Owens-illinois, Inc.

Yu K Pei

Kenneth L Moan

Jack J Tyson

A solar energy collector assembly is provided which finds particular utility when interconnecting a plurality of tubular solar energy collectors with each other, in parallel, to form a bank of collectors, and when interconnecting a plurality of such banks of collectors with each other, in series, to form a tiered arrangement. The assembly, in combination with other apparatus, provides a capability for a batch and/or a continuous circulation system and provides a capability for quickly filling tubular solar energy collectors with a fluid under pump pressure and for quickly and completely draining tubular solar energy collectors of the fluid under gravity, thereby yielding a failsafe operation regarding freezing conditions and/or boil-out conditions.

Solar energy collector assembly

Disclosed is an assembly or matrix comprising an arrangement of integrally fused tubes forming a series of nonporous, longitudinal parallel passageways therethrough. The matrix is of a low-expansion ceramic material and the passageways therethrough have thin walls; a high proportion of the cross-sectional or frontal area of the matrix is free open area. Also disclosed are methods for making such a matrix from glass tubes that are thermally crystallizable; one method involves longitudinally bundling the tubes with their ends sealed and heating the assembly to soften, expand and fuse the tubes in a heat treatment schedule that also nucleates and thermally crystallizes the matrix to the final ceramic product. Another embodiment involves superimposing a plurality of layers of tubes, one layer above the other in successive parallel planes, with the tubes in each plane being essentially parallel to each other and transverse to the tubes in adjacent layers. The matrix of tubes, each with its ends sealed, is heated to soften, expand and fuse the tubes. The sealed ends are opened and a plurality of such matrices are assembled into an annular structure, each matrix being separated from adjacent matrices by a wedge-shaped member.

Glass-ceramic article and method of making same

There is disclosed a molded glass bulb-type solar collector which includes a parabolic specular reflector member and integral glass tubular member closed at the inner end extends along the focal axis of the reflecting surface. A shank portion of the tubular member extends outside the parabolic reflector and is open at the outer end. The tubular wall has its outside surface within the reflector coated with a wave length selective coating. A transparent glass cover plate that is preferably convex (domed) is sealed over the large open end of the reflector at a peripheral flange. The flange is formed to a regular geometric configuration, viz, square, diamond, hexagon, etc., and several of the bulb collectors are fabricated into a curtain wall with these flanges in adjacent relationship. The space within the cover plate and reflector is pumped to a vacuum. The shank portion of the member is connected into an aperture of a manifold. The collectors are connected in series wherein working fluid is carried in a conduit, and at each aperture, a partition extends into the tubular member bisecting it so that the fluid on one side of the partition is diverted in a counterflow path therethrough and back to the conduit on the other side of the partition. In another form of manifold, collectors are connected in parallel, so to speak, wherein two parallel divided passages are provided in the manifold.

Bulb-type solar energy collector

Method for making transverse tube recuperator

The disclosure relates to a bulb-type solar energy collector device comprising a hollow glass body shaped with a parabolic interior surface that is coated with specular finish of a metal, e.g. silver, and includes an apex aperture and integral hollow yoke. A hollow glass, bulb-shaped absorber element is exteriorly coated with a wave length selective coating. The bulb-shaped element includes a tubular hollow stem dependent from the bulbar portion and fixed in the yoke of the glass body so that the central axis of the stem and bulbar end portion is along the focal axis of the parabolic reflecting surface. A cover plate is sealed over the enlarged end of the reflecting surface enclosing the interior mirror surface in a chamber which is evacuated to substantial vacuum, e.g. 10.sup.-4 torr or greater vacuum. A working media is circulated from a source in a manifold through the interior volume of the absorber element to remove the solar energy absorbed thereby as heat and the media is returned to the manifold. The solar energy laden media is available for heating, cooling or power generating uses.

The disclosure relates to a three piece solar energy bulb type collector device comprising a hollow glass body shaped with a parabolic interior surface that is coated with specular finish of a metal, e.g. silver, and includes an apex aperture and integral hollow yoke. A glass test-tube like element is exteriorly coated with a wave length selective coating having more than 0.8 absorption above 2.5 microns wave length and less than 0.1 emission at 2.5 microns or less wave lengths. The coated glass tube is the absorber and has an intermediate rib and flared open end which are fused with glass at the aperture area and open end of the yoke. The absorber is coaxially located with the focal axis of the parabolic surface. A cover plate is sealed over the large end of the parabolic body enclosing the interior mirror surface area in a chamber which is placed under vacuum (evacuated). Working media, which may be either gas or liquid, is circulated from a manifold through the absorber tube to remove solar energy as heat, and is returned to the manifold. The solar energy laden media is available for heating, cooling or power generating applications.

Solar energy collector apparatus

The disclosed invention relates to a solar energy collector in a conversion system. The collector is made from common glass tubing lengths of different diameters and comprises a first outer clear glass cylindrical tube closed at one end, and a glass absorber tube inside the first tube having an energy absorbing coating on its exterior surface. The absorber tube resembles an over-sized test tube in that one end is closed. The absorber tube is held in place inside the outer tube by a spacer-support means engaging the closed end of the absorber tube. The open end of the absorber tube is sealed to the inside of the wall of the outer tube, which is the longer of the two, and the space is evacuated. An open-ended fluid handling tube of glass is inserted into the absorber tube to guide working fluid issuing into the absorber tube near its closed end along the wall thereof and extract collected heat. Several of the energy collectors are detachably connected into a manifold for circulation of working fluid (air or water or the like) into the handling tube and receive working fluid flowing from the absorber tube. The manifold provides for collector tubes to depend on opposite sides as a module covering predetermined area of rooftop or like solar exposure. The working fluid carrying the energy is utilized in a heating or cooling system.

Solar energy collector

The invention disclosed is a solar energy collector apparatus having several double-wall glass tubular elements connected on opposite sides of an elongated manifold to form a module. The elements are sealed in oppositely facing metal cups and inside the opposite elements is a cross supply tube. The cups in a module are series connected by conduits for flow of a liquid through the collectors. Along the manifold are two header pipes respectively connected to the cups for introducing liquid to the collectors for series flow and for receiving heated liquid flowed through them. The headers also connect a series of modules and the system utilizing the solar heated liquid. The cups, header pipes and interconnecting conduits are enclosed in an insulation jacket of foamed plastic, e.g. polyurethane. The manifold includes support brackets for mounting the apparatus in spaced drainage position above a supporting surface having a solar exposure. The outer ends of the tubular collectors are supported on an end loading device which firmly supports the element above the support surface and retains the element in its manifold cup when under hydraulic pressure.

Solar energy collector module system

There is disclosed a solar energy collector assembly in which the working media is a liquid circulated through the several tubular collectors in series. The manifold device is of a design that is inexpensive to fabricate for detachably inserting tubular collectors into opposite sides of the liquid manifold. The assembly includes an inlet for liquid to enter an outer tube of the collector and flow in one direction to the end and thereat enter an inner tube and flow in an opposite direction to the other far end of the inner tube, finally transferring to the manifold outlet connected to the next tube or tubes in the series. The receptacles of the manifold for connecting the collector tubes are fabricated from metal stampings and/or castings and surrounded with molded insulation, such as foamed plastic, e.g. polystyrene, polyethylene, polyurethane or the like.

Liquid operated solar energy collector

The novel embodiments disclosed herein also illustrate a novel method for making a recuperator structure. First and second pluralities of layers of elongated tubes are provided which are formed of a glass that is thermally crystallizable to a low expansion glass-ceramic. Each of the tubes is filled with a fluid medium that is expansible in response to the application of heat and the tubes have sealed ends to retain the expansible fluid medium entrapped therein. Each of the tubes has an essentially straight central portion and header connector portions continuing from each end of the central tube portions to the sealed end of the tube. The header connector tube portions of the first plurality of layers diverge away from the header connector tube portions of the second plurality of layers at the ends of the central tube portions when the first and second layers are placed on top of each other. The central tube portions of the first and second pluralities of layers are stacked one above the other with the axes thereof all essentially parallel and with the central tube portions of each first plurality layer in heat exchange relationship with the central tube portions of a second plurality layer. The header connector tube portions at each end of the central tube portions of each layer are arranged so that the header connector tube portions of the first layers diverge from the header connector tube portions of the second layers to provide four sets of separated header connector tube portion ends. Each set of header connector tube portion ends for one of the first and second pluralities of layers extend from the stacked array of tubes as a plurality of tube layers spaced apart by the central tube portions of the other of the first and second plurality of layers. The spaces between the layers and around the tubes adjacent the ends thereof of each set of header connector tube portions are filled with a header connecting material that is thermally crystallizable to a low expansion glass-ceramic which has substantially the same coefficient of lineal thermal expansion as the tubes to seal each set against fluid flow between the tubes. The outer surfaces of the assembly of tube layers and header connecting materials are constrained to prevent outward movement of the assembly. The constrained assembly is heat treated to soften the elongated tubes and enable the fluid medium therein to expand and urge the tubes into contact with adjacent tubes and with the header connecting material to fuse the assembly into an integral mass, and to effect crystallization of the tubes and the header connecting material into a low expansion glass-ceramic.

Apparatus for fusion bonding tubular recuperator structures

A system for the collection and utilization of solar energy. A manifold is mounted on the roof of a building with a major portion of the manifold being contained within the building. A plurality of double-walled, glass solar energy collector tubes are inserted into that part of the manifold which extends above the roof of the building. A gas, such as air, completely fills the manifold and collector tubes. The gas is circulated from the manifold to the ends of the collector tubes from whence it returns, having been heated during the movement. A heat exchanger mounted in the manifold has a working fluid, such as water, passing through it. The heated gas impinges on the heat exchanger, giving up much of its energy to the fluid passing through the heat exchanger. The working fluid is then used for space heating or cooling functions within the building.

Solar energy collection system

The disclosed invention relates to a solar energy collector in a conversion system. The collector is made from common glass tubing lengths of different diameters and comprises a first outer clear glass cylindrical tube having approximately a semi-cylinder surface portion mirror coated for reflection and a collector tube inside the first tube having an energy absorbing coating on its exterior surface. The tubes resemble over-sized test tubes in that one end is closed. The collector is held in place inside the outer tube by a spacer-support element snapped on the closed end of the collector. The open end of the outer tube is sealed to the wall of the collector, and the space is evacuated. An open-ended fluid handling tube of glass is inserted into the collector tube and has a spiral or helical baffle along its length to guide working fluid issuing into the collector near its closed end along the wall thereof and absorb collected heat. Several of the energy collectors are detachably connected into a manifold for circulation of working fluid (air or water or the like) into the handling tube and receive working fluid flowing from the collector tube. The manifold provides for collector tubes to depend on opposite sides as a module covering predetermined area of rooftop or like solar exposure. The working fluid carrying the energy is utilized in a heating or cooling system.

Solar energy converter

The invention disclosed is an improvement in a gas-fired range having a burner means supported in a well in the range structure below its top surface. An annular plate of a glass-ceramic including integral, plural, peripheral downturned legs is supported by the stove well in an overlying, spaced relation to the burner means. The glass-ceramic is formed of a crystallized glass having thermal coefficient of expansion in the range of -12 to +12 .times. 10.sup..sup.-7 /C.degree. over a temperature 0.degree.-300.degree.C. In its preferred form, the plate is made of a glass-ceramic having a thermal coefficient in the -5 to +5 .times. 10.sup..sup.-7 /C.degree. range over 0.degree.-300.degree.C.

Growing community of inventors

Toledo, OH, United States of America

Yu K Pei