Solar heat conversion panel and method of assembly

Patent · Tue Jan 06 00:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6334521

Homsy, C A; Homsy, P T

The panel for converting solar energy to sensible heat of a working fluid comprises a thermally-insulated and impervious base member overlayed with and spaced from a solar-collecting member or collector. The collector is in turn overlayed with and spaced from a pair of mutually spaced impervious films which are essentially transparent to incident solar radiation and substantially opaque to radiation emitted by the collector. The solar-collecting member consists of a thermally-insulating porous matrix substance and of a second substance affixed thereto. The second substance is in divided and substantially discrete form. The second substance exhibits a high degree of absorptivity for solar radiation and low emissivity for long wave radiation. The working fluid to be heated is admitted to a chamber underneath the solar-collecting member. The working fluid has a pressure sufficient to cause it to percolate through the collector. The percolated fluid is collected between the collector and the first overlaying film. The panel assembly is formed by connecting the solar panels in series and/or parallel arrays which carry the working fluid and allow it to absorb the desired quantity of heat.

• Assignee: Vitek Inc
• Patent Number(s): US 4243021
• OSTI ID: 6334521
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 9 Jan 1978
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
SOLAR COLLECTORS
DESIGN
FILMS
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
OPACITY
POLYMERS
POROUS MATERIALS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL INSULATION
WATER
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
141000* - Solar Collectors & Concentrators