Patent ID: 8347877

Claim:
A solar energy collecting system comprising: a plurality of multiport tubes formed of a metallic material, each of the multiport tubes having oppositely-disposed first and second flat surfaces between lateral edges of the multiport tubes that define a width dimension of each of the multiport tubes, longitudinally-opposed first and second ends that define a length dimension of each of the multiport tubes, and a plurality of fluid channels between the first and second ends that are in fluidic parallel to each other, the multiport tubes being arranged to define at least first and second sets of multiport tubes, the multiport tubes of the first set being arranged to have the first flat surfaces thereof parallel to each other, the multiport tubes of the second set being arranged to have the first flat surfaces thereof parallel to each other, and the multiport tubes of the first and second sets being arranged relative to each other so that the first flat surfaces of the multiport tubes of the first set are not parallel to the first flat surfaces of the multiport tubes of the second set; an inlet manifold coupled to the first ends of the multiport tubes so that a chamber within the inlet manifold is fluidically connected to the fluid channels of the multiport tubes; an outlet manifold coupled to the second ends of the multiport tubes so that a chamber within the outlet manifold is fluidically connected to the fluid channels of the multiport tubes; and means for flowing a fluid from the chamber of the inlet manifold and through the fluid channels of the multiport tubes to the chamber of the outlet manifold.