GB1577488A - Solar energy panel - Google Patents

Description

(54) SOLAR ENERGY PANEL (71) We INDUSTRIE PIRELLI SpA, an Italian Company of Centro Pirelli, Piazza Duca d'Aosta No 3, 20100 Milan, Italy, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a solar energy panel and is an improvement in or modification of the invention disclosed and claimed in our co-pending Application No.

46,571/77. (Serial No. 1577453) In the said co-pending application there is disclosed and claimed a solar energy panel, the panel comprising at least one plate made of a black elastomeric or plastics material, each said plate having (a) at least one internally-disposed fluid passageway extending parallel to a major face of the plate, and (b) a projection on each of two opposite edges of the plate, each projection extending normally from a major face of the plate, a sheet of transparent material being supported above said projections to define a closed space between the sheet of transparent material and the plate, one or more header conduits, each conduit extending in a direction perpendicular to the passageway or passageways and being in communication therewith and means, associated with each plate, to hold two or more plates in side-byside abutment, in which the means to hold two or more plates in side-by-side abutment comprises a shaped strip of elastomeric material adapted to engage the projections on each adjacent pair of edges of said plates.

Plates of elastomeric material containing at least one passageway, may conveniently be produced by extrusion, as mentioned in the said co-pending application.

The object of the invention disclosed in Application No. 46,571/77 is to provide a solar energy panel in which solar energy can be converted into thermal energy transferable outside the panel, the panel being efficient, cheap, versatile and of simple construction, so that it does not require the services of specialist operators for its installation or maintenance. Moreover, such panels do not require the use of additives such as antifreezes in the fluid used therein because, the structure of the panels is such as to tolerate without damage any increase in volume caused by the solidification of the fluid.

The present invention provides a solar energy as claimed in our co-pending U K Application No. 46,571/77, (Serial No.

1577453) each conduit being provided with an opening for inspecting said passageway, wherein each opening comprises the space defined between extending ends of two rigid profiles joined, one to the upper face and the other to the lower face of the plate, fluid-tight closing means being provided in the form of a closure member inserted between said extending ends, means, known per se, being also provided to effect the fluid-tight connection between said closure member and said rigid profiles.

The present invention will be illustrated, merely by way of example, in the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a solar energy panel according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows, partly in perspective and partly in section, a detail of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows, partly in perspective and partly in section, a detail of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a tool which can be used for the manufacture of the embodiment shown in Figure 3.

Referring now to Figure 1, a solar energy panel comprises a plate 1 of elastomeric or plastics material comprising, for example, a profiled section 2 (as shown in Figure 2).

Profiles 3 extend upwardly from the upper face of said plate 1.

The panel is provided with two tubes 5 which act as pipe fittings for the passage of a fluid circulating through the profiled sections 2 of the plate 1.

On at least one side 1' of the plate of elastomeric material there are provided means (not shown in Figure 1) for inspecting the inside of the passageways.

Referring to Figure 2, a profiled section 2 is provided with internally-disposed passageways 6, the axes of which are parallel and coplanar to one another. On the side 7 of the profiled section 2, there is a conduit 8 communicating both with the passageways 6 and with the outside by means of the tube 5.

Said conduit 8 is bounded by two rigid profiles 9 by the profiled section 2 and by a closure member 10.

The means to permit inspection of the passageways 6 comprise the opening defined by the extending ends 9A and 9B of the rigid profiles 9, and the means for the fluid-tight closing of said opening comprise the closure member 10 and nuts and bolts 11. The rigid profiles 9 may be made of a metal (e.g.

aluminium) or of a plastics material (for example, an acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene copolymer) and can be either connected permanently to the profiled section 2 or can be removably attached to the profiled section, in which case gaskets (not shown in Figure 2) are provided for insertion between the rigid profiles 9 and the profiled section 2. The closure member 10, in which (as shown in Figure 2) is provided the tube 5, can be made of a rigid material (e.g. metal or plastics), in which case it is necessary to provide gaskets between the closure member 10 and the rigid profiles 9. Alternatively, the member 10 can be of a suitable elastomeric material, in which case the closure member itself acts as a gasket.

The nuts and bolts 11, can where the rigid profiles 9 are connected permanently to the profiled sections 2, pass through the closure member 10. In order to prevent deformation of the profiled section 2 and closing of the passageways 6 when the nuts and bolts are tightened, hollow rigid stays (not shown) can be inserted in the ends of the passageways between the rigid profiles 9.

Referring now to Figure 3, the conduit 8, communicating both with the passageways 6 and with the outside by means of the tube 5, is bounded by two strips 12 of elastomeric material (made for example, of Neoprene or an ethylene/propylene/diene monomer rubber), each strip being permanently connected along one of its major faces to the upper and lower faces of the profiled section 2. The strips 12 are joined to each other only at their lateral portions 14. Near one of said lateral portions 14 is present the tube 5 for the passage of the fluid into or out of the panel. In the remaining portion included between the two lateral portions 14 of said strips, the free ends 13 of the strips are joined to each other in a fluid-tight manner by two rigid plates 15 (of metal or a plastics material) placed one above and the other below said free ends 13.The plates 15 are urged together by means known per se, for example, self-tapping screws 16 as shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, fluid-tight connection of the free ends 13 of the strips can be achieved by means of an elastic profile (not shown), for example a U-shaped profile of metal which presses between the two wings of the U the free ends 13 of the strips.

The means for inspecting the passageways represented in Figure 3 consist of an opening, obtained in the wall of the conduit 8 by separating the free ends 13 of the strips 12 when the rigid plates 15 have been removed.

The embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figure 3 may be made as follows. Referring to Figure 4, a tool 18 having protuberances 17 is inserted into the already-vulcanised profiled section 2 so that the protuberances engage with the ends of the passageways. The outer faces of the profiled section 2 near the side 7 of said profiled section are then roughened. If necessary, said portions may then be covered with a liquid elastomer mix and the two strips 12 are then placed on said portions and on the major surfaces 19 of the tool 18. On cylinder 20, which is removably attached to the tool 18, there is inserted a tube 5 of elastomeric material.At this point the assembly is inserted in a press to cure the unvulcanised elastomeric material and to form chemical bonds between the various elements so that the strips 12 are made to adhere permanently to the profiled section 2 and are joined to each other at their two lateral portions 14. The shape of the tool 18, in particular the shape of its extending member 21, is such that the free ends 13 of the strips 12 are joined to each other during the curing stage only at their lateral portions 14 (see Figure 3) near one of which there is the tube 5. In the remaining portion included between said two lateral portions 14 the two free ends 13 do not come into contact, as member 21 is laid between them.

Thus the opening for inspecting the passageways 6 is obtained. At the end of the curing operation the press is opened and the whole assembly is extracted from the press. After separating the cylinder 20 from the tool 18, the tool may be drawn out through the opening obtained by separating the free ends 13 of the strips 12. Alternatively, the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 can also be obtained, for example, by means of an injection moulding process. The permanent connection of the strips 12 to the profiled section 2 can be obtained by pressurisation, with a suitable fluid, of the passageways 6 present in the profiled section 2, after inserting said profiled section 2 and the strips of elastomeric material 12 in a suitable press. In this case it is not necessary to use the tool 18.

The operation of the panel for the exploitation of solar energy according to the present invention is as follows. Incident solar rays on the panel, together with the greenhouse effect caused by the presence of the plate of transparent material 4 above the plate of elastomeric material 1, heat a fluid (e.g. water) which circulates in the passageways 6. The fluid enters by means of a tube 5 into the conduit 8 at the end of the profiled section 2, the conduit communicating with the passageways 6. In passing through the passageways the fluid heats up, is collected by another conduit 8 at the opposite end of the profiled section 2 and emerges from conduit 8 via a second tube 5. The heated fluid is then piped away from the panel for use.

The openings provided in the walls of the conduit 8 allow for inspection and cleaning of the passageways 6, the panel being left in place. Thus, corrosion of or deposits in the passageways can readily be established and rectified, so that additives are not necessary for the circulating fluid. The elimination of such anti-corrosion-additives eliminates the danger of early ageing of the rubber. Furthermore, the possibility of inspecting and cleaning the passageways 6 improves the efficiency of the solar energy panel.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A solar energy panel as claimed in our co-pending U K Application No.

46,571/77, (Serial No. 1577453) each conduit being provided with an opening for inspecting said passageway wherein each opening comprises the space defined between extending ends of two rigid profiles joined, one to the upper face and the other to the lower face of the plate, fluid-tight closing means being provided in the form of a closure member inserted between said extending ends, means, known per se, being also provided to effect the fluid-tight connection between said closure member and said rigid profiles.

2. A panel according to Claim 1 wherein said opening for inspecting the passageway comprises the space defined between the free ends of two strips of elastomeric material, each strip being connected along one of its major sides, one to the upper face and the other to the lower face of the plate, the fluid-tight closing means of said opening include two rigid plates which press between them the free ends of said strips, and means, known per se, being provided to urge the rigid plates together.

3. A solar energy panel, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. injection moulding process. The permanent connection of the strips 12 to the profiled section 2 can be obtained by pressurisation, with a suitable fluid, of the passageways 6 present in the profiled section 2, after inserting said profiled section 2 and the strips of elastomeric material 12 in a suitable press. In this case it is not necessary to use the tool 18. The operation of the panel for the exploitation of solar energy according to the present invention is as follows. Incident solar rays on the panel, together with the greenhouse effect caused by the presence of the plate of transparent material 4 above the plate of elastomeric material 1, heat a fluid (e.g. water) which circulates in the passageways 6. The fluid enters by means of a tube 5 into the conduit 8 at the end of the profiled section 2, the conduit communicating with the passageways 6. In passing through the passageways the fluid heats up, is collected by another conduit 8 at the opposite end of the profiled section 2 and emerges from conduit 8 via a second tube 5. The heated fluid is then piped away from the panel for use. The openings provided in the walls of the conduit 8 allow for inspection and cleaning of the passageways 6, the panel being left in place. Thus, corrosion of or deposits in the passageways can readily be established and rectified, so that additives are not necessary for the circulating fluid. The elimination of such anti-corrosion-additives eliminates the danger of early ageing of the rubber. Furthermore, the possibility of inspecting and cleaning the passageways 6 improves the efficiency of the solar energy panel. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A solar energy panel as claimed in our co-pending U K Application No.

46,571/77, (Serial No. 1577453) each conduit being provided with an opening for inspecting said passageway wherein each opening comprises the space defined between extending ends of two rigid profiles joined, one to the upper face and the other to the lower face of the plate, fluid-tight closing means being provided in the form of a closure member inserted between said extending ends, means, known per se, being also provided to effect the fluid-tight connection between said closure member and said rigid profiles.

2. A panel according to Claim 1 wherein said opening for inspecting the passageway comprises the space defined between the free ends of two strips of elastomeric material, each strip being connected along one of its major sides, one to the upper face and the other to the lower face of the plate, the fluid-tight closing means of said opening include two rigid plates which press between them the free ends of said strips, and means, known per se, being provided to urge the rigid plates together.

3. A solar energy panel, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.