Stress in shaped glass evacuated collectors

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · Journal of Solar Energy Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2871857· OSTI ID:488934

Garrison, J D ^[1]; Fischer-Cripps, A ^[2]

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1. San Diego State Univ., CA (United States). Physics Dept.
2. Univ. of Technology, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)

Shaped glass evacuated collectors have the lower vacuum envelope formed with a CPC shape. The internal surface is silvered. This surface concentrates solar radiation onto an internal absorbing tube. The upper part of the vacuum envelope is a window to pass the solar radiation in to the absorbing tube. A computer program using analytical equations is used to design these collectors while keeping the glass tensile stress arising from evacuation below acceptable limits. A finite element computer program is used to test the accuracy of the stress calculated analytically. The calculations agree within about 1 MPa. Wind and thermal stresses in the glass are lower than the stresses caused by evacuation.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 488934
• Journal Information: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Journal Name: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 119; ISSN JSEEDO; ISSN 0199-6231
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
BOROSILICATE GLASS
CALCULATION METHODS
EVACUATED TUBE COLLECTORS
STRESSES
TENSILE PROPERTIES