Patent ID: 6047697
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: F24S,Y02E

Abstract:
A solar collector (10) comprising:an envelope defining a closed chamber and an absorber housed inside the evacuated envelope, the absorber comprising two plates which define a first evaporation gap in a first region of the absorber and a second evaporation gap in a second region of the absorber therebetween, said evaporation gaps providing communication between a reservoir of heat transfer fluid at a first end of the absorber and a condenser at a second end of the absorber, the plates being maintained in spaced relation to each other at a small distance X such that the arrangement of the plates defines the evaporation gaps therebetween and the distance X is such that capillary action between the plates can draw heat transfer fluid from the reservoir along at least a substantial portion of the evaporation gaps to the condenser, the absorber serving to transfer heat derived from incident solar radiation to heat transfer fluid contained in the evaporation gap, and the envelope having formations which serve as focusing lenses operative to direct solar radiation onto the second evaporation gaps, so that focused radiation causes heat transfer fluid in the second evaporation gap to become relatively hot, whereby localized evaporation of the fluid is condensed in the surrounding fluid and thermal energy is propagated toward a relatively cooler part of the absorber.