Abstract Flat plate absorber member includes a flat heat absorbing sheet of a thin metal foil such as copper, or a thin plastic film such as polyvinyl fluoride, bonded to a channeled substrate, and particularly to a plastic laminate such as a glass epoxy laminate. The improved absorber member provides an energy collecting efficiency which is much greater than that of a much more expensive conventional collector having a series of copper tubes soldered to a copper sheet. The absorber is preferably made by the method of taking a base sheet of fully cured glass epoxy laminate and overlaying it with a precut, patterned intermediate layer of semi-cured glass expoxy which defines the depth of the side walls of the channels. The cover sheet of metal foil or plastic film is then placed over the semi-cured glass epoxy intermediate layer and heat and pressure are applied to bond the semi-cured glass epoxy to the cover sheet and to the previously cured base sheet.
A flat plate absorber member for a solar collector comprising an insulating, self-supporting, glass epoxy laminate substrate, said substrate containing one or more wide, shallow channels formed in an upper flat surface thereof and having a thickness under said channels of about 0.030-0.125 inches, a thin, flat, heat absorbing sheet bonded to said substrate in areas surrounding all of said channels so as to close the top of said channels, and at least a pair of openings in said absorber member having inlet and outlet fittings attached thereto for permitting liquid to flow through said channels.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
A flat plate absorber member for a solar collector comprising an insulating, self-supporting, glass epoxy laminate substrate, said substrate containing one or more wide, shallow channels formed in an upper flat surface thereof and having a thickness under said channels of about 0.030-0.125 inches, a thin, flat, heat absorbing sheet bonded to said substrate in areas surrounding all of said channels so as to close the top of said channels, and at least a pair of openings in said absorber member having inlet and outlet fittings attached thereto for permitting liquid to flow through said channels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A flat plate absorber member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heat absorbing sheet is metal and has a maximum thickness of about 0.0025 inches.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A flat plate absorber member in accordance with claim 2 wherein said metal sheet is copper.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A flat plate absorber member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heat absorbing sheet is a plastic film having a thickness of less than 0.007 inches.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A flat plate absorber member in accordance with claim 4 wherein said plastic film is polyvinyl fluoride.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A flat plate absorber member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said one or more channels have a depth of about 0.005-0.060 inches.