Integrated solar collector

Patent · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:865687

Tchernev, Dimiter I.

A solar collector having a copper panel in a contiguous space relationship with a condenser-evaporator heat exchanger located under the panel, the panel having a honeycomb-like structure on its interior defining individual cells which are filled with zeolite loaded, in its adsorbed condition, with 18 to 20% by weight of water. The interior of the panel and heat exchanger are maintained at subatmospheric pressure of about 0.1 to 1 psia. The panel and heat exchanger are insulated on their lateral sides and bottoms and on the top of the heat exchange. The panel has a black coating on its top which is exposed to and absorbs solar energy. Surrounding the insulation (which supports the panel) is an extruded aluminum framework which supports a pair of spaced-apart glass panels above the solar panel. Water in conduits from a system for heating or cooling or both is connected to flow into an inlet and discharge from outlet of a finned coil received within the heat exchanger. The collector panel provides heat during the day through desorption and condensing of water vapor from the heated solar panel in the heat exchanger and cools at night by the re-adsorption of the water vapor from the heat exchanger which lowers the absolute pressure within the system and cools the heat exchange coils by evaporation.

• Research Organization: Zeropower Co., Chestnut Hill, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-78CS32117
• Assignee: Tchernev, Dimiter I., Chestnut Hill, MA (United States)
• Patent Number(s): 4,556,049
• Application Number: 06/267,074
• OSTI ID: 865687
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/126/62/
18
20
absolute
absolute pressure
absorbs
adsorbed
aluminum
atmospheric pressure
black
bottoms
cells
coating
coil
coils
collector
collector panel
condenser-evaporator
condensing
condition
conduits
connected
contiguous
cooling
cools
copper
defining
desorption
discharge
energy
evaporation
exchange
exchanger
exchanger located
exposed
extruded
filled
finned
flow
framework
glass
heat
heat exchange
heat exchanger
heated
heating
honeycomb-like
individual
individual cell
individual cells
inlet
insulated
insulation
integrated
interior
lateral
loaded
located
lowers
maintained
night
outlet
pair
panel
panel provides
panels
pressure
provides
provides heat
psia
re-adsorption
received
relationship
solar
solar collector
solar energy
space
spaced-apart
structure
subatmospheric
subatmospheric pressure
supports
surrounding
top
vapor
water
water vapor
weight
zeolite