The invention increases the efficiency of energy conversion processes by providing a system including a thermal radiation source, a reflective surface, and an energy collector such that a photon flux emitted by the thermal radiation source is substantially isotropically reflected by the reflective surface. The thermal radiation source can include additional elements for selecting the angle and wavelengths of the emitted radiation, and the reflective surface may comprise a diffuse reflective surface formed of ceramics, composites, plastics, or metals.
A collector for propagating incident radiation to a remote location. The collector comprises, a light directing component coupled to a buffer component, a first propagation component coupled to the buffer component and configured to transmit the incident radiation into a collector region through one of a plurality of windows, and an optical transport assembly coupled to an end of the collector region and having a second propagation component. Each light directing component is configured to redirect the incident radiation from a first direction to a second direction, and the collector region includes a plurality of regions exhibiting a refractive index value that gradually transitions from about 1.5 to about 2.0. The second propagation component is further configured to retain the incident radiation.
The present invention includes a radiation collector configured to collect incident radiation. The radiation collector includes a radiation directing component configured to redirect the incident radiation, a buffer component configured to receive the radiation redirected by the radiation directing component, and a propagation component configured to receive the radiation from the buffer component and to propagate the radiation towards a first end of the propagation component.
The present invention includes a radiation collector configured to collect incident radiation. The radiation collector includes a radiation directing component configured to redirect the incident radiation, a buffer component configured to receive the radiation redirected by the radiation directing component, and a propagation component configured to receive the radiation from the buffer component and to propagate the radiation towards a first end of the propagation component.
