Methods, apparatus and systems for generating and superheating vapor under sunlight

A solar vapor generator, comprising:

• an absorber to absorb sunlight, wherein the sunlight is converted to heat by the absorber;
• a housing, disposed on a first side of the absorber, to transport the heat away from the absorber;
• an emitter, disposed on a first side of the housing, to receive at least a portion of the heat and to emit the portion of the heat as thermal radiation;
• and
• a basin disposed on a first side of the emitter and coupled to the housing, to contain a liquid that, when present, is physically separated from the emitter to absorb at least some of the thermal radiation and thereby undergo vaporization to generate a vapor, wherein the housing includes at least one opening so as to allow the vapor to flow through the at least one opening into an interior cavity of the housing, wherein the vapor receives a portion of the heat from the housing as it flows along a path through the interior cavity, wherein the housing includes an outlet for vapor to flow out of the solar vapor generator, the outlet being a tubular pipe that is partially inserted through a second opening disposed on a second side of the housing located between the absorber and the emitter.

A method of generating vapor, the method comprising:

• absorbing at least a portion of sunlight incident on an absorber disposed on a first side of a housing;
• converting, by the absorber, at least a portion of the absorbed sunlight to heat;
• transferring the heat from the absorber to an emitter disposed on a second side of the housing opposite the first side of the housing;
• emitting a first portion of the heat as thermal radiation from the emitter to a first liquid contained in a basin disposed on a first side of the emitter and coupled to the housing so as to cause the first liquid to vaporize and produce a vapor, the production of the vapor increasing the internal pressure in the basin, wherein the emitter is physically separated from the first liquid;
• using the internal pressure to drive the vapor to flow into an interior cavity defined by the housing through an opening on the second side of the housing, along a tortuous path through the interior cavity, and out of an outlet disposed on a third side of the housing located between the absorber and the emitter;
• and
• while the vapor flows along the tortuous path, heating the vapor using a second portion of the heat from the absorber.