Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S10/00—Solar heat collectors using working fluids
  • F24S10/40—Solar heat collectors using working fluids in absorbing elements surrounded by transparent enclosures, e.g. evacuated solar collectors
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
  • F04B37/00—Pumps having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F04B25/00 - F04B35/00
  • F04B37/02—Pumps having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F04B25/00 - F04B35/00 for evacuating by absorption or adsorption
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S80/00—Details, accessories or component parts of solar heat collectors not provided for in groups F24S10/00-F24S70/00
  • F24S80/50—Elements for transmitting incoming solar rays and preventing outgoing heat radiation; Transparent coverings
  • F24S80/54—Elements for transmitting incoming solar rays and preventing outgoing heat radiation; Transparent coverings using evacuated elements
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
  • F24S2025/01—Special support components; Methods of use
  • F24S2025/011—Arrangements for mounting elements inside solar collectors; Spacers inside solar collectors
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S40/00—Safety or protection arrangements of solar heat collectors; Preventing malfunction of solar heat collectors
  • F24S40/40—Preventing corrosion; Protecting against dirt or contamination
  • F24S40/46—Maintaining vacuum, e.g. by using getters
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
  • Y02E10/44—Heat exchange systems

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a high efficiency evacuated solar panel.
• Existing designs of evacuated solar panels comprise a frame which contains spacers crossing one another which support two transparent glass walls or a glass transparent and a metallic wall.
• the transparent walls define, with the frame, an evacuated closed chamber which contains the spacers and the absorber .
• Each absorber element consists of a blackened flat metal surface which carries a cooling pipe.
• the absorber elements collect the solar energy and heat the fluid circulating in the cooling pipes . Due to the presence of the spacers the amount of solar energy which impinges the absorber is smaller than that which is theoretically possible.
• the absorbers expand when heated; therefore in order to cope with this expansion, usually a greater clearance between the spacers and the absorber is requi red .
• the technical aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a solar panel by which the said problems of the known art are reduced.
• an object of the invention is to provide a solar panel able to collect a very high amount of the energy which impinges on it.
• the spacers of the invention also helps centering and supporting the cooling pipes.
• Figure 1 is an exploded schematic view of a solar panel according to the present invention
• FIG. 2 is a detail of figure 1 showing the spacers connected together. With reference to the figures, these show a high efficiency evacuated solar panel indicated by the numeral reference 1.
• the solar panel 1 comprises a frame 2 which carries longitudinal and transverse spacers 3, 4.
• the longitudinal spacers 3 have their ends resting close to the frame 2, and the transverse spacers 4 have their ends welded to the frame 2 and are also connected to the spacers 3. As shown in the enclosed drawings, the longitudinal and the transverse spacers 3, 4 cross one another.
• the solar panel 1 of the invention also has two transparent walls 10, 10a connected to the frame 2 which define with the frame 2 a closed chamber 11 containing the spacers 3, 4 and the absorber 14.
• the chamber 11 is evacuated through a pumping flange in order to make an evacuated solar panel.
• the absorber 14 comprises a plurality of absorbing panels 14a, 14b, each connected to a cooling pipe 15.
• the longitudinal spacers 3 have a portion 17 in contact with the transparent walls 10 and 10a to support them against the ambient pressure; on the contrary, the transverse spacers 4 are apart from said transparent wall and do not support it.
• the transverse spacers are welded to the longitudinal sides of the frame and support them against the external ambient pressure.
• the absorber 14a, 14b extend between the longitudinal spacers 3, the transverse spacers 4 and the transparent walls 10, 10a and are supported by the spacers 4.
• the transverse spacers 4 have seats 22 housing the cooling pipes 15 of the absorber 14.
• the seats 22 of the spacers 4 are defined by recesses in the spacers 4 and preferably they also have protruding edges 23.
• the seats 22 preferably have a spacer 27 in loose contact at their bottom to reduce the thermal contact with the cooling pipes 15.
• the solar panel 1 is provided with a getter pump to help keeping the vacuum.
• the cooling pipes are welded to the frame at both extremities.
• the longitudinal spacers are in contact with the transparent wall to support it against the ambient pressure, while the transverse spacers are not in contact with the transparent wall, so allowing the absorbers to cover the whole length of the panel without interruptions.
• Figure 2 shows one possible connection between the longitudinal and the transverse spacers; in particular figure 2 shows the longitudinal and the transversal spacers which are connected at their crossings by a connection slidable along the longitudinal spacers.
• the longitudinal spacers 3 have grooves 30 which are cross-shaped, preferably with the upper corners 32 between a longitudinal and vertical part of the cross-shaped grooves which are chamfered; alternatively, only one of the two upper corners 32 between a longitudinal and vertical part of the cross shape grooves is chamfered.
• the transverse spacers 4 have opposite indented positions 34, 36, possibly also defined by protruding portions 38.
• transverse spacers 4 are inserted in the grooves 30 of the longitudinal spacers 3 and the indented portions 34, 36 of the second spacer 4 house edge portions close to the grooves 30.
• connection is not very tight and allows the longitudinal spacer 3 to slightly move vertically (while the transverse spacers 4 are fixed) to adapt to the pressure of the transparent walls; the connection also allows the longitudinal spacers 3 to slightly move longitudinally, to cope with their thermal expansion.
• the longitudinal and transverse spacers 3, 4 are connected together and are inserted into the frame 2.
• the ends of the spacers 4 are welded to the frame 2, while the ends of the spacers 3 are free to move.
• the absorber 14 is assembled within the frame 2; in this respect the absorbing panels 14a, 14b (having a longitudinal length substantially equal to that of the chamber 11) with the cooling pipes 15 connected thereto are placed onto the transverse spacers 4, with the cooling pipes 15 inserted in the seats 22.
• the transparent walls 10, 10a are applied on the frame 2 and the spacers 3, then the cooling pipes are welded to the frame 2 and the transparent walls 10, 10a are fixed in a usual way. Afterwards the vacuum is pulled within the chamber 11; the transparent walls 10, 10a are thus supported by the frame 2 and the spacers 3, while the spacers 4 support the absorbing panels 14a, 14b via their cooling pipes 15.
• the side absorbing panels 14a are housed in a cell having three sides defined by the frame 2, while the fourth side is defined by a spacer 3, and the central absorbing panels 14b are housed in a cell having two short opposite sides defined by the frame 2, while the other two longer sides are defined by two opposite longitudinal spacers 3.
• the solar panel 1 of the invention has a very high efficiency, because it is provided with absorbing panels with a great surface, greater than the surface of a traditional solar panel having the frame of the same dimensions.
• the solar panel of the invention is able to collect a great amount of the solar energy which impinges on it.
• the longitudinal spacers may move to adapt themselves to the pressure exercised onto the transparent walls.
• longitudinal spacers In particular temperatures cause deformations of the longitudinal spacers, nevertheless they do not alter their substantial rectilinear shape, because the ends of each longitudinal spacer are free to expand and there are provided a number of intermediate sliding connections along the longitudinal spacers (the connection with the transverse spacers which prevent transversal movements) .
• longitudinal spacers may also move in the vertical direction.
• This design insures the required transverse rigidity but does not block the spacers longitudinally and vertically.
• the embodiment described above is provided with two transparent walls, i.e. the transparent wall 10 and the transparent wall 10a because it is preferably used in connection with mirrors reflecting the solar light on the back of the absorber.
• a different embodiment may have the wall 10a made of a transparent wall (as the above described embodiment) or a metal wall .
• the solar panel according to the invention is particularly advantageous because it has a simple structure and a high efficiency.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)

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• 2008
  • 2008-06-11 AU AU2008357548A patent/AU2008357548A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-06-11 KR KR1020117000609A patent/KR101512626B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-06-11 WO PCT/EP2008/057286 patent/WO2009149753A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-06-11 CN CN2008801302764A patent/CN102089600B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2008-06-11 US US12/996,624 patent/US20110146667A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-06-11 BR BRPI0822888A patent/BRPI0822888A8/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-06-11 EP EP08760839A patent/EP2310766A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2008-06-11 JP JP2011512833A patent/JP5186594B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2008-06-11 RU RU2010153581/06A patent/RU2472074C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-06-11 CA CA2727275A patent/CA2727275A1/en not_active Abandoned

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