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US 4,224,927 AGranted
Solar collector for heating a fluid
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorPandit G. Patil
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar collector for heating a fluid, e.g., air or water, is provided with at least one glass plate and an infrared reflector plate mounted about a solar and infrared energy absorber to provide fluid heating compartments. Facilities are provided for moving the fluid through the heating compartments to efficiently utilize the solar and infrared energy to heat the fluid. Other embodiments of solar collectors are taught for efficiently heating the fluid by increasing the fluid path to optimize the use of solar and infrared energy.
Claims9
A solar air heater, comprising:
- a first glass sheet;
- a second glass sheet;
- a spacer assembly mounted between said first and second glass sheets to provide a dead airspace therebetween, said spacer assembly comprising:
- a spacer frame having a breather tube to equalize the air pressure in the dead airspace to ambient air pressure while preventing moisture from moving into the dead airspace;
- and
- a layer of moisture-impervious adhesive on opposed outer surfaces of said spacer frame to prevent the ingress of moisture into the dead airspace;
- a solar energy absorber comprising:
- a pair of side members;
- a pair of baffles mounted between said pair of side members to provide a frame;
- an inlet pipe connected to one of said pairs of baffles;
- an outlet pipe connected to the other one of said pair of baffles;
- a corrugated substrate having solar and infrared energy absorbing surfaces mounted within the frame;
- a first series of holes in each of said pair of baffles to pass air across the surface of said substrate;
- and
- a second series of holes in each of said pair of baffles to pass air across the bottom surface of the absorber wherein said first and second series of holes have increased openings as the distance from their respective pipes increases;
- a glass plate having an infrared reflective coating on a major surface;
- and
- adhesive for joining said second glass sheet to one side of said frame and said glass plate to the other side of said frame.
15 more elements
A solar energy absorber, comprising:
- a pair of side members;
- a pair of baffles mounted relative to said pair of side members to provide a frame;
- an inlet pipe connected to one of said baffles;
- an outlet pipe connected to the other one of said baffles;
- a solar energy absorber plate mounted within said frame, said plate having a pair of opposed major surfaces with a plurality of channels formed in each of said surfaces;
- a first cover plate capable of passing solar energy;
- a second cover plate having an infrared reflective coating on a major surface
- means for securing said first cover plate in spaced relation to one of said channeled surfaces of said absorber plate to form a first enclosure and to prevent uncontrolled entry of fluid into said first enclosure;
- means for securing said second cover plate in spaced relation to the other of said channeled surfaces of said absorber plate to form a second enclosure and to prevent uncontrolled entry of fluid into said second enclosure;
- a first series of holes in each of said pair of baffles to pass fluid at a uniform rate through selected channels of a selected enclosure;
- and
- a second series of holes in each of said baffles to pass fluid at a uniform rate through selected channels of the other enclosure, wherein said first and second series of holes have increased openings as the distance from their respective pipe increases.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.