Combined electrical and thermal solar collector
A solar panel assembly is disclosed consisting of a shallow rectangular housing with a glass top cover, the housing enclosing a plurality of side-by-side metal plate members with depending longitudinal webs connecting the plate members to longitudinal liquid flow tubes, the plate members, webs and flow tubes being integrally formed by extrusion. Respective enlarged transverse header tubes are connected by coupling sleeves to the opposite ends of the flow tubes, the header tubes extending through and being secured in opposite side walls of the housing, so that the metal plate extrusions are supported in the housing. The plate members are interlocked in coplanar relationship by slidable tongue-and-groove connections at their longitudinal edges. Silicon photovoltaic cells are mounted in row-and-column arrays on the plate members. The depending webs are relatively deep and thin to limit the heat flow rate between the solar plate members and the flow tubes so as to prevent excessive temperature gradients and thermal stresses at the plate areas carrying the silicon cells and to thereby prevent the cells from cracking. The housing contains heat-insulating material which covers the flow tubes and covers the major portions of the header tubes.
- Assignee:
- Monegon, Ltd.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4392008
- OSTI ID:
- 5493424
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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