Patent ID: 8662073

Claim:
A solar absorber module comprising: a housing with a longitudinal axis, the housing comprising: a first tapered housing section with a first free end and a second end, the second end having a reduced cross-sectional area compared to the first free end; and a second housing section adjoining the second end of the tapered housing section, the second housing section having a substantially constant cross-section over its length; and a ceramic solar absorber element accommodated in the first free end of the tapered housing section, the absorber element comprising: a first surface; a second surface lying across from the first surface; and a plurality of substantially straight channels connecting the first surface to the second surface, at least one of the plurality of channels being connected to an L-shaped channel such that air flowing in the at least one of the plurality of channels is routed into the L-shaped channel and routed into the housing in lieu of being blocked by the wall of the housing, and wherein the solar absorber element is accommodated in the first free end of the first tapered housing section such that an axis of symmetry of the first surface is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing, and a first portion of the solar absorber element longitudinally protrudes more than a second portion of the solar absorber element relative to the second end of the tapered housing section, the longitudinal protrusion operative to create a shadow region above the first portion of the solar absorber element when light is incident upon the first surface at a first angle of incidence, the shadow region providing increased thermal efficiency when the solar absorber module is mounted adjacent to another solar absorber module in a solar absorber arrangement comprising a plurality of solar absorber modules.