Passive solar heat collector
The present invention relates to a method and an improved passive apparatus for absorbing, transferring and storing solar energy as heat, economically and effectively, without pumps, solar tracking devices or electric power. The apparatus comprises an improved trough-type concentrating collector, a heat pipe heat absorber and an insulated storage tank. Solar energy is reflected and focused by the concentrator onto the absorber where the energy is absorbed as heat. The absorber, made of one or more slightly tilted gravity-assisted heat pipes partially filled with a volatile liquid, transfers the heat by evaporation, vapor transport and condensation into a slightly elevated heat storage reservoir. A method for filling the heat pipes is disclosed. The absorber serves as the main axial support for internal structural ribs over which are fitted a flexible transparent top cover and a flexible reflective bottom cover that comprise the concentrator. The apparatus collects solar energy, stores heat during the day and automatically shuts off to minimize heat losses at night. The apparatus may be refocused periodically to increase the temperature of the heat collected.
- Assignee:
- IFI; EDB-81-000856; ERA-06-003624
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4217882
- OSTI ID:
- 6780207
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
141000 -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
142000 -- Solar Energy-- Heat Storage-- (1980-)
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
CONTAINERS
DESIGN
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATION
FLUIDS
HEAT PIPES
HEAT STORAGE
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING SYSTEMS
LIQUIDS
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SOLAR ABSORBERS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
STORAGE
TANKS
VAPOR CONDENSATION