Flat plate solar energy collector
OwnerHarold K. Meier, John Michael Popovichinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved form of flat plate collector of the type used for heating a fluid, such as water, using solar energy. The structure comprises a cast or molded body having a surface which is absorptive to solar radiation, above which is positioned a sheet of material transparent to solar radiation forming a flat hollow cavity through which a thin sheet of water is passed in contact both with the transparent material and the absorptive surface. The thin sheet of water acts both as a means for transferring energy from source to sink and as an interference filter as well. The cast body may also incorporate suitable plumbing passages and means for interconnecting a plurality of collector modules.
Claims9
A solar energy collector comprising:
- a first member defining a first planar surface, said planar surface being spectrally transparent to solar radiation;
- a second member defining a second planar surface parallel to and spaced from said first planar surface, said second planar surface being spectrally absorptive to solar radiation;
- means adhering said first and second members together in a fluid-tight relationship defining a cavity between said first and second planar surfaces, said cavity having a cross-sectional dimension of about 1/8 to 1/4 inch;
- and
- means for continuously circulating fluid through said cavity to define a radiation interference filter spectrally transparent to solar radiation and spectrally opaque to heat radiation.
A solar energy collector comprising:
- enclosure means defining a cavity having a thin flat configuration, said cavity being fluid tight and having conduit means coupled thereto for induction and eduction of fluid;
- a first element of said enclosure comprising a planar sheet of material transparent to solar radiation, said first element defining one side of said cavity;
- and
- a second element of said enclosure defining the side of said cavity opposite said transparent sheet and parallel thereto, said second element having a planar surface on the interior of said cavity, said planar surface being spectrally absorptive to solar radiation and spaced from said first element a distance of about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch such that upon circulating a fluid within said cavity from said induction to said eduction means in physical contact with both the interior surfaces of said first and second elements a radiation interference filter spectrally transparent to solar radiation and spectrally opaque to heat radiation is defined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.