Collecting solar energy

Patent · Tue Apr 26 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:5453120

Cummings, R D

A solar-to-thermal energy converter is described comprising an insulated frame, a solar energy absorber mounted in the frame, fluid flow heat exchanger means thermally coupled to the absorber to carry away as thermal energy the absorbed solar energy, and a window transmissive to solar energy mounted in the frame and spaced from the absorber. That improvement consists of a heat loss suppressor comprising a multiplicity of walls extending between the window and the absorber, adjacent walls being at least in part non-parallel to each other to define a first set of elongated channels generally diverging and opening toward the window interleaved with a second set of elongated channels generally diverging and opening toward the absorber. The walls are of material transmissive to solar energy and absorptive of thermal energy. The channels are narrow enough to reduce conversion heat loss and deep enough to reduce radiation heat loss.

• Assignee: Daystar Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4019496
• OSTI ID: 5453120
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
ABSORPTION
CONFIGURATION
DESIGN
ENERGY LOSSES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT LOSSES
OPENINGS
SOLAR ABSORBERS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
THERMAL INSULATION
WINDOWS