FR2493484A1 - Modular construction solar panel - has simulated tile exterior for incorporation into roofed areas and has acrylic resin body with corrugated surface - Google Patents

Abstract

The solar collector consists of a transparent synthetic resin chassis forming a corrugated surface with boxed edges. An absorbant panel is supported in the frame which has extended fins with interlocks to allow the panels to be interconnected. The fluid flowing through the narrow passage is subjected to the infra-red solar radiation before the latter reaches the absorber. The panel is thus capable of heating the fluid rapidly. When the panels are assembled the fluid connections are automatically engaged.

Description

 The present invention relates to solar collectors of the type with circulation of heat transfer fluid and, more particularly, to an improved structure of solar collector with modular integrated chassis.

 Solar collectors of the circulation of heat transfer fluid type generally comprise a box-forming chassis, essentially ensuring the functions of a supporting structure, in which the collecting and circulation elements of the fluid are arranged. Known planar type sensors, apart from still having questionable aesthetic characteristics, are hardly designed for their assembly to form overlapping surfaces, these assemblies also posing serious siphon problems at the connection junctions. between the outlet and inlet of heat transfer fluid from two adjacent sensors.

 The object of the present invention is precisely to propose a structure of solar collector with modular integrated chassis of novel design, allowing an easy assembly of several collectors to form a covering surface by eliminating the risks of siphon effect at the level of the fluid connections. coolant, of light and inexpensive construction, with improved performance and allowing, around a basic chassis, various adaptations according to the combined uses envisaged for the sensor.

 To do this, according to a characteristic of the present invention, the structure of the solar collector with integrated chassis of the type comprising a transparent external surface and an internal sub-assembly for circulation of heat-transfer fluid between an inlet and an outlet for fluid, oemprend a frame integrated in transparent synthetic resin forming a substantially flat sail surface and peripheral reboerds, a bottom wall mounted on the peripheral edges to extend near the sail surface of the chassis, two of the peripheral edges opposite of the chassis each comprising at least one opening for the passage of fluid opening into the space between the sail surface of the chassis and the bottom wall, the transparent external surface tmt unitary and mounted on the chassis to extend at a distance of the sail surface of it.

 With such an arrangement, according to an important characteristic of the invention, the self-supporting integrated chassis forms, by itself, by its transparent veil surface, part of the transmissive optical system of the sensor - by defining one of the guide walls of a film of heat transfer fluid, the fluid passage openings opening directly into the intermediate space defining the volume of circulation of the fluid, two adjacent sensors which can be associated with the passages of fluid to be interconnected arranged immediately opposite the one from the other without forming an air trap at the fluid outlet area of the sensor.

 According to another characteristic of the present invention, the transparent external surface consists of a self-supporting body of synthetic resin with a wavy surface.

 This external body, in addition to participating effectively in the mechanical strength of the sensor, facilitates the flow of rainwater and allows, thanks to the reflection and refraction effects of the light it provides, a greatly improved capture incident solar rays deviating from the ideal normal at the zenith, contributing to a notable improvement in the efficiency of the sensor.

 According to another characteristic of the present invention, this outer body with a wavy surface is molded in a single block in the manner of overlapping Mediterranean tiles to integrate harmoniously in place of traditional roofs, the adaptation to various architectures being made by simple change of this outer body.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of embodiments, given by way of illustration but in no way limiting, made in relation to the appended drawings in which
Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an assembly of two sensors according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a sensor along the line AA in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an outer covering body with a wavy surface according to a first embodiment;
Figure 4 is a side view of the outer body of Figure 3; and
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the one-piece outer body shaped like Mediterranean tiles.

 As shown in the drawings, each sensor 1 comprises an integrated chassis made of transparent synthetic resin 2, for example acrylic, of rectangular outline, preferably square, as shown in FIG. 1, forming, in one piece, a sail surface substantially flat 3, extending between peripheral flanges forming a frame 4, perpendicular to the plane of the sail surface 3 and extending on either side thereof to form outer and inner frame parts of mounting. The peripheral edges forming a frame 4 have their outer parts extended by coplanar wings 5, 5 ′ at least the opposite wings s in the longitudinal direction of the frame comprising mutual engagement means 6, 6 ′. The studied shape of this frame 2 allows it to be adapted to the trusses of any roof, the chassis typically having a dimension of 1 mx 1 m.

 In the half-space defined by the inner frame part of the chassis 2, is mounted in a sealed manner, for example glued, a flat bottom wall 7 of synthetic resin, for example acrylic, extending near the sail surface 3 so as to define between it and this sail surface 3 of the chassis a lamellar space with a minimum thickness of 4 mm for the circulation of the heat transfer fluid.

According to the present invention, the chassis 2 is molded to form, in the vicinity of the lateral ends of each of the two longitudinally opposite peripheral edges 4, two fluid passages 9 opening directly into the internal space 8 in line with local flares 10 of this internal space
The bottom surface 7 can be treated for another made absorbent so that the sheet of water or any other heat transfer fluid formed between this bottom wall 7 and the sail surface 3 of the chassis is directly subjected to a prior heating effect by the infrared rays of the radiation before it reaches the absorbent surface 7. Traditional sensors, which generally have a height of 2 m and a thickness of fluid blade of 2 mm, have a fluid capacity of the order of 3 liters while the sensor according to the present invention, for 1 m side, and a corresponding thickness of fluid blade of 2 mm, offers a capacity of 1.26 liters which allows a rate of heating of the heat transfer fluid two times faster. However, to overcome capillary effects making circulation of the fluid more difficult, the minimum thickness of the intermediate space 8 is chosen to be of the order of 4 mm, this thickness possibly reaching 20 mm, depending on requirements. For a thickness of 4 mm, the volume of fluid in the sensor is thus 3.24 liters. The fluid passages 9 being symmetrical, during the assembly of two adjacent panels, as shown in FIG. 1, two passages immediately next to each other will be brought into communication, in this case the passages 9A2 for output of the first sensor and 9B1 d 'input of the second sensor, the other pair of passage 9' being closed. According to the invention, the sensors are integrated into a fluid circuit to effect a circulation of the fluid in the sensors diagonally, as shown in FIG. 1, between the inlet 9A1 and the outlet 9A2 as well as between the inlet 9B1 and the outlet 9B2 It is advantageous to provide cylindrical beacons 11 distributed in a square on either side of each diagonal to channel the fluid circulating in the sensor. The cylindrical beacons 11 are advantageously molded with the web 3 of the chassis and are cut to correspond to the thickness of the intermediate space 8 required, thereby also making off the spacers between the web 3 and the bottom wall 7. The circulating fluid moving along the diagonal, the remainder of the fluid blade in the intermediate space 8 is in a semi-stationary state, playing the role of heat accumulator. The central part of the circulating fluid transports the calories it collects to the downstream exchanger, its passage time in the sensor being relatively short and the temperature of this circulating fluid is consequently lower than that of the fluid waiting in the semi-stationary areas. However, the latter continuously receives calories from the radiation it absorbs and its temperature gradually increases. The difference in temperatures between the fluid awaiting and that in circulation causes a gradual drive movement of the parts of hot fluid towards the fluid in cold circulation, which has the effect, on the one hand, of enriching the fluid in calories. circulation, and on the other hand, not to keep the fluid on standby at too high a temperature. The greater the thickness of the fluid blade, the greater the amount of heat stored.

In the half-space defined by the outer frame part of the chassis 2, is mounted in a sealed manner, for example by gluing, an outer transparent body 12 made of molded plastic material and shown in detail in Figures 3 to 5, this body exterior 12 comprising a main wall 120 of wavy shape and peripheral edges 121 forming a frame, extending downward relative to the main median plane 122 substantially tangent to the lower parts of the corrugations of the main surface 120 and intended to be fixed against the outer peripheral edges forming a frame 4, of the chassis 2. In longitudinal section, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 41st outer body 12 has an external profile in the shape of a trapezoid and, in cross section, a substantially sinusoidal shape, as shown in the figure 3, or aesthetically molded in the manner of nested Mediterranean tiles, as shown in FIG. 5. In the standard embodiment shown in FIG. in Figure 3, the pitch between two corrugations is around 46 mm, the height of the corrugations being 25 mm, the thickness of the material constituting the body 12 being 2 it8Lmr and the angle at the sides of the corrugations 300.To prevent the external body 12 from becoming dusty, it is a --- san ~ ageusment made of acrylic resin which also shows great reliability over time, this resin may include anti-material -UV such as that marketed under the name
TINUVIN by the company called Ciba-Geigyu
According to a characteristic of the present invention, to avoid thermal losses by convection or conduction towards the outside, an intermediate partition made of transparent plastic material 13 is mounted in the outer half-space of the frame 2 between the sail surface 3 and the body exterior 12. The intermediate partition 13 advantageously comprises peripheral flanges forming a frame 14, used for mounting on the chassis and for supporting the exterior body 12.

This intermediate partition 13 thus thus defines, between the main surface 120 of the outer body 12 and the sail surface 3 of the chassis, two hermetic chambers 131 and 132, in at least one of which a vacuum will advantageously be created. The presence of at least one such vacuum chamber, considerably increasing the natural insulation of the sensor, makes it possible to eliminate the apparatus necessary for the external storage of calories, namely in particular the regulation system and the thermodynamic probes. On the other hand, the vacuum protects the operation of the sensor in time of night and morning frosts encountered even in temperate climates. In the case where at least one of the chambers contains air, care will be taken to place crystals absorbing moisture to keep the air dry. The humidity in the room can also be drained outside by electro-osmosis.

 According to a characteristic of the present invention, in the half-space defined by the inner frame part of the chassis 2 is also mounted an inner body 15 similar in structure to the outer body 12, except for the main surface which is generally flat, and advantageously made of transparent synthetic resin. Spacer blocks 16 are provided at the periphery of the bottom wall 7 between the latter and the interior body to define the thickness of the interior space between the interior body 15 and the bottom wall 7, and adjust , in doing so, the desired thickness of the fluid blade 8. The spacer blocks 16 are advantageously made in one piece with the inner body 15.

 As mentioned above, the bottom wall 7 is not necessarily made absorbent, for example for the production of greenhouses, the whole of the sensor then being transparent and the internal body ensuring thermal insulation towards the interior of the building. However, in most of the uses, the bottom wall 7 is treated to constitute an absorbent wall, ie material absorbing light rays, and more particularly those in the near infrared range, which can be integrated into the very material of the bottom wall 7, or provided in the form of a metallic deposit of a copper-plated or chromed metallizable dye on the interior or exterior surface, respectively, of the bottom wall 7.

Below the bottom wall 7, as for the outer body 12, there is advantageously provided a transparent intermediate partition 16, similar to the partition 13 and similarly mounted in the inner body 15, to define two intermediate chambers with the inner body 15 and the bottom wall 7. These chambers can be filled with any suitable insulating material according to the envisaged uses, or placed under vacuum to ensure, according to demand, the non-exceeding of a maximum temperature downstream of the sensor.

 While traditional sensors do not generally exceed a yield of the order of 50 to 60%, the sensor according to the present invention, due to the combination of a greenhouse effect and a heat exchange of the radiation directly inside the blade of fluid, being upstream and downstream cheification against caloric losses, and the elimination of the problems of siphon and trapping of gases at the level of the fluid outlets, makes it possible to achieve yields of 1 '' order of 75% for an extremely low unit manufacturing price in large series, while offering great flexibility of adaptation and unprecedented assembly facilities on pre-existing buildings.

 Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, it is not limited to it, but is on the contrary subject to modifications and variants which will appear to those skilled in the art.

Claims (10)

 1 - Solar collector structure with modular integrated chassis, comprising a transparent external surface and an internal sub-assembly for circulation of heat-transfer fluid between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, characterized in that it comprises an integrated chassis (2) transparent synthetic resin forming a substantially planar sail surface (3) and peripheral rims forming a frame (4), a bottom wall (7) mounted on the peripheral flanges (4) to extend near the sail surface ( 3) of the chassis, two opposite peripheral flanges (4) each comprising at least one fluid passage opening (9) opening into the space (8) between the sail surface (3) and the bottom wall (7); the external surface (12) being unitary and mounted on the chassis (2) to extend away from the sail surface (3) thereof.  2 - Structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the external surface (12) consists of a self-supporting body of acrylic resin with wavy surface (120).  3 - Structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises, in the space (8) between the wall of the sail (3) and the bottom wall (7), elements (11) fluid line.  4 - Structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the frame (2) is of rectangular configuration, the peripheral flanges forming a frame (4) extending on either side of the plane of the surface sail (3) to form an outer frame part for mounting the outer surface (12) and an inner frame part for mounting the frame (2) on a frame.  5 - Structure according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises an intermediate partition in transparent material (13) mounted in the outer frame part between the sail surface (3) of the frame and the outer surface (12) to define between it two separate sealed chambers (131, 132).  6 - Structure according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a self-supporting inner body (15) mounted on the inner frame part of the frame (2) to extend away from the wall of ond (7).  7 - Structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least said opposite peripheral flanges (h) of the frame (2) comprising the fluid passages (9) are extended by wings (3, 5 ') extending outward and shaped (6, 6') to interweave with each other when assembling sensor structures in pairs.  8 - Structure according to claim 7, characterized in that said opposite peripheral flanges (4) each have two fluid passages (9 an vcisinage their opposite ends, these passages being intended to be connected to a heat transfer lulde circuit, two passages opposite (9A2 9B1) of two adjacent sensors (1A, 1B) being directly connected, the circulation of the fluid through each sensor is effected along a diagonal thereof.  9 - Structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the thickness of the space (8) between the sail surface (3) of the frame v2) and the wall  bottom (7) is chosen between 4 and 20 mm.  10 - Structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom wall (7) is treated to absorb solar radiation.