Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3~
BACK~RO~N~ OF THE INVENT~O'N
This inventi~n reIa-tes to an apparatus for collecting
radiant solar energy and more particularly to a solar energy
collector which can be attached to a surface or structure with
h:igh tolerance of direction or angle'of the surface or structure
upon which the collector is positioned and of seasonal solar
radiation angles. The invention also provides structural
rigidity and lightweight construction and capabilities of simple
modular construction, of stylish`appearance, and ability to be
installed on existing roofs regardless of location or pitch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTI~N
In accordance with the'present invention, a structural ',
assemblage for collection radiant solar energy comprises a
base7 sidewalls and a cover with'a plurality of essentially
pyramidal outward projections in ordered array or randomly
arranged. The pyra~,~dal projections have walls angularly
disposed to the mean cover plane.' An energy receiv,ing means
of broad area is disposed within a thin volume defined by the
base,' cover and sidewalls. The sidewalls may be indepenclent
or integral with one or both of the base' or cover. The mean
planes of cover, base and absorber are essentially parallel.
The cover projections present a plurality of re-
flective and transparent surfaces angularly disposed to the
mean cover p~ne to provide for optlmum collection of the radiant
eliergy. The reflective'surfaces of some projections are
arranged to reflect incident solar energy to penetrate trans-
parent surfaces of nearby other projectivns for transmission ' ''
- to the energy receiving surface in any direction of solar
radiation angle of attack established by installation condi-
tions~ ti~le of day, geographic location and season to consis-
tently transmit available solar energy at the absorber
with high efficiency.
3~i51
~no-ther important Eeature oE this invention îs ~ha~
the surfaces forming the pyramidal projections of the cover
of the collector unit can be varied in size as well as the
angular rela-tionship of the surfaces to each other and to the
mean pla~.of the cover to provide :Eor maximum collection of
radiant energy. The shape of the transparent and reflective
suraces of projections is preferably 1at where a pyramidal
configuration is employed~ but may be curved. The cover with
its projections is preferably integrally formed.
10~ One or more such assemblages may be installed on
walls or roof of a residential building or other bui:Lding
or other s-tructure. Heat exchange fluid or other energy transfer ~ ~
medium may be drawn from the absorber in a common, per se, ~:
fashion. The assemblage~s) when applied to building walls or
roofs are preferably spaced therefrom to provide an air wash
space for summer cooling. Special fixtures enable leaktight,
secure mounting of the assemblage(s) to buildings or other
supporting structures.
i : BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~E DRAWING
FIG. 1 and 2 are cross section views of two embodi-
ments o~ the solar collecting structural assemblage of the in- ;
vention, differing in the forms of their base construction, ~ ;
absorbers and mountings;
FIG. 3-5 are top views of three forms of single pyra-
midal projections usable in the covers of the FIG. 1-2
embodiments or other embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a diagram of several angles of wall or roof
mounting from 90 to 0 with respect to ve~tical illustrating
optimal forms o~ pyramid projection for such anglesj and
FIG. 7 is a top view of a typical such cover with many
pyramids in ordered a,rray.
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DET~ILED DESCR:LPTION OF PRE~FE`.RR¢D EMBOD~M~N't~
Referring now to FIG. 1, a solar collection st:ructltral
assemblage 10 is shown It has a cover 20 having a mean
plane indicated at C-C and hollow pyramidal projections 12
with the b<~se lines o~ the walls of each such pyramidal pro-
jection essentially in -the mean plane C-C or in a plane
parallel thereto. The entire cover is made c~f a single sheet
of plastlc molded or cast to provide the projections. Alter-
natively though less pre-erred, the cover can be of multi-
piece constructions of various forms. Another area of alterna-
tive construction is~that flats can be provided between
pyramids instead of the preferred dense packing of pyramids
shown in FIG. 1.
The assemblage 10 also comprises narrow side walls 30
and a broad base 40 defining together with the cover 20 a
slab-form volume 50 in which there is an energy absorber 60
of broad area form. The energy absorber may be a heat transfer
fluid conduit of wide tubular construction or a serpentine
pipe. It may be a coil of thermoelectric wire or a panel con-
taining many photovoltaic cells. That is, the heat transfer
medium can be fluid (liquid or gas) or electricity.
The base has a mean plane indicated at B-B. The
absorber has a mean plane indicated at A-A. All of the planes
~-A, B-B or C-C are preferably parallel or nearly so.
The base 40 in FIG. 1 is preferably of in~egral con-
struction and corrugated for strength. Preferably all of
volume 50 is evacuated for thermally insulating the assemblage
from conductive or convective heat transfer between the energy
absorber and surro~mding amblent. Alternatively, a lower
sec-tion be]ow the absorber may be evacuated to insulate the
space BS (within the base) only. The corru~ations CR within
the base prevent collapse under vacuum. Similarly, the
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pyramidal projections 12 of cover 20 make it rigid to prevent
collapse under vacuum condit iOllS even though cover 20 has a
thin cross secti.on thickness to limit solar energy tr~ns~
mission losses. Although less preferred for purposes of -the
present invention, volume 50 may be filled with air or other
fluid and the base insulation may be provided by increasing
its thickness and/or use of low conductivity, low density
materials such as styrofoam or other foamed plastics, ~ibrous
` packings (including.fibers or other shredded materials), ::
honeycomb materials, insulation blankets or the like.
The vacuum pumping and vacuum.controlling means used
in the base 40 and/or in volume 50 are per se conventional and
not shown.
Posts 70 with wide area feet 72 carry the assemblage 10 .
from a supporting structure such as a roof R, creating an
air wash space AW under the assemblage 10 for convective flow
of air to avoid condensation of water vapor.and for cooling.
. Incident solar radiation is indicated for one time
of day by arrows Sl- S2- S3. Some of the radiation penetrates
transparent walls 14A and 14B of projections 12A and 12B.
Some of the radiation is reflected off reflective walls 16A
and 16B.of other pyramids 12B. All such radiation strikes
. energy absorber 60 uniformly over its broad area at optimum
angles of attack (preferably within 30-60 to the heat ex-
changer mean plane~ for efficient absorption.
The reflectiveness of pyramidal walls 16A, 16B and the
like, may be simply the natural reflectiveness such walls
have when in relation to the sun as shown in FIG. 1 or such
reflectiveness may be supplemenked by reflective coatings
applied to the interior and/or exterior of such walls.
FI~. 2 shows a solar collec~or assemblage 80 ~lich
differs from assemblage 10 of FIG. 1 in that the insulated base
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~2 comprises a thin shell 46 conta;ning a low clens:ity in~
sula~ing material 46 such as a foam or a fibrous packing, The
shell has a sidewall undercut channel 48 and a flange 4~ ~or
slidably mating with elongated mountlng brackets 74,
The brackets are o:E spike Eorm cross sec-tion constr-uc-tion and
have channels 76 acco~llodating the base flanges 49. Mounting
feet 78 on brackets 74 are securable to a roof R or other
mounting support by screws or o~her fasteners or adhesive and'
establish a convective air movemen,t (or air wash) space AW
under the assemblage 70.
It is also shown in FIG. 2 that the energy absorber
~2 has lateral projections 84 corresponding to, and extending
into, or resting within the pyramidal projections of the
' cover for further enhanced surface area, consistent with mini-
mizing thickness dimensions of the assemblage as a whole.
FIG. 2 also shows the conventional heat' transfer 1uid flow
circuit FFC including a heat exchanger or heat storage device
HE and'pump P used in this and the other embodiments.
FIGS. 3-5 show top views of three forms of pyramidal
structure and FIG. 6 illustrates selection criteria used in
chosing among the FIG. 3-5 configurations or still fur-ther con-
figuràtions of the pyramidal projections for the cover.
'The 45 sloping, equal wall area pyramid 12 of FIG. 3`is pre-
ferred for installations where the mean plane of the cover Cl
or C5 is a~ 90 and 0, respectively (assuming a midday solar
radiation direction as indicated at FIGo 6). Staggered
pyramids such as 18 or 19 in FIGS, 4 and 5 are more suitable
at about 30 and 60 ~C2 and C4). At 45 inclination (C3),
hemispheric dome form pyramids 191 are optilnal. Different arc
segments of such domes constitute separate walls of the
pyramid for purposes of the above discussion of reflec-~ive and
transmissive walls.
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FIG. 7 shows a top view of a typiccll cover 2~ o:E a
long, broad panel :L0 ~hich i9 l-L0 feet wide, L-20 feet long and
less than a foo~ thick. There are many pyramids :L2, at least
ten, and pre:Eerably many more, per square foot oE panel area
and each having base width and length and height di.mensions
o~ a :Eew inches each or less, preEerably subs~antially less.
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