Oregon State University

University of California

Monte Kevin Drost

Thomas G Herron

Richard Budd Peterson

Vinod Narayanan

Erfan Rasouli

Charles Rymal

Brian M Fronk

Thomas L'Estrange

Eric Truong

Sourabh Apte

Kyle Ryan Zada

A thermal receiver, such as a solar flux thermal receiver, is disclosed comprising a modular arrangement of arrayed microchannels or micropins to heat a working fluid by heat transfer. Disclosed solar receivers provide a much higher solar flux and consequently a significant reduction in thermal losses, size, and cost, relative to known receivers. Unit cell receivers can be numbered up and combined in parallel to form modules, and modules combined to form full scale receivers.

High flux thermal receiver and method of use

Heat-activated heat-pump systems and related methods are disclosed that include a power cycle coupled to a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle both utilizing the same working fluid. The power cycle comprises a boiler, an expander receiving superheated vapor and producing work from the superheated vapor, a condenser, and a pump. A regenerator conducts a first stream of working fluid from the pump to the boiler and a second stream of the working fluid from the expander to the condenser while transferring heat from the second stream to the first stream. The refrigeration cycle comprises a compressor that compresses the working fluid from the evaporator and delivers the compressed working fluid to a condenser. The expander and compressor are coupled together such that at least a portion of the work produced by the expander is utilized for running the compressor.

Heat-activated heat-pump systems including integrated expander/compressor and regenerator

Growing community of inventors

Corvallis, OR, United States of America

Monte Kevin Drost