There is an increased interest in renewable forms of energy across the world, with solar energy being one of the most promising forms. Over the last couple of years, we have developed the MET (MicroEquipment Technology). As an application of the MET, we selected the task of production of solar concentrators. Different types of solar concentrators with flat mirrors were developed and prototypes of these solar concentrators (approximately 1 m in diameter) were made. The proposed solar concentrators were developed on the basis of concentrators patented in Mexico, Spain, and USA. It may be possible to install these concentrators on horizontal roofs of buildings. However, installing them on agricultural fields has become the new trend. As an example, we propose to use them in the potato fields in Canada to obtain dual advantages such as for electrical energy generation and for the minimal loss of agricultural harvest. The second example was analyzed for bean fields, in Mexico. In this paper, we describe the main results in regard to microequipment development for solar concentrator production, several prototypes of solar concentrators with flat mirrors and their co-location and agricultural fields.

AbstractIn this study, we propose a new design for a microchannel filter. The closed indoor environments with which we interact daily are sources of diseases for the respiratory system of human beings. Recommendations for the design of microchannel filters for indoor air purification are proposed, implementing low-cost microequipment technology (MET) for the manufacture of the elements that constitute a microfiltration system. For the microchannel filter production, we proposed to use MET, which is a miniaturization technology and can reduce manufacturing costs. The microchannel filter was 3.75 cm in radius with a thickness of 3 mm. It had a triangular profile and a helical trajectory. It was designed, manufactured, and tested for two profile dimensions. The main purpose was to reduce the pressure drop of the air flow through the filter. We described the air flow simulation for the microchannel filter using SolidWorks. A prototype microchannel filter was constructed, which underwent manufacturing tests. It is possible to clean the microchannel using water flow, which allows us to maintain the filtration quality within an optimum range of contaminant removal.