Stoves and furnaces – Solar heat collector – With means to convey fluent medium through collector
Patent
1997-04-18
2000-07-04
Price, Carl D.
Stoves and furnaces
Solar heat collector
With means to convey fluent medium through collector
126676, 165907, F24J 226, F24J 248
Patent
active
060823542
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a solar collector, and more particularly to that member of the solar collector which provides conversion of the incident energy of the sunbeam radiation, to internal energy (heat) in a transportable cooling liquid.
A solar collector is a device which converts the energy in solar radiation to useful heat. The solar collector is preferably constituted by a black surface which absorbs the radiation. The surface is cooled by transferring the deposited heat to a cooling medium, preferably a gas or a liquid, in practice usually water, and is transported away. The black surface facing the sun is often covered by a transparent glass or plastic sheet in order to reduce heat loss to the surroundings.
In order to restrict the loss to the surroundings even further, so as to maximize the deliverable, useful quantity of heat from the solar collector, it is important to maintain the temperature of the radiation-absorbing surface as low as possible, in practice at a temperature as close as possible to the temperature of the cooling medium. In the most common solar collector configuration, this is achieved by providing the radiation-absorbing sheet with liquid-filled pipes in good thermal contact with the sheet. Often the liquid is water with added frost preventer (glycol). The radiation-absorbing surface or sheet if often made of metal, usually aluminium, to obtain a good thermal conductivity, so as to conduct heat effectively to the liquid-filled pipes. A disadvantage of this construction is that the liquid will always be inside the pipes of the radiation-absorbing sheet. The temperature conditions may vary, so that the liquid may boil or freeze. The temperature variations may also lead to substantial pressure variations.
Another disadvantage is that materials having very good thermal conductivity, i.e. metals, must be used. It would be advantageous to be able to use other materials like e.g. temperature resistant plastics, with regard to both weight and costs. Plastic solar collectors have already been put to use, however only a very simple variant without a glass cover, and preferably for heating swimming pools. Plastic solar collectors of this type do not exhibit the characteristics which can be obtained by means of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, the goal of the present invention is to provide a solar collector with a radiation-absorbing member constructed of a light, low-cost material, without problems associated with fluidum pressure inside the member, and with a satisfactory efficiency.
The goal is achieved by a solar collector plate of the type defined precisely in the appended claim 1. Further embodiments of the invention will appear from the appended patent claims 2-7. A complete solar collector in accordance with the invention is defined in patent claim 8.
The invention will be described in more detail in the following, with reference to embodiment examples, and it is also referred to the appended drawings where
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a shows a prior art solar collector plate, in a situation with a low rate of liquid flow,
FIG. 1b shows the same solar collector plate as in FIG. 1a , however with maximum flow of cooling liquid,
FIG. 2 shows a section through a solar collector plate in accordance with the present invention, and
FIG. 3 shows a section through a solar collector in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As a starting point, in the present invention is used a radiation absorbing plate, i.e. the member which is defined here as the solar collector plate, which is in principle a double or two-part construction. Two substantially parallel plastic layers are interconnected by means of transverse walls of the same material. Preferably polycarbonate is used, which material will tolerate temperatures up to 140.degree. C. Double plastic plates of this type are mass-produced today, and the general construction thereof is as shown in FIGS. 1a and b.
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REFERENCES:
patent: Re31321 (1983-07-01), Harrison
patent: 3369539 (1968-02-01), Thomason
patent: 4068652 (1978-01-01), Worthington
patent: 4166445 (1979-09-01), Mcgraw
patent: 4180056 (1979-12-01), Schnabel et al.
patent: 4310747 (1982-01-01), Rice et al.
patent: 5313933 (1994-05-01), Gocze
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