Solar heat collector
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorMark A. Friesel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A simple and portable solar heat collector has a sheet of solar reflectors, each of the solar reflectors having a focal point, and tubing for routing heat absorbing fluid through the focal point of at least some of the solar reflectors. The tubing has an input tube for receiving heat absorbing fluid and an output tube for outputting heated heat absorbing fluid. The sheet of solar reflectors may have a sun-facing side and a non-sun-facing side. A first part of the tubing is adjacent to the non-sun-facing side of the sheet of solar reflectors, and a second part of the tubing extends from the first part of the tubing through holes in the sheet of solar reflectors to the focal point of at least some of the solar reflectors.
Claims18
A solar heat collector comprising:
- a continuous sheet of radially-symmetric solar reflectors, each of the solar reflectors having a focal point and configured such that each reflector redirects light impinging at any point along a surface of the reflector to the focal point;
- and
- tubing routing heat absorbing fluid through the focal points of at least some of the solar reflectors in series along a continuous path and through the focal points of at least some of the solar reflectors in parallel, wherein the tubing has an input tube for receiving the heat absorbing fluid and an output tube for outputting heated heat absorbing fluid and
- wherein the sheet is flexible such that it may be rolled or folded.
A solar heat collector comprising:
- a continuous reflective layer defining a plurality of radially-symmetric solar reflectors, each of the solar reflectors having a focal point and configured such that each reflector redirects light impinging at any point along a surface of the reflector to the focal point;
- and
- a heat absorbing layer, a portion of said heat absorbing layer being situated at the focal point of at least some of the solar reflectors, wherein the heat absorbing layer comprises:
- an input for receiving a heat absorbing fluid;
- passages for routing a heat absorbing fluid through the heat absorbing layer, through the focal points of at least some of the solar reflectors in series along a continuous path and through the focal points of at least some of the solar reflectors in parallel and an output for heated heat absorbing fluid
- wherein the continuous reflective layer and heat absorbing layer together form a sheet and wherein the sheet is flexible such that it may be rolled or folded.
A solar heat collector comprising:
- a continuous reflective sheet having a plurality of radially-symmetric solar reflectors defined therein, each of the solar reflectors having a hole formed through a radial center thereof and a focal point configured such that each of the reflectors redirects light impinging at any point along a surface of the reflector to the focal point, wherein the sheet is flexible such that it may be rolled or folded;
- and
- tubing routing heat absorbing fluid through the focal points of the solar reflectors in series along a continuous path, the tubing comprising:
- an input tube for receiving the heat absorbing fluid;
- an output tube for outputting heated heat absorbing fluid;
- a first fluid path extending perpendicularly from the non-sun-facing side of the solar reflector through the hole to the focal point of the solar reflector;
- and
- a second fluid path extending perpendicularly with respect to the solar reflector from the focal point through the hole to the non-sun-facing side of the solar reflector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.