Glass heat pipe evacuated tube solar collector

Patent · Tue Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6041909

McConnell, R D; Vansant, J H

A glass heat pipe is adapted for use as a solar energy absorber in an evacuated tube solar collector and for transferring the absorbed solar energy to a working fluid medium or heat sink for storage or practical use. A capillary wick is formed of granular glass particles fused together by heat on the inside surface of the heat pipe with a water glass binder solution to enhance capillary drive distribution of the thermal transfer fluid in the heat pipe throughout the entire inside surface of the evaporator portion of the heat pipe. Selective coatings are used on the heat pipe surface to maximize solar absorption and minimize energy radiation, and the glass wick can alternatively be fabricated with granular particles of black glass or obsidian.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4474170
• OSTI ID: 6041909
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 6 Aug 1981; Other Information: PAT-APPL-290282
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
EVACUATED TUBE COLLECTORS
HEAT PIPES
SOLAR ABSORBERS
FABRICATION
ABSORPTION HEAT
ABSORPTIVITY
BINDERS
COLOR
GLASS
HEAT PIPE WICKS
HEAT SINKS
HEAT TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
SPECTRALLY SELECTIVE SURFACES
ENERGY
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENTHALPY
EQUIPMENT
EVACUATED COLLECTORS
FLUIDS
HEAT
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SINKS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SURFACES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
141000* - Solar Collectors & Concentrators