Corning Glass Works

Ugur Ortabasi

Francis P Fehlner

William G Dorfeld

Michael Jay Minot

There has been provided a concentrating solar receiver of the type including a closed envelope having a window and reflective portions. A photocell is disposed at a focal zone for the reflector. Heat and/or electricity may be produced from received solar energy and the envelope is manufactured in the configuration of a specially formed bulb preferably having a thin wall glass structure.

Concentrating solar receiver

A solar energy collector structure has been provided which comprises a plurality of at least partially evacuated tubular members arranged in a group and closely packed in parallel axial alignment. The tubular members are joined together to form a tube sheet. A pair of such tube sheets are placed in tandem with a pair of opposite margins thereof being sealed, one to the other, to form a flow channel therebetween. An absorber, disposed between the tube sheets, in the flow channel, intercepts and absorbs solar energy, which by heat transfer is carried off by a working fluid in the heat exchange relation with the absorber surface.

Solar energy collector

An antireflective layer is formed on a surface of a body of phase separable glass by heat treating the glass to cause it to become separated into at least two distinct phases of different solubility. A surface of the body is subjected to a leaching solution which preferentially leaches at least the most soluble phase, leaving a surface layer consisting of a skeletal structure that comprises the least soluble phase. The leaching solution preferaby contains an acid which etches the skeletal structure which becomes so modified that the film exhibits an effective refractive index gradient thereacross, the film therefor exhibiting antireflectance properties over a wide band of wavelengths.

Antireflective layers on phase separated glass

A heat pipe for converting solar energy into thermal energy comprising an envelope provided with an evaporator region and a condensor region, a quantity of vaporizable working fluid within the envelope, a wick within the envelope having capillary means for transporting the working fluid, and, preferably, evacuated transparent container means surrounding the evaporator region for insulating the evaporator region. The evaporator region of the heat pipe is made from a material which is substantially transparent to radiation in a selected range of the solar spectrum, and a wick therewithin which substantially absorbs radiation in at least a portion of the range of the solar spectrum transmitted through the evaporator region. Solar energy is thereby converted into thermal energy or heat directly within the wick, and the heat generated within the wick causes portions of the working fluid therein to evaporate.

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Corning, NY, United States of America

Ugur Ortabasi