Parabolic trough collector
AssigneeSchott AG
InventorMartin Eickhoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The parabolic trough collector has a receiver formed by several single absorber tubes (13). The single absorber tubes (13) are supported by absorber tube supports (14) and surrounded by a glass tube (15). Because of different expansion behavior of the absorber tube (13) and the glass tube (15) during collector operation flexible unions (17) are foreseen between absorber tube (13) and glass tube (15). In order to use the radiation coming to the non active-area where the absorber tube supports (14) and the flexible unions (17) are installed a mirror collar (20) is installed on this area. The mirror collar (20) is able to reflect the solar radiation, which is coming from different directions, to the active absorber part of the single absorber tubes (13) also when the sun incident angle is changing.
Claims8
A parabolic trough collector comprising
- individual absorber tubes (13) connected end-to-end and aligned coaxially with each other so that a heat transfer fluid is able to flow through said individual absorber tubes (13);
- glass tubes (15) enclosing the individual absorber tubes (13) so that the individual absorber tubes (13) connected with each other extend through the glass tubes (15);
- flexible unions (17) for compensating differing length changes of the individual absorber tubes and the glass tubes due to thermal expansion, said flexible unions (17) connecting opposite ends of each of the glass tubes to the individual absorber tubes (13) so that a space is formed between each of the glass tubes and the absorber tubes;
- and
- conical collars (20;
- 21, 24) arranged on the glass tubes to partially or fully cover said flexible unions (17), said conical collars having outer sides facing away from the glass tubes;
- wherein said conical collars (20;
- 21,24) have mirror surfaces on said outer sides arranged to reflect radiation directed toward said flexible unions (17) so that said radiation reflected by the mirror surfaces passes through the glass tubes (15) and then onto the absorber tubes (13).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.