solar-thermal heat exchange receiver. The receiver converts solar energy, reflected from heliostats, to thermal energy that is stored in molten salt. A vessel holds a store of molten salt for cooling the receive... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6672064 | Rankine cycle generation of electricity Systems or combinations and methodology for converting solar energy to electrical energy and thermal energy and for converting the resultant thermal energy to electrical energy are disclosed. Systems and methodology for conversion of low temperature therm... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6651435 | Water evaporation apparatus A water evaporation apparatus is provided which uses the heat from the sun to evaporate water from a water collection means. The water collection means has a water container member partially submerged in a water reservoir. The water container member has a... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6651434 | System of solar and gravitational energy A liquid is evaporated by the sun, raised as vapor, condensed and stored in tanks. These tanks are connected to a turbine. Turbine is feed by the condensed liquid, and then the liquid is evaporated again. The system is closed and the liquid has an intermediate... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6590300 | Cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower A cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower which consists of a central vortical duct (1), and at least one convector made up of two vertical membranes or screens (2) and (3), generated by a curve and which are limited at one of their sides by the centra... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6532740 | Generator employing the Coriolis effect A system for employing the Coriolis effect for the generation and/or storage of energy generally comprises a vortex chamber for rotational acceleration therein of superheated, supersaturated water vapor and heated air and a water intake assembly and an ad... | 03/18/2003 |
