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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7884277 | Apparatus for the conversion of electromagnetic radiation in electric energy and corresponding process An apparatus is described that converts electromagnetic radiation into electric current, of the type comprising a plurality of junctions between a first element (11; 111) of material with conduction through carriers of positive charge and a second element ( | 02/08/2011 |
| 7718887 | Apparatus and method for harnessing heat energy Apparatus and method for harnessing heat energy uses at least one thermally conductive material in communication with a heat collecting material in order to conduct heat from a first region of the heat collecting material to a second region of the heat collecting ma... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7638705 | Thermoelectric generators for solar conversion and related systems and methods A thermoelectric generator may include first and second thermally conductive plates and a plurality of pairs of P-type and N-type thermoelectric elements. The first thermally conductive plate may be configured to generate heat responsive to solar radiation, and the ... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7342716 | Multiple cavity low-emissivity coatings Multiple cavity low-emissivity coatings. The coating includes three infrared-reflection film regions, which may each include silver. ... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7339728 | Low-emissivity coatings having high visible transmission and low solar heat gain coefficient Low-emissivity coatings that are highly reflective to infrared radiation. The coating includes three infrared-reflection film regions, which may each include silver. ... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7326850 | Method and devices for generating energy from photovoltaics and temperature differentials A method for generating power is provided. The method including: providing a heat source with an output of radiation in a predetermined spectrum; generating a first portion of the power from the absorption of the radiation; and generating a second portion of the pow... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7273981 | Thermoelectric power generation systems Representative configurations for improved thermoelectric power generation systems to improve and increase thermal efficiency are disclosed. ... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7224286 | Solar panel having visual indicator A solar panel incorporating a selectively actuable energy availability indicator arrangement. The arrangement includes a visual indicator, such as an LED, and a selectively actuable button. Actuation of the button completes a circuit to read the level of energy avai... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7195721 | Quantum lilypads and amplifiers and methods of use A nanocomposite having enhanced energy conversion between thermal, electron, phonons, and photons energy states. The composition comprises a synergistic blend of nanoscale powders wherein the powders have nanoscale layered surface modifiers and a conductive medium. ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7081585 | Super structure for roof patio solar plant Supporting frame structure for installing solar cell module plates and incidental facilities on a house roof is provided. The supporting structure has a shape of pluralities of slope structure accompanied with cleaning accesses mounted on a rectangular cube frame. S... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7053294 | Thin-film solar cell fabricated on a flexible metallic substrate A thin-film solar cell (10) is provided. The thin-film solar cell (10) comprises a flexible metallic substrate (12) having a first surface and a second surface. A back metal contact layer (16) is deposited on the first surface of the flex... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7034411 | Application of low-temperature and solid-state pyroelectric energy converter An application of low-temperature and solid-state pyroelectric energy converter for converting heat produced from low-temperature operations into electric energy, which utilizes man-made waste heat or waste heat from natural environments for producing changes in mat... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7026543 | Photovoltaically active materials and cells containing them In a photovoltaic cell having a photovoltaically active semiconductor material constituted by a plurality of metals or metal oxides, the photovoltaically active material is selected from a p- or n-doped semiconductor material const... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7012188 | Framing system for solar panels The invention relates generally to framing systems and more particularly is concerned with systems adapted to mount panels or laminates in an array on a supporting roof structure of a building exemplified with the mounting of solar electric photovoltaic (PV) panels.... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6912816 | Structurally integrated solar collector A structurally integrated solar collector. Roof and wall covering components are integrated with solar collectors to permit solar energy to be converted to heat, electricity and hot water for use within a building. A roof truss is described that additionally capture... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6903259 | Thermoelectric device for use with fuel reformer and associated method A fuel reforming system comprises a fuel reformer and a thermoelectric device positioned in thermal communication with the fuel reformer. A method of generating electrical energy is also disclosed. ... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6857425 | Solar energy collector system A solar energy collector system for reducing heating, air conditioning and power consumption of a building structure. The solar energy collector system includes a housing structure, a collector plate, an insulating sheet positioned between the collector plate and a ... | 02/22/2005 |
| 6840636 | Solar diffusion loss compensator and collimator A solar diffusion loss compensator and collimator that reduces loss due to reflection of non-perpendicular energy rays that are usually reflected and lost externally by providing a means to capture reflected energy from adjacent surfaces and redirecting such energy ... | 01/11/2005 |
| 6828499 | Apparatus and method for harvesting atmospheric moisture A condensation panel to be used for harvesting water from atmospheric moisture during those times of the diurnal cycle when relative humidity is at or near 100% utilizes very localized cooling to optimize condensation on a surface whose materials promote the condens... | 12/07/2004 |
| 6740806 | Combined thermocouple and thermopile capable of generating multiple EMF signals A combined thermocouple and thermopile capable of producing multiple EMF signals. The combined thermocouple and thermopile construction is particularly adapted for use as an electric generator capable of producing multiple EMF signals and able to respond faster to c... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6729742 | Solar lamp for outdoor use Solar lamp for outdoor use, in particular a garden lamp, road or street lamp or such, consisting of one or more solar module, and a housing with a storage means for electric energy (battery), which is electrically connected to the solar module, and one or more lumin... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6713668 | Solar energy converter and solar energy conversion system A solar energy converter includes: a light-concentrating instrument; an electron emitter in an insulated vacuum vessel, emitting electrons in a vacuum as a temperature rises by sunlight; an electron accelerator within the light-concentrating instrument; a cathode on... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6700054 | Solar collector for solar energy systems A solar collection system and method having means for receiving solar radiation through a main refractive interface and means for internally reflecting at least once, at least a portion of the received solar radiation. The refractive medium may be liquid,... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6653547 | Solar energy converter The solar energy converter comprises an electron emitter and an electron collector. They are provided separate from each other in a vacuum vessel. Solar energy in a wide range of sunlight spectrum can be efficiently converted into electric energy by movin... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6563039 | Thermoelectric unicouple used for power generation A high-efficiency thermoelectric unicouple is used for power generation. The unicouple is formed with a plurality of legs, each leg formed of a plurality of segments. The legs are formed in a way that equalized certain aspects of the different segments. D... | 05/13/2003 |
| 6534784 | Metal-oxide electron tunneling device for solar energy conversion The electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart such that a given voltage can be provided therebetween. The device also includes an arrangement disposed between the non-insulating layers and configured to serve a... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6479743 | Photon power cell A photon power cell has at least one photo-electric cell (10), one or more layers of filter glass (15) and a radioactive-energised fluorescent material (20) which produces photons that are converted into electrical energy by the photo-electric cell (10). ... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6423896 | Thermophotovoltaic insulation for a solid oxide fuel cell system A fuel cell system is disclosed. The fuel cell system comprises a thermophotovoltaic insulation disposed around at least a portion of a fuel cell. Methods for operating the fuel cell system are also disclosed.... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6376932 | Solar cell-powered battery charging system in which battery output is controlled in response to charging current supplied by solar cell to battery The supply of power from a battery to a load is controlled by the charging current output status of a solar cell, such that when the solar cell receives light, the load is cut off; and once the solar cell no longer receives light, the battery is charged t... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6372978 | Wind/sun solar collection system (HS2) The present invention is a self-contained, solar powered heating and cooling system for a building. The collector has an insulated heating chamber, and a light transmissive cover and a thermostatically controlled vent. The chamber contains absorptive colu... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6326541 | Solar/thermal radiation cell device A solar/thermal radiation cell device comprising at least two parallel metal or semiconductor plates of equal or unequal dimensions separated by an air or an insulated gap and based on an insulator slab for producing electricity from solar energy. Multipl... | 12/04/2001 |
| 6313391 | Solar power system using thermal storage and cascaded thermal electric converters A solar powered electricity generating system comprised of a concentrator assembly that concentrates solar flux into a thermal storage unit. The thermal storage unit converts solar energy into heat energy which is then provided to three cascaded converter... | 11/06/2001 |
| 6244062 | Solar collector system A solar collector system for converting solar radiation to thermal energy and electricity has an upper cover with a material that is transparent to solar radiation. A solar energy absorbing structure is disposed under the upper cover and has a heat conduc... | 06/12/2001 |
| 6182404 | Sub-roofing element, on a roof, for a flat, plate-shaped structural element A sub-roofing element for a flat, plate-shaped structural element, in particular for a solar energy collection module that can be fastened to joist elements that can be laid on a pitched roof in the ridge-eaves direction, whereby the sub-roofing element i... | 02/06/2001 |
| 6162985 | Nighttime solar cell This invention is a thermoelectric-photovoltaic device for converting electrical energy from both thermal radiation and sunlight. Thermoelectric energy is produced from thermoelectric cells when a temperature difference is present between two different se... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6130377 | Thermoelectric battery and power plant using the same A thermoelectric battery is disclosed which uses pipes connected in series made from two different metallic materials. The pipes are connected in an alternating manner and exposed to sunlight to increase the temperature therein. Other parts of the pipes a... | 10/10/2000 |
| 6130378 | Solar battery The object of the present invention is, in a solar battery where at least an electrolyte and a porous member of an oxide semiconductor retaining a pigment material are provided between a transparent electrode and a counter electrode, to obtain a high conv... | 10/10/2000 |
| 6057506 | Variable current-voltage TPV device for use in a thermophotovoltaic energy conversion system A front-side or back-side illuminated variable current-voltage thermophotovoltaic device comprises a support substrate; isolation layers disposed on the support substrate; a plurality of cells disposed on the isolation layers, each of the cells including ... | 05/02/2000 |
| 6051777 | Double opposite-end tubesheet design for a thermovoltaic energy converter A method and apparatus for the direct conversion of energy by thermovoltaic energy conversion having first and second tubesheets, at least one photon emitter plate secured to and extending from the first tubesheet, at least one cold plate secured to and e... | 04/18/2000 |
| 6043426 | Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion system having a heavily doped n-type region A thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion semiconductor device is provided which incorporates a heavily doped n-type region and which, as a consequence, has improved TPV conversion efficiency. The thermophotovoltaic energy conversion device includes an... | 03/28/2000 |
