Passive solar heat collector

Patent · Tue Aug 19 00:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6780207

Feldman, K T

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; ERA-06-003624; EDB-81-000856
• Patent Number(s): US 4217882
• OSTI ID: 6780207
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 30 Oct 1978
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS
HEAT PIPES
SOLAR COLLECTORS
DESIGN
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
EVAPORATION
HEAT STORAGE
HEAT TRANSFER
LIQUIDS
SOLAR ABSORBERS
TANKS
VAPOR CONDENSATION
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
CONTAINERS
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
HEATING SYSTEMS
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
STORAGE
140901* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling
141000 - Solar Collectors & Concentrators
142000 - Solar Energy- Heat Storage- (1980-)