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PatentsALERT
5644077 WAVE-POWERED
OCEAN PROFILER
Fowler George A Dartmouth, CANADA assigned to Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Fisheries of Oceans An ocean profiler that utilizes ocean wave energy to provide power for repeated ascent and descent of an oceanographic instrument. In one embodiment the instrument assembly is provided with either positive or negative buoyancy such that the instrument can traverse one half of the travel cycle rapidly utilizing the buoyancy force. Utilizing wave power for instrument traversing greatly reduces the power requirement of the apparatus allowing extended unattended operation.
5645769 HUMIDIFIED COOL WIND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES Tamaru Makoto; Nakagawa Kazuhiko; Yamaguchi Shouichi Kariya, JAPAN assigned to Nippondenso Co Ltd The vehicular humidified cool wind system includes a blower, atomizing means, a water tank and an air passage which are integrated, and is mounted on the ceiling above the driver to blow out a humidified wind downward. The air passage is divided into a humidified wind passage to be fed with atomized water and an ordinary wind to be fed with no atomized water. The air outlet has a double duct structure, an internal cylinder and external cylinder, in which the humidified wind having passed through the humidified wind passage is blown out of an internal cylinder whereas the ordinary wind having passed through the ordinary wind passage is blown out of an external cylinder around the internal cylinder. The humidified wind is prevented from diffusing while being surrounded by the ordinary wind, so that it efficiently reaches the driver to give him a cool feeling.
5645045 FLUID HEATING APPARATUS USING LIGHT ENERGY AND METHOD THEREOF Breslin Patrick William Peoria, AZ, UNITED STATES assigned to BRES LLC The present invention relates to a solar energy water heating apparatus. The apparatus is comprised of a solar panel having a plurality of channels through which the water flows. Each channel has a top lens portion which focuses and intensifies the light energy of the sun on the water. This allows the water to be heated in a more efficient and effective manner. An end cap is coupled to each end of the solar panel. The end caps prevent the water from leaking out of the solar panel. A nozzle is coupled to the end cap which allows the water to enter the apparatus and exit the solar panel once the water has been heated.
5646397 OPTICAL DESIGN FOR PHOTO-CELL Wenham Stewart Ross; Green Martin Andrew Illawong, AUSTRALIA assigned to Unisearch Limited A combination comprises a device for receiving and for directing incoming light in a three dimensional manner to at least one predetermined location together with a solar cell. The device has two light reflecting surfaces and a total internal reflection surface. In operation, the total internal reflection surface transmits the incoming light into the device and totally internally reflects the light reflected from the surface which is incident at its surface at an angle within the range for total internal reflection. The reflection surfaces are operatively disposed with respect to one another so as to perform the function
PatentsALERT of a receiver/director by directing incoming light in a three dimensional manner to the rear surface of the solar cell.
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5647221 PRESSURE E X C H A N G I N G E J E C T O R AND R E F R I G E R A T I O N A P P A R A T U S AND METHOD Garris Charles A Vienna, VA, UNITED STATES assigned to The George Washington University
5646792 LONG-LIFE SELF-RENEWING R E F L E C T O R STACK
SOLAR
Butler Barry Lynn Solana Beach, CA, UNITED STATES assigned to Science Applications International Corporation A long-life solar reflector includes a solar collector substrate and a base layer bonded to a solar collector substrate. The first layer includes a first reflective layer and a first acrylic or transparent polymer layer covering the first reflective layer to prevent exposure of the first reflective layer. The reflector also includes at least one upper layer removably bonded to the first acrylic or transparent polymer layer of the base layer. The upper layer includes a second reflective layer and a second acrylic or transparent polymer layer covering the second reflective layer to prevent exposure of the second reflective layer. The upper layer may be removed from the base reflective layer to expose the base layer, thereby lengthening the useful life of the solar reflector. A method of manufacturing a solar reflector includes the steps of bonding a base layer to a solar collector substrate, wherein the base reflective layer includes a first reflective layer and a first transparent polymer or acrylic layer covering the first reflective layer; and removably bonding a first upper layer to the first transparent polymer or acrylic layer of the base layer. The first upper layer includes a second reflective layer and a second transparent polymer or acrylic layer covering the second reflective layer to prevent exposure of the second reflective layer.
A novel ejector, an ejector-refrigeration system, and a method of refrigeration are disclosed. The system is particularly well suited for the utilization of energy sources such as waste heat from automobile engines and solar collectors. Further, the system is compatible with the use of environmentally benign refrigerant such as water. Unlike conventional ejectors, the novel ejector disclosed in the present invention is designed to utilize the principal of pressure exchange and is therefore capable of attaining substantially higher levels of performance than conventional ejectors whose operating mechanism is based on the principal of turbulent mixing . The pressure exchanging ejector with a compressible working fluid utilizes the oblique compression and expansion waves occurring within jets emanating from the discharges of a plurality of supersonic nozzles so as to impart energy to a secondary gaseous fluid wherein the said waves are caused to move relative to the housing of said ejector by virtue of a motion inducing means applied to said nozzles, said nozzles being incorporated in a rotor. In the disclosed invention, the pressure exchanging ejector is utilized as an ejector-compressor with a vapor-compression refrigeration system whereby said working fluid constitutes the refrigerant.
5647915
SOLAR E N E R G Y P A N E L Zukerman Charles Pompano Beach, FL, UNITED STATES A combined solar energy panel and roof element, which provides an additional layer of weather proofing to a building, as well as providing an electric power source. The solar energy panel is