Abstract:
An absorber body with flow paths for water or a flowable heat carrier for the direct or indirect heating of fluid or fluids or the like flow agents by solar energy in which the flow paths are produced by the deformation of plastic material, is improved in respect of its production and use in that a panel (12) is provided with slot-like openings, the width of which approximately corresponds to the width of the flow path, and welded on the panel is a foil (14) which is deformed through the openings to form respective shaped foil portions (15) of approximately channel-like cross-section as partial delimitation of the flow path and is sealingly covered on the side remote from the channel-like cross-section. In that arrangement, a carrier plate, a cover foil (50) or an insulating body (54) may be provided on the side of the panel (12) which is remote from the channel-like cross-section of the foil portion (15). The panel is provided with openings correspond to the pattern of the flow paths and is covered over its surface with the foil (14), whereupon the foil is deep-drawn through the openings.
Abstract:
A method for the manufacture of panel heat exchangers from thermoplastic polyamides. At least one sheet is coated with a coating that facilitates bonding of the polymer to itself under the influence of heat. Two sheets, at least one of which has been coated, are placed between moulds in a press. At least one of the moulds has grooves corresponding to the pattern of fluid flow passages to provided in the panel heat exchanger. The moulds are heated and an inert gas e.g. nitrogen, is applied and passed through the fluid flow passages, to assist in the formation of the passages and to remove any voltatile material from the coating. The preferred coating is benzyl alcohol, phenol and polyamide. The heat exchangers may be used in a variety of end-uses, especially in automotive end-uses.
Abstract:
A heat-transfer panel or sheet material comprises a woven wire mesh core of high thermal conductivity metal, for example copper or nickel, embedded in a closure layer of plastics material, for example a urethane, so that the mesh and the closure layer extend in the same longitudinal direction. The mesh core defines a nodal network and the nodes are located at or closely adjacent the outer surfaces of the closure layer so that satisfactory heat transfer between opposite sides of the panel is achieved over the whole outer surface area of the panel by virtue of heat conduction by the mesh core.
Abstract:
An inflatable solar collector which includes two interconnected flexible plastic sheets that define therebetween a manifold having multiple parallel fluid medium flow channels, and multiple flexible plastic covering sheets which are interconnected with either the respective manifold-forming sheets or with themselves to define multiple insulation zones on the top and bottom of the manifold. The flexible plastic covering sheets are suitably connected both at their peripheries and along interior lines to either the manifold-forming sheets or to each other to create a matrix construction for the collector that will provide great strength when the collector is inflated. Fluid medium inlet and outlet tubes are sealingly connected to communicate with diagonal opposite sides of the manifold.
Abstract:
A hollow heat exchanger tile (T) made of synthetic plastics material has a liquid inlet (5) and a liquid outlet (6) at peripherally spaced edge parts of a chamber (3) having a floor which rises towards the center of the tile and is shaped to promote liquid flow in a curved path between the inlet and the outlet. The tile is characterized in that the radially inward part of the chamber has at least one flared-ended hollow column (4) extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the tile and that one or other of the inlet or the outlet of the tile is formed by a tubular projection (6) from the edge of the tile.
Abstract:
A flexible solar collector may be readily attached to a structure, such as a house, mobile home or the like, and may be readily removed from the structure and rolled into a roll of small compass for storage when desired. The collector is of flexible tubular construction having an intermediate panel which defines a pair of chambers containing fibrous heat absorbers through which air is circulated.In another embodiment of the solar collector, the fibers of the heat absorber are formed of metal. In another embodiment of the solar collector, the fibrous heat absorber is spaced from the light transmissive member so that air flowing through this space lowers the temperature of the inner surface of the light transmissive member and reduces thermal losses of the collector to the environment. In further embodiments, a pair of fibrous heat absorbers are used, which may be provided with a transparent radiation barrier therebetween.
Abstract:
A solar panel comprising first and second generally parallel, spaced sheets of plastic material and a corrugated sheet of plastic material sandwiched between and bonded to the first and second sheets, the spacing between adjacent corrugations in the corrugated sheet being considerably less than 50% of the distance between the first and second sheets and no greater than about 1/2 inch, the plastic material being light transmitting and characterized by resistance to ultraviolet deterioration.
Abstract:
In one aspect, the present invention consists in a heat absorber for a solar heating system, said absorber including a support member, a flexible heating bag having inlet and outlet connections and arranged to be supported in use by said support member, and a retaining member positioned in use on the opposite side of said bag from said support member so as to control the depth of said heating bag therebetween when said heating bag is filled with fluid, said retaining member being adapted to allow at least a substantial portion of the face of said heating bag adjacent thereto to be exposed to sunlight in use.