Combined solar and gas heater
US5586549A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 3, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 24, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 3, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/44
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The apparatus is a hybrid solar collector which permits heating by both solar energy and fossil fuels. The hollow solar collector structure acts as the vapor space for a heat pipe for which the heat utilization device acts as the condenser. A solar evaporator wick covers the inside surface of the solar collector, and one or more burners are located adjacent to the solar collector. Each burner has a burner evaporator wick mounted directly on the surface of the combustion chamber and the wick is either exposed within the vapor space of the solar heat pipe or made a part of an intermediate heat pipe which cools the combustion chamber surface and heats an auxiliary evaporator wick within the solar heat pipe. Thus, heat produced by either solar radiation or fuel combustion evaporates the working fluid in the solar heat pipe.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.