Patent ID: 8575468

Claim:
A solar power system comprising: a support structure; an electric generator segment connected to said support structure, said electric generator segment having a receiver and at least two wings extending at a non-zero angle relative to said receiver, wherein each wing defines an enclosed volume divided into a hot chamber and a cold chamber and includes at least one alkali metal thermal-to-electric converter (“AMTEC”) cell extending between said hot chamber and said cold chamber, and wherein said receiver is at least partially transparent to solar energy and defines a heated chamber and a fluid return chamber, said fluid return chamber being in fluid communication with said heated chamber and said cold chambers of said wings, and said heated chamber being in fluid communication with said hot chambers of said wings; an optical element positioned relative to said electric generator segment to direct solar energy to said receiver; and each of said at least two wings being oriented to extend at said non-zero angle outward from said receiver toward said optical element such that said hot chamber faces said optical element, and gravity flow of condensed fluid from said wings away from said optical element to said receiver is facilitated.