Apparatus and method for collecting solar energy
AssigneeUniversity of Iowa Research Foundation
InventorDonald L. Spencer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An absorber panel for solar energy is formed of two sheets with spacer means extending therebetween to maintain a spaced relationship between the sheets and provide a flow passage for a heat exchange liquid such as water. A pressure differential biases the sheets toward each other so that their spacing is maintained by the spacer means. The upper sheet which is exposed to solar. energy may be thin, and the sheets are free to move away from each other at the location of the spacer means so that permanent damage will not result when the heat exchange liquid expands by freezing or when there is excessive flow of liquid through the flow passage in the absorber panel.
Claims16
A solar collector system, comprising,
- a pair of substantially parallel sheets which have interior and exterior surfaces, said interior surfaces facing each other and being spaced apart to provide therebetween a flow passage space,
- spacer means for limiting the movement of said sheets toward each other, and
- means for maintaining a pressure differential between the space and the exterior surface of at least one of said sheets to bias the sheets toward each other to a position where the thickness of the flow passage space is established by said spacer means,
- collector inlet means located at the upper end of the sheets for introducing heat-receiving liquid into said flow passage space,
- collector outlet means located at the lower end of the sheets for collecting heat-receiving liquid discharged from said flow passage space,
- said means for maintaining a pressure differential including fluid supply means and fluid discharge means, said fluid discharge means being connected to the collector outlet means and containing liquid which is at atmospheric pressure at a given elevation below the collector outlet means, said fluid supply means supplying fluid at subatmospheric pressure to said collector inlet means.
A solar collector system, comprising,
- a pair of substantially parallel sheets which have interior and exterior surfaces, said interior surfaces facing each other and being spaced apart to provide therebetween a flow passage space,
- spacer means for limiting the movement of said sheets toward each other, and
- means for maintaining a pressure differential between the space and the exterior surface of at least one of said sheets to bias the sheets toward each other to a position where the thickness of the flow passage space is established by said spacer means.
- collector inlet means located at one end of the sheets for introducing heat-receiving liquid into said flow passage space,
- collector outlet means located at the other end of the sheets for collecting heat-receiving liquid discharged from said flow passage space,
- said means for maintaining a pressure differential including fluid supply means for supplying fluid at subatmospheric pressure to said collector inlet means, a liquid seal for receiving heat-receiving liquid from the collector outlet means, said liquid seal being a loop seal means which leads liquid downwardly to an area of pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and then upwardly to a loop seal discharge point which is at atmospheric pressure and is located at an elevation below the collector outlet means and below the collector inlet means.
A solar collector system, comprising,
- a pair of substantially parallel sheets which have interior and exterior surfaces, said interior surfaces facing each other and being spaced apart to provide therebetween a flow passage space,
- spacer means for limiting the movement of said sheets toward each other, and
- means for maintaining a pressure differential between the space and the exterior surface of at least one of said sheets to bias the sheets toward each other to a position where the thickness of the flow passage space is established by said spacer means,
- collector inlet means located at one end of the sheets for introducing heat-receiving liquid into said flow passage space,
- collector outlet means located at the other end of the sheets for collecting heat-receiving liquid discharged from said flow passage space,
- a fluid discharge means connected to the collector outlet means and containing liquid which is at atmospheric pressure at a given elevation below the collector outlet means,
- said means for maintaining a pressure differential includes fluid supply means for supplying fluid at subatmospheric pressure to said collector inlet means,
- said fluid supply means including a supply conduit extending downwardly from said collector inlet means, and means for creating atmospheric pressure in the fluid in said supply conduit at an elevation which is below said collector inlet means and above said given elevation, whereby the fluid pressure at said collector inlet means is subatmospheric.
A solar collector system including a solar absorber panel which has an inlet and an outlet, and a circulatory system for circulating liquid at subatmospheric pressure through said absorber panel, said circulatory system including a pump, a supply line leading from the pump to the absorber panel, a reservoir at atmospheric pressure located at a given elevation below said absorber panel, a return line leading downwardly from the absorber panel to the reservoir, said supply line running upwardly from said pump to said absorber panel a distance which produces a negative pressure at the inlet of the absorber panel.
A method of adjusting a solar collector system having a reservoir at atmospheric pressure, a supply line provided with a first adjustable flow throttling means, a pump having its suction end connected to said reservoir and its discharge end connected to said supply line, a solar absorber panel located at a higher elevation than said reservoir and pump, said solar absorber panel having an inlet and an outlet, said supply line being connected to said absorber panel inlet, a return line connecting said absorber panel outlet to said reservoir and containing liquid which is at atmospheric pressure at a given elevation below said absorber panel outlet, said method being performed by adjusting said first adjustable flow throttling means to provide a negative pressure at said absorber inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.