Patent · US Expired

Integrated solar thermal energy collector system

US4686961A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
7References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 22, 1985
Grant dateAug 18, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 22, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/44
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The solar thermal collector system of this invention consists of an evacuated glass solar collector, a heat storage system, and a tubular heat pipe system to transfer heat from the evacuated glass solar collector directly to the heat source system. The evacuated glass solar collector has substantially parallel linear concentrating troughs with mirror surface in vacuum which concentrate, approximately ideally, solar radiation onto internal glass tubes coated with selective absorber. The selective absorber converts the concentrated solar radiation into heat. The tubular heat pipe system consists of a plurality heat pipes. The evaporating end of each tubular heat pipe receives heat from solar radiatiion and transfers it directly to the condensing end of the heat pipes. The condensing end of each metal heat pipe is in good thermal contact with the heat storage tank of the heat storage system. The heat storage system has means of limiting the maximum temperature of the stored heat and means of removal of the heat for use. The solar thermal collector system of this invention forms a simple, compact, integrated unit of low cost and high efficiency which can be combined with other units to…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.