High efficiency solar panel

• US 3,985,116 A
• Filed: 04/22/1974
• Issued: 10/12/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kapany Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kaptron Incorporated
• Inventors: Kapany, Narinder S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yuen, Henry C.
• Application Number:
  US05/462,857
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 126/270, 126/271, 350/258, 350/263, 350/264, 350/265, 237/1 A, 52/306, 52/307, 52/615, 52/618
• US Class Current: 126/687
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/00 Solar heat collectors using working fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/55 with enlarged surfaces, e.g. with protrusions or corrugations collectors comprising porous materials or permeable masses directly contacting the working fluids F24S10/80
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2023/88 Multi reflective traps
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/00 Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 70/25 Coatings made of metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 70/60 characterised by the structure or construction absorbing coatings or surface treatment for increasing absorption F24S70/20; auxiliary coatings F24S70/30
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 80/50 Elements for transmitting incoming solar rays and preventing outgoing heat radiation; Transparent coverings
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 80/56 characterised by means for preventing heat loss
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/44 Heat exchange systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 126/907 Absorber coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24669 Aligned or parallel nonplanarities

Abstract

A window portion is interposed between the incident light and a heat absorbing portion and at least one of the heat absorbing and window portions has a plurality of spaced apart reflecting surfaces, separate ones of which face each other and transmit the incident light by multiple reflections to the heat absorbing portion. In at least one embodiment, these opposed reflecting surfaces converge in the direction of light travel from the window portion to the heat absorbing portion and infrared reflecting means are interposed between the window portion and the heat absorbing portion to return infrared light emitted by the heat absorbing portion back to the heat absorbing portion.

Claims

1. A panel for converting incident light into heat comprising a heat absorbing portion and a window portion interposed between the indicent light and the heat absorbing portion, wherein the window portion includes a pair of transparent sheets, perpendicular supports for keeping the sheets spaced apart, the supports being made of light transmitting material arranged to transmit the incident light striking the window within a predetermined angle of acceptance to the heat absorbing portion by means of multiple, total internal reflections, and means for segmenting the air space between the sheets to prevent heat loss due to convective air currents.

2. A panel as recited in claim 1 wherein the supports are in the shape of substantially flat ribs.

3. A panel as recited in claim 1 wherein the supports are in the shape of honeycomb cells.

4. A panel for converting incident light into heat comprising a heat absorbing portion and a window portion interposed between the incident light and the heat absorbing portion, the window portion having a pair of transparent sheets, support columns for keeping the sheets spaced apart, the support columns being made of light transmitting material arranged to transmit the incident light striking the window within a predetermined angle of acceptance to the heat absorbing portion by means of multiple total internal reflections.

5. A panel as recited in claim 4 wherein the heat absorbing portion comprises a panel of surfaces arranged in honeycomb fashion to receive the incident light passing through the window portion and to multiply absorb it.

6. A panel as recited in claim 5 wherein the panel of surfaces arranged in honeycomb fashion are reflective and taper toward the interior of the heat absorbing portion.

7. A panel as recited in claim 4 further comprising means for segmenting air spaces between the sheets.