Solar energy collector

Abstract

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.