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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Solar collector

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6153650

The present invention relates to a solar collector for obtaining high temperature thermal energy by collecting solar energy, especially to the improvement of performance and safety of an absorber tube containing thermal energy storage material. Precisely, the solar collector has a double tube structure at the focal line of a solar concentrator where thermal energy storage material changeable from a solid phase to a liquid phase is enclosed in the space between the inner tube and the outer tube, heat transfer fluid is introduced through the inner tube and the outer surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube have partial contact with each other. Consequently, in accordance with the present invention, a part of the absorbed solar energy is transferred directly to the inner tube without passing through the thermal energy storage material and heats the heat transfer fluid efficiently because of the direct contact of the inner and outer tubes.

Assignee:
The Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (Japan)
Patent Number(s):
US 4469088
OSTI ID:
6153650
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English