Flat plate solar heat collector

Abstract

A collector for radiant heat energy is disclosed, containing a radiation-absorbing heat-conducting panel in thermal contact with a series of 'riser' tubes, through which a working fluid flows, thereby carrying away the radiant heat incident on the panel and absorbed by the fluid. A pair of larger diameter 'header' pipes are connected to opposite ends of the riser tubes, providing access for the working fluid to and from the risers, and conducting the fluid to the pump driving the fluid motion and to the thermal 'load' or object desired to be heated. Each riser tube intersects and passes through the interior of each header pipe, and the short end of the riser tube emerging from the opposite side of the header pipe is sealed by means of a cap which may be removed to facilitate cleaning of the riser tubes. Fluid passes between the risers and headers through a series of 'metering holes' which are drilled through the walls of the riser tubes and located in the interior of the header pipes. These metering holes are sufficiently small to ensure that the fluid flows uniformly through all risers in any panel position, thereby minimizing temperature gradients in the panel and providing maximum thermal efficiency. In an alternative version, the panel is built up around an obstacle by cutting out sections of the risers which would otherwise intersect the obstacle and connecting the truncated ends of the risers to a common pipe which circumscribes the obstacle.