Low cost solar collector

Claim 1

A solar collector comprising a housing in the form of a frame-like structure having a plurality of sides and a base, a first and second opening located in said housing, said first opening located at one end of said housing and said second opening located at the other end of said housing, a first conduit extending into said housing through said first opening in a predetermined longitudinal direction, a second conduit extending into said housing through said second opening in a direction parallel to said predetermined longitudinal direction of said first conduit, each of said conduits being perforated, said perforations being of a predetermined size and located in that portion of said conduits located within said housing, a heat absorbing material positioned upon said base, encompassing said first and second conduits and substantially filling said housing, said heat absorbing material being in the form of pellets of marble-size, renewable-resource-material, said size of said heat absorbing material being greater than said predetermined size of said perforations, a transparent cover sealing said heat absorbing material within said housing whereby a working fluid entering said first perforated conduit flows from said first conduit through said perforations therein, passes through said heat absorbing material and enters said second conduit through the perforations therein upon the positioning of said solar collector substantially in optical alignment with a source of solar energy, the temperature of said working fluid exiting said second conduit being higher than the temperature of said working fluid entering said first conduit.