Internal absorber solar collector
Abstract
Thin solar collecting panels are described made from arrays of small rod collectors consisting of a refracting dielectric rod lens with an absorber imbedded within it and a reflecting mirror coated on the back side of the dielectric rod. Non-tracking collector panels on vertical walls or roof tops receive approximately 90% of solar radiation within an acceptance zone 60.degree. in elevation angle by 120.degree. or more in the azimuth sectors with a collector concentration ratio of approximately 3.0. Miniaturized construction of the circular dielectric rods with internal absorbers reduces the weight per area of glass, plastic and metal used in the collector panels. No external parts or insulation are needed as heat losses are low due to partial vacuum or low conductivity gas surrounding heated portions of the collector. The miniature internal absorbers are generally made of solid copper with black selective surface and the collected solar heat is extracted at the collector ends by thermal conductivity along the absorber rods. Heat is removed from end fittings by use of liquid circulants. Several alternate constructions are provided for simplifying collector panel fabrication and for preventing the thermal expansion and contraction of the heated absorber or circulant tubes from damaging vacuummore »
- Inventors:
-
- 106 Nagog Hill Rd., Acton, MA 01720
- 88 Hammond St., Acton, MA 01720
- 46 Emerson Rd., Winchester, MA 01890
- Chestnut Hill Rd. R.F.D. Rte. #4, Amherst, NH 03031
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Solar Energy Technology, Inc., Bedford, MA
- OSTI Identifier:
- 864082
- Patent Number(s):
- 4307709
- Assignee:
- Sletten, Carlyle J. (106 Nagog Hill Rd., Acton, MA 01720);Herskovitz, Sheldon B. (88 Hammond St., Acton, MA 01720);Holt, F. S. (46 Emerson Rd., Winchester, MA 01890);Sletten, E. J. (Chestnut Hill Rd. R.F.D. Rte. #4, Amherst, NH 03031)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24S - SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02B - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG04-77CS34163
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- internal; absorber; solar; collector; collecting; panels; described; arrays; rod; collectors; consisting; refracting; dielectric; lens; imbedded; reflecting; mirror; coated; non-tracking; vertical; walls; roof; tops; receive; approximately; 90; radiation; acceptance; zone; 60; degree; elevation; angle; 120; azimuth; sectors; concentration; ratio; miniaturized; construction; circular; rods; absorbers; reduces; weight; glass; plastic; metal; external; insulation; heat; losses; due; partial; vacuum; conductivity; gas; surrounding; heated; portions; miniature; solid; copper; black; selective; surface; collected; extracted; thermal; removed; fittings; liquid; circulants; alternate; constructions; provided; simplifying; panel; fabrication; preventing; expansion; contraction; circulant; tubes; damaging; seals; modified; version; oil; temperature; dependent; viscosity; pumped; segmented; composed; closely; spaced; insulated; automatically; diverted; giving; ratios; theoretically; unsegmented; solar heat; concentration ratio; partial vacuum; absorber rods; reflecting mirror; temperature dependent; heat loss; solar collector; thermal conductivity; thermal expansion; solar radiation; closely spaced; metal tube; vacuum seal; metal tubes; collector panels; vertical wall; heated portions; heat losses; roof top; rod lens; collected solar; collector panel; dielectric rod; /126/
Citation Formats
Sletten, Carlyle J, Herskovitz, Sheldon B, Holt, F S, and Sletten, E J. Internal absorber solar collector. United States: N. p., 1981.
Web.
Sletten, Carlyle J, Herskovitz, Sheldon B, Holt, F S, & Sletten, E J. Internal absorber solar collector. United States.
Sletten, Carlyle J, Herskovitz, Sheldon B, Holt, F S, and Sletten, E J. Thu .
"Internal absorber solar collector". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864082.
@article{osti_864082,
title = {Internal absorber solar collector},
author = {Sletten, Carlyle J and Herskovitz, Sheldon B and Holt, F S and Sletten, E J},
abstractNote = {Thin solar collecting panels are described made from arrays of small rod collectors consisting of a refracting dielectric rod lens with an absorber imbedded within it and a reflecting mirror coated on the back side of the dielectric rod. Non-tracking collector panels on vertical walls or roof tops receive approximately 90% of solar radiation within an acceptance zone 60.degree. in elevation angle by 120.degree. or more in the azimuth sectors with a collector concentration ratio of approximately 3.0. Miniaturized construction of the circular dielectric rods with internal absorbers reduces the weight per area of glass, plastic and metal used in the collector panels. No external parts or insulation are needed as heat losses are low due to partial vacuum or low conductivity gas surrounding heated portions of the collector. The miniature internal absorbers are generally made of solid copper with black selective surface and the collected solar heat is extracted at the collector ends by thermal conductivity along the absorber rods. Heat is removed from end fittings by use of liquid circulants. Several alternate constructions are provided for simplifying collector panel fabrication and for preventing the thermal expansion and contraction of the heated absorber or circulant tubes from damaging vacuum seals. In a modified version of the internal absorber collector, oil with temperature dependent viscosity is pumped through a segmented absorber which is now composed of closely spaced insulated metal tubes. In this way the circulant is automatically diverted through heated portions of the absorber giving higher collector concentration ratios than theoretically possible for an unsegmented absorber.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981}
}