Solar collector and control
AssigneeCorning Glass Works
InventorsFrancis P. Fehlner, Arthur H. Wilder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The absorber of a solar collector expands and contracts with varying insolation. A detector responsive thereto provides indication of the absorber temperature for controlling system parameters.
Claims18
A solar collector including a solar radiaton receiver surface for intercepting and absorbing the impinging solar radiation or insolation, said insolation being variable over a solar day, said surface providing means for converting said insolation into thermal energy and being susceptible to thermal expansion and contraction as a result of becoming heated, and sensing means remotely located from said surface and responsive to the expansion and contraction of the surface as insolation varies for producing control output signals corresponding to various conditions of said surface between a contracted relatively cold condition and an expanded relatively hot condition.
In an evacuated tubular solar collector including a closed elongated cylindrical tubular envelope transparent to solar radiation with an elongated absorber located within the envelope wherein said absorber intercepts and absorbs impinging solar radiation through said envelope and becomes heated thereby to varying temperatures as a function of the amount of radiation impinging thereon throughout a solar day, said absorber being thermally expandable and contractable within the envelope at least lengthwise from an inboard to an outboard end thereof as a result of varying temperatures, said absorber having a peripheral boundary, including longitudinal margins extending lengthwise of the tubular envelope being located near corresponding interior portions thereof, and respective inboard and outboard ends extending transverse of the envelope, said outboard end forming a leading edge being movable axially of the envelope in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the absorber with temperature, sensing means remotely located from the absorber being sensitive to movement of the leading edge of the absorber for producing output signals corresponding to the temperature of the absorber from a relatively cool contracted condition to a relatively hot expanded condition.
An evacuated tubular solar collector comprising:
- a closed wall elongated cylindrical tubular envelope transparent to solar radiation, and an elongated absorber means located therewithin for intercepting and absorbing impinging solar radiation through said envelope and becoming heated thereby to varying temperatures as a function of the amount of radiation absorbed thereby, said absorber means having a peripheral boundary relatively closely spaced with interior walls of the envelope and being thermally expandable and contractable within the envelope, the spacing of the peripheral boundary of the absorber means being sufficient to allow for said expansion without significant contact of the absorber means with the envelope, sensing means located remotely from the absorber means outside of the envelope, said sensing means being sensitive to the expansion and contraction of the absorber means for producing outputs corresponding to the temperature of the absorber means as a function of the expansion and contraction thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.