Tubular solar energy collection system utilizing air media

Claim 2

A solar energy collection apparatus comprising a manifold having exterior wall means and a central internal wall means dividing it into separate first and second compartments, aperture means in said exterior wall means communicating with said first and second compartments and extending across said central wall means, at least one elongated solar collector having a closed end and an open end comprised of an outer glass tube closed at its one end and an inner tube of lesser O.D. than the I.D. of said outer tube and closed at its one end, there being a space between the inner and outer tubes, a peripheral surface of the inner tube comprising an energy absorbing surface extending substantially the length of the inner tube, the outer and inner tubes being integrally joined together adjacent their other ends opposite said closed ends sealing the space therebetween, said space being evacuated to subatmospheric pressure, means sealing the solar collector in the aperture of the manifold, the open end of said solar collector communicating with both said first and second compartments of the manifold and extending across said central wall means, elongated web means disposed internally of said inner tube of the solar collector, and substantially in registry with said central wall means of the manifold, means sealingly connecting the end of said web means adjacent the aperture to the central wall means, thereby connecting the first and second compartments of the manifold into the inner tube of the solar collector, the other opposite end of said web means extending axially into the inner tube and spaced from the closed end of the latter, whereby the first and second compartments of the manifold are connected to each other in the inner tube of the solar collector near the closed end thereof, a gas filling both compartments of said manifold, and the inner tube of said solar collector, and means for propelling said gas in said manifold from one compartment thereof through the solar collector from its other end to its one end and return and into the other compartment of the manifold.

Claim 3

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner tube of the solar collector is glass and includes over the outer peripheral surface thereof a wave length selective coating having high absorptance and low emittance.

Claim 4

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 2, wherein said selective coating is comprised of a thin layer of aluminum on the glass surface and a layer of chromium as black chromium deposited over the aluminum layer.

Claim 5

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 2 wherein the wave length selective coating is characterized by properties of absorptance of 0.8 or greater and infra red emittance of 0.1 or lower.

Claim 6

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas comprises air.

Claim 7

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 1 which includes a closed path flow conduit extending from said other compartment of the manifold to said one compartment thereof and a heat exchanger in said flow conduit.

Claim 8

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means sealing the collector in the manifold aperture means comprises a grommet gasket of resilient material engaging the manifold wall means about the aperture therein and sealingly engaging the wall of the solar collector inserted therein.

Claim 9

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the web means extends axially adjacent the open end of the solar collector and said connecting means comprises a grommet bar having oppositely facing seal grooves, one of said grooves gripping the central wall means of the manifold, thereby detachably connecting the web means to the manifold, thereby detachably connecting the web means to the manifold central wall and sealingly connecting the one compartment with the other only through the inner tube of the tubular solar collector.

Claim 10

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 8, wherein the web comprises a relatively flexible, thin, planar elongated member having a width dimension that is slightly greater than the I.D. of the inner tube, the planar member when inserted axially into said inner tube is bowed in a spring-like fashion bearing at its longitudinal edges onto the inner wall surface of the inner tube for a firm seal of the member in dividing the tube into a reversing flow path for the gas.

Claim 11

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 9, wherein said elongated member is a planar metal strip.

Claim 12

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 9, wherein said elongated member is a planar strip of a fibrous, cellulose material.

Claim 13

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 9, wherein said elongated member is a planar strip of a plastic material.

Claim 14

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manifold includes an external covering of a cellular insulation material.

Claim 15

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cellular insulation material is an organic plastic.

Claim 16

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cellular organic plastic insulation is foamed polyurethane.

Claim 17

A solar energy collection apparatus comprising an elongated hollow manifold having exterior side wall means and a longitudinal internal wall dividing the manifold into first and second compartments, aperture means spaced longitudinally along said exterior wall means communicating with said first and second compartments and extending across said central wall means, gasket means surrounding each said aperture, plural elongated solar collectors each comprising a closed end, double wall tubular member having an open end in sealing engagement with said gasket means, the outer wall of said tubular member being glass and the inner wall of said member being spaced from the outer wall, a peripheral surface of the inner wall having an energy absorbing surface extending substantially the length of the tubular member, the outer and inner walls being integrally connected adjacent the open end of said member sealing the space therebetween, said sealed space being evacuated to subatmospheric pressure, the open end of each said double wall tubular member in said aperture being connected with both said first and second compartments of the manifold, an elongated dividing strip axially disposed internally of said tubular member and spaced from the closed end of the latter, and sealingly connected with the internal wall as an extension thereof, whereby the first and second compartments of the manifold are connected to each of the tubular members on opposite sides of the dividing strip, the first and second compartments of the manifold being connected to each other in the tubular members adjacent the closed end thereof, a gas filling both compartments of said manifold, and the tubular members, and means for propelling said gas in said manifold from one compartment thereof through the tubular members and into the other compartment of the manifold.

Claim 18

A solar energy collection apparatus comprising an elongated hollow manifold having exterior side wall means and a longitudinal internal wall dividing the manifold into first and second compartments, aperture means spaced longitudinally along said exterior wall means communicating with said first and second compartments and extending across said central wall means, gasket means surrounding each said aperture, plural elongated solar collectors each comprising a closed end, double wall tubular member having an open end in sealing engagement with said gasket means, the outer wall of said tubular member being glass and the inner wall of said member being spaced from the outer wall, a peripheral surface of the inner wall having an energy absorbing surface extending substantially the length of the tubular member, the outer and inner walls being integrally connected adjacent the open end of said member sealing the space therebetween, said sealed space being evacuated to subatmospheric pressure, the open end of each said double wall tubular member in said aperture being connected with both said first and second compartments of the manifold, an elongated dividing strip axially disposed internally of said tubular member and spaced from the closed end of the latter, and sealingly connected with the internal wall as an extension thereof, whereby the first and second compartments of the manifold are connected to each of the tubular members on opposite sides of the dividing strip, the first and second compartments of the manifold being connected to each other in the tubular members adjacent the closed end thereof, a gas filling both compartments of said manifold, and the tubular members, and means for propelling said gas in said manifold from one compartment thereof through the tubular members and into the other compartment of the manifold.

Claim 19

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 16, which includes a heat insulating material surrounding all exposed surfaces of said manifold.

Claim 20

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 17, wherein said manifold further includes opposed side walls and top and bottom walls connected thereto, defining a rectilinear hollow duct which is divided centrally into first and second compartments disposed one over the other by said longitudinal internal wall, said plural double walled tubular members being disposed in plural apertures along one of said side walls in spaced apart array.

Claim 21

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 18, wherein said plural double walled tubular members are disposed in plural apertures along both of said side walls depending on opposite longitudinal sides of said manifold in spaced apart array thereat.

Claim 22

A solar energy collection apparatus comprising an elongated hollow manifold comprising an exterior wall means and interior wall means, said exterior wall means defining a hollow duct and said interior wall means dividing said duct into separate plural longitudinal compartments, plural aperture means spaced longitudinally along said exterior wall means, each said aperture communicating with two adjacent ones of said plural compartments, an elongated solar collector sealingly end connected in said aperture means and depending outwardly from said manifold wall, said solar collector comprising a closed end, double wall tubular member having an open end thereof in one of said aperture means of the manifold, the outer wall of said member being glass and the inner wall spaced therefrom, a peripheral surface portion of the inner wall having an energy absorbing surface substantially spanning the length of the tubular member, the outer and inner walls thereof being integrally connected adjacent the open end of said member sealing the space therebetween, said space being under a vacuum, said open end of the member communicating with each of said two adjacent compartments along the side of the manifold from which said member depends, a gas filling said manifold compartments and said tubular collector members, an elongaged dividing strip means in each said tubular collector member connected to said manifold interior wall means and axially disposed internally of the inner wall of said collector member, the inner end thereof being spaced from said closed end of the member, whereby one of the manifold compartments of said two adjacent ones is connected to the tubular collector member for flow of gas into the tubular collector and along one side of the dividing strip means therein and along the other side of said strip means and out of the tubular collector and into the other of the manifold compartments of said two adjacent ones, a layer of heat insulating material surrounding said exterior wall means of the manifold, and means propelling said gas in said manifold for flow from one compartment of said two adjacent compartments through the tubular collector members connected thereto and into the other compartment of said two adjacent compartments.

Claim 23

A solar energy collection apparatus comprising an elongated hollow manifold comprising an exterior wall means and interior wall means, said exterior wall means defining a hollow duct and said interior wall means dividing said duct into separate plural longitudinal compartments, plural aperture means spaced longitudinally along said exterior wall means, each said aperture communicating with two adjacent ones of said plural compartments, an elongated solar collector sealingly end connected in said aperture means and depending outwardly from said manifold wall, said solar collector comprising a closed end, double wall tubular member having an open end thereof in one of said aperture means of the manifold, the outer wall of said member being glass and the inner wall spaced therefrom, a peripheral surface portion of the inner wall having an energy absorbing surface substantially spanning the length of the tubular member, the outer and inner walls thereof being integrally connected adjacent the open end of said member sealing the space therebetween, said space being under a vacuum, said open end of the member communicating with each of said two adjacent compartments along the side of the manifold from which said member depends, a gas filling said manifold compartments and said tubular collector members, an elongaged dividing strip means in each said tubular collector member connected to said manifold interior wall means and axially disposed internally of the inner wall of said collector member, the inner end thereof being spaced from said closed end of the member, whereby one of the manifold compartments of said two adjacent ones is connected to the tubular collector member for flow of gas into the tubular collector and along one side of the dividing strip means therein and along the other side of said strip means and out of the tubular collector and into the other of the manifold compartments of said two adjacent ones, a layer of heat insulating material surrounding said exterior wall means of the manifold, and means propelling said gas in said manifold for flow from one compartment of said two adjacent compartments through the tubular collector members connected thereto and into the other compartment of said two adjacent compartments.

Claim 24

The solar energy collection apparatus of claim 20, wherein said plural manifold compartments comprise four longitudinal compartments of said plural aperture means in said manifold are spaced along opposite sides of the manifold, whereby the tubular collector members depend outwardly from opposite sides of the manifold.