Patent ID: 7766007

Claim:
A solar collecting apparatus for collecting solar energy in a heat transfer fluid, the apparatus comprising: an upper header member; a lower header member; a plurality of collector tubes, each collector tube connected at an upper end thereof to the upper header member and connected at a lower end thereof to the lower header member; wherein the collector tubes are arranged such that axes of the collector tubes form an array wherein no three adjacent axes are on the same plane; a circulating tube connected at an upper end thereof to the upper header member and connected at a lower end thereof to the lower header member, wherein a diameter of the circulating tube is greater than a diameter of any collector tube, and wherein at least one of the upper and lower header members defines a port for connection to a fluid conduit; wherein the circulating tube is connected to central portions of the upper and lower header members, and wherein the collector tubes are connected to outer portions of the upper and lower header members such that the circulating tube is substantially surrounded by collector tubes.