Abstract: According to one aspect, there is provided a solar energy converter, including: a lens; a base plate having a first surface that faces the lens and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface; and a solar cell sandwiched between the lens and the base plate, wherein both the lens and the base plate are each provided with at least one channel for fluid for cooling the solar cell. Also contemplated is provision of at least one fin on both the lens and the base plate for cooling the solar cell. According to a second aspect, there is provided a method for cooling a solar energy converter having a lens, a base, and at least one solar cell sandwiched between said lens and said base plate, the method comprising the step of: cooling the at least one solar cell on two opposing sides.

Abstract: Methods and systems for solar water heating are provided herein. A modular pipe system for a solar water heater is provided in one embodiment. The system includes a plurality of first manifolds which are interchangeably connectable to any other first manifold. The system also includes a plurality of second manifolds which are interchangeably connectable to any other second manifold. The system further includes a plurality of pipe panels which are interchangeably connectable to any other panel, any first manifold, and any second manifold. Connecting the first manifolds and the second manifolds end to end expands the system along a first axis, and connecting a plurality of panels expands the system along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

Abstract: A heat pipe comprises an evaporator section 5 having a radiation absorbing plate 6 a portion of an elongate tube 7, and a condenser section 10 at a distal end of the elongate tube 7 remote from the evaporator section 5. A flow control valve 20 is provided between the evaporator section 5 and the condenser section 10 to selectively interrupt communication between said sections when the temperature within the condenser section 10 exceeds a predetermined maximum. A temperature sensitive member, (coil of memory metal 34?, or discs 34?) acts between a support plate 26 and a seat 36 located on a valve pintle 30 to urge the valve head 22 towards the valve seat 24 when the temperature of the temperature sensitive member 34 exceeds a predetermined limit. A return spring 38 is provided to bias the valve head 22 away from the valve seat 24.

Abstract: The invention relates to an absorber (40) for a solar panel, provided for containing a heat transfer fluid (42), including first (44) and second (46) plates arranged opposite each other and attached to each other via a plurality of connection points (58, 60), first and second matrices having protruding geometrical shapes (50, 52) formed on the outer surfaces of the first and second plates, respectively, the matrices being offset relative to each other so as to provide a flow path for the heat transfer fluid in the absorber, an inlet (54) and an outlet (56) for the heat transfer fluid arranged at both ends of the heat transfer fluid flow path, respectively, characterized in that at least some of the geometrical shapes have a generally protruding shape with a recess at the center thereof so as to form a cavity (64, 66), and in that at least some of said non-through connection points are provided in at least some of said recesses.

Abstract: A solar collector comprises a solar absorbing tube 3 containing elongate tube 11 that extends out of one end of the solar absorbing tube 3 and into an end fitting 15 wherein an annular outer passageway 13 of the elongate tube 11 communicates with a cold fluid inlet conduit 16 within the end fitting 15 and the inner passageway 14 of the elongate tube 11 communicates with a hot water outlet conduit 17 within the end fitting 15. Each end fitting 15 is provided with a receiving portion 22 extending orthogonally to the tubular passage 18 for receiving an end of the concentric elongated tube 11. The end fittings 15 are interconnected to provide fluid flow paths without the need for a manifold. Any number of solar collector tubes can be interconnected in this way. The invention also applies solar collectors of the heat pipe type.

Abstract: A sunlight collecting heat receiver includes: a heat-exchange heat receiving tube which receives sunlight collected by heliostats and transfers the sunlight to a heat carrier, wherein the heat-exchange heat receiving tube includes an outward-flow heat receiving tube which is disposed on the upstream in a sunlight incident direction and an inward-flow heat receiving tube which is connected to the outward-flow heat receiving tube through a U tube and is disposed on the downstream in the sunlight incident direction, and wherein the outward-flow heat receiving tube and the inward-flow heat receiving tube are arranged so as to be deviated from each other in the transverse direction perpendicular to the height direction when seen in the sunlight incident direction.

Abstract: A solar collector includes a solar absorbing tube containing an elongate tube that extends out of one end of the solar absorbing tube and into an end fitting. An annular outer passageway of the elongate tube communicates with a cold fluid inlet conduit within the end fitting. An inner passageway of the elongate tube communicates with a hot water outlet conduit within the end fitting. Each end fitting 15 is provided with a receiving portion extending orthogonally to the tubular passage for receiving an end of the concentric elongated tube. The end fittings are interconnected to provide fluid flow paths without the need for a manifold. Any number of solar collector tubes can be interconnected in this way.

Abstract: An air heating system is for use with a mechanism for flowing air. The system includes a plenum and a solar absorber. The solar absorber defines a first boundary of the plenum. The solar absorber is permeable to air. The mechanism for flowing air is for pulling air into the plenum through the permeable solar absorber. The plenum has an axial direction, wherein along a cross section of said plenum normal to the axial direction the permeable absorber has an average shape that is substantially convex when the permeable absorber is viewed from outside of the plenum.

Abstract: The solar absorber is equipped with an absorber body (10) that absorbs incident solar energy (12) and converts it to heat. The absorber body has a selective absorption layer (17) on a side (36) oriented toward the concentrator (13) and another selective absorption layer (18) on an opposite side (38) oriented away from the concentrator (13). The selective absorption layers (17, 18) have threshold wavelengths below which solar radiation is absorbed and above which a reradiation capacity of the absorber body is suppressed. The threshold wavelength of the selective absorption layer (17) on the side (36) of the absorber body that is oriented toward the concentrator is greater than the other threshold wavelength of the other selective absorption layer(18) on the opposite side (38) of the absorber body oriented away from the concentrator.

Abstract: A coolant sealing structure for a solar cell of which the sealing property is maintained with high reliability in use for a long period. A solar cell has its light receiving surface and a reinforced portion formed around the fringe portion of the light receiving surface. The plate member is joined with the top of the reinforced portion by means of an anode joint process. A transparent member is joined with the plate member to form a coolant passage. This structure allows the solar cell to be directly cooled with the coolant flowing through the coolant passage. Since the solar cell is joined with the plate member, separation does not occur at the joined portion under repeated temperature changes. The coolant sealing structure can be used with high reliability for a long period.

Abstract: There is provided the combination of a corrugated solar collector panel and a building surface to which it is attached, in spaced relationship. At least some of the panel corrugations are flat and located such that they face in the general direction of the sun during at least a portion of the daylight hours. Generally uniformly distributed apertures are provided in the panel, and specifically at flat areas in the corrugations. The combination further includes photovoltaic cells mounted to the corrugations at flat portions thereof containing the apertures, with the cells being supported substantially parallel with and adjacent to but spaced apart from the flat surfaces, thus leaving air passages between the photovoltaic cells and the solar collector, whereby air can enter and leave the enclosed space by flowing through the air passages and along the undersides of the photovoltaic cells, thus removing excess heat build-up from the voltaic cells.

Abstract: A solar thermal water heating system including a solar collector unit, first and second heat exchangers, and a drain back tank, ordered respectively in vertically descending relation. The solar energy collector comprises a plurality of heat absorbing modules formed by deforming two plates into intimate contact with parallel metallic pipes disposed intermediate the plates. The uppermost surface of the pair of plates is provided with a black body coating to emit infrared radiation when sunlight is incident thereon. A glazing is provided over such black body surface to freely transmit incident light to the black body surface but to reflect infrared heat energy emitted by the black body surface. A pump for pumping fluid from the drain back tank to the solar collector unit is positioned horizontally adjacent the drain back tank. The first heat exchanger is vertically disposed within the water storage tank for conducting heat to potable water within the storage tank.

Abstract: A solar energy system having a component comprising a heat absorber which has a tubular conduit. The heat absorber also has a fin for supporting the conduit. The conduit and fin are fabricated of a dark color for collecting solar energy. A housing surrounds the conduit. The housing includes an axially disposed interior member with a cross section greater than the cross section of the conduit. The housing also includes a plurality of axially disposed exterior members. The interior member and the exterior members are fabricated of a transparent material. The invention further includes at least one end cap which is coupled with respect to one end of the interior tube which has at least one aperture in the end cap.

Abstract: A solar energy collector expansion assembly including means for reducing having axial thermal expansion in the riser tube is described in which each riser tube has a pair of solar collecting panels attached thereto by a removable elongated "C"-shaped connection member. The "C"-shaped connection member is deliberately made from a material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than does the material from which the solar collecting panel and the riser tube are formed thereby influencing the dimensional thermal expansion of the riser tube-connection member assembly into a radial rather than axial direction thereby reducing the weakening and failure of the bonds which join the riser tube to adjoining members. Each riser tube-connection member assembly is curved slightly from linear into a cambered shape to further influence the path of thermal expansion of the assembly from a direction other than axial.

Abstract: A solar energy collector comprising a plurality of heat absorbing modules formed by deforming two plates into intimate contact with parallel metallic pipes disposed intermediate the plates. The plates are secured together by rivets which are spaced along and traverse the deformed portions of the plates, thus providing a spring section to absorb unequal expansion of the plates and the fluid conducting pipes. The uppermost surface of the pair of plates is provided with a black body coating to emit infrared radiation when sunlight is incident thereon. A glazing is provided over such black body surface to freely transmit incident light to the black body surface but to reflect infrared heat energy emitted by the black body surface. Water or other heat transfer liquid flowing through the pipes is maintained at a sufficiently high pressure to produce a turbulent flow through the pipes to increase the efficiency of the heat transfer.

Abstract: A solar collector including a plate disposed in a bottom portion of a housing, one or more tubes disposed above the plate for accommodating water, and one or more reflecting surfaces formed in the upper portion of the plate for reflecting lights in order to heat the water contained in the tubes.