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US 4,198,956 AGranted
Multi-purpose solar energy collector
AssigneeJoe Simpkins
InventorBertrand S. Soleau, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-purpose solar energy collector is disclosed. The collector is a flat plate type of collector that is designed to heat either air or water, or both, and is portable so that it can readily be moved from one place to another. In the air heating mode, the collector is ideally suited for drying grain. After the grain drying season, the collector can be converted to the liquid heating mode to heat agricultural process water or domestic water, for example. In the combined air-liquid heating mode, the collector can be used to provide both heated air and heated liquid.
Claims9
A portable solar energy collector comprising:
- a housing made of a heat insulating material, said housing being made of a heat insulating material and having a bottom member, two side members and two end members;
- a first transparent plate secured inside said housing;
- a second transparent plate secured inside said housing and spaced apart from said first transparent plate such that a first channel is formed between said first transparent plate and said second transparent plate, said first channel being closed at one end by one of said two end members and being closed at its other end by the other one of said two end members when said two end members are closed on said two side members, said bottom member and said first transparent plate;
- a heat absorber panel secured inside said housing between said second transparent plate and said bottom member, thereby forming a second channel between said second transparent plate and said absorber panel and a third channel between said absorber panel and said bottom member, said third channel being closed at one end by one of said two end members and being closed at its other end by the other one of said two end members when said two end members are closed on said two side members, said bottom member and said first transparent plate;
- a first end piece secured to one end of said second channel to seal said one end of said channel and a second end piece secured to the other end of said second channel to seal said other end of said second channel, whereby said second channel is a closed channel formed by said second transparent plate, said absorber plate and said first and second end pieces;
- and
- means to selectively heat air and fluid.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.