Flat plate solar collector
OwnerMichael D. Newmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flat plate solar collector comprising a planar glazing and a rear housing formed into a number of semi-circular cells to receive fin-tube absorbers with minimal direct contact, the glazing being a low iron glass with an anti-reflective exterior coating and a low emissivity interior coating, the glazing being directly supported by the rear housing cells, the interior wall of the rear housing and the lower side of the fin-tube absorber having low emissivity surfaces. At least one radiation shield member having low emissivity upper and lower surfaces is positioned between the fin-tube absorber and the rear housing. The collector is evacuated by atmosphere control means also capable of reintroducing atmosphere into the collector to control internal temperature.
Claims26
A flat plate solar collector apparatus comprising a generally planar glazing member transparent to sunlight combined with a rear housing comprising individual cells with raised side walls forming support ridges which support said glazing, where said glazing member and said rear housing form a sealed casing able to sustain a vacuum, each said cell adapted to contain a fin-tube solar absorber having outer ends positioned adjacent but not contacting said side walls, and individual radiation shield members having low emissivity upper and lower surfaces, at least one of each said radiation shield members being positioned between each said fin-tube absorber and said rear housing, where each said radiation shield member does not contact said side walls and is separated from adjacent said radiation shield members.
A flat plate solar collector apparatus comprising a casing comprising a generally planar primary glazing member, a secondary internal glazing member, atmosphere control means to evacuate atmosphere to create a vacuum within said casing, a rear housing and a number of fin-tube solar absorbers,
- said casing being sealed such that said casing may be evacuated of atmosphere by said atmosphere control means to create a vacuum,
- said rear housing comprising a number of cells having raised side walls, said side walls directly supporting said glazing member and said cells adapted to receive said fin-tube solar absorbers with minimal direct contact to said cells, said cells having a low emissivity interior wall,
- each said fin-tube absorber extending across one of said cells to cover at least 90 percent of the open area between said side walls, said fin-tube absorber having a low emissivity lower surface,
- said primary glazing member being composed of low iron glass having an anti-reflective coating on the exterior surface and a low emissivity coating on the interior surface, and
- said secondary internal glazing member being positioned within said casing between said primary glazing member and said fin-tube absorbers, the underside of said secondary internal glazing member having a low emissivity coating, said secondary internal glazing member being separated a distance from said primary glazing member, whereby said atmosphere control means evacuates atmosphere between said secondary internal glazing member and said primary glazing member to create a vacuum.
A flat plate solar collector apparatus comprising a generally planar primary glazing member transparent to sunlight combined with a rear housing comprising individual cells with raised side walls forming support ridges which support said primary glazing member, where said primary glazing member and said rear housing form a sealed casing able to sustain a vacuum, each said cell adapted to contain a fin-tube solar absorber having outer ends positioned adjacent but not contacting said side walls, and atmosphere control means connected to said casing, where said atmosphere control means is responsive to the internal temperature within said casing and adjusts the internal temperature by withdrawing atmosphere from said casing to create a vacuum to raise the internal temperature and by reintroducing atmosphere into said casing to lower the internal temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.