Solar energy collection system with symmetric wavy absorber pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11739984-B2
Application number	US-202117219735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

Various implementations include solar thermal energy collection system comprising a solar energy concentrator, a heat transfer fluid, an absorber pipe. The absorber pipe includes a pipe wall and has a central longitudinal axis. The pipe wall has an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface has a first contour defining alternating peaks and troughs along a length of the absorber pipe. The outer surface has a second contour defining alternating peaks and troughs along the length of the absorber pipe. The inner surface defines the entire flow path for the heat transfer fluid through the absorber pipe. The first contour, as viewed through an axial cross section of the absorber pipe, forms sinusoidal waves on each side of and spaced apart from the central longitudinal axis. The sinusoidal waves on each side of the central longitudinal axis are symmetrical with respect to the central longitudinal axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solar thermal energy collection system comprising a solar energy concentrator, a heat transfer fluid, and an absorber pipe through which the heat transfer fluid flows for absorbing concentrated solar energy incident on the absorber pipe from the solar energy concentrator, the absorber pipe comprising a pipe wall that extends about and around a central longitudinal axis that extends between each end of the absorber pipe, the pipe wall comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a first contour defining alternating peaks and troughs along a length of the absorber pipe, and the outer surface defining a second contour defining alternating peaks and troughs along the length of the absorber pipe, wherein:
the inner surface defines an entire flow path for the heat transfer fluid through the absorber pipe, wherein the entire flow path is defined between an inlet and an outlet of the absorber pipe,
the first contour, as viewed through an axial cross section of the absorber pipe, forms sinusoidal waves on each side of and spaced apart from the central longitudinal axis, wherein the sinusoidal waves on each side of the central longitudinal axis are symmetrical with respect to the central longitudinal axis,
at least a portion of the absorber pipe is disposed along a focal line of the solar energy concentrator, and
the second contour, as viewed through the axial cross section of the absorber pipe, forms sinusoidal waves on each side of and spaced apart from the central longitudinal axis, wherein the sinusoidal waves of the second contour on each side of the central longitudinal axis are symmetrical with respect to the central longitudinal axis.

2. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 1 , wherein the pipe wall has a maximum radius as measured between the inner surface and the central longitudinal axis at each peak and a minimum radius as measured between the inner surface and the central longitudinal axis at each trough.

3. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the pipe wall has a second maximum radius as measured between the outer surface and the central longitudinal axis at each peak and a second minimum radius as measured between the outer surface and the central longitudinal axis at each trough.

4. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 1 , wherein the peaks and troughs of the inner surface are radially aligned with the peaks and troughs of the outer surface.

5. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 1 , wherein a thickness between the inner surface and the outer surface of the wall is constant along the length of the wall.

6. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface is shaped to induce a plurality of turbulent fluid flow regions along the length of the central longitudinal axis.

7. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 1 , wherein troughs of the second contour define areas of concentrated solar energy.

8. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 1 , wherein the solar thermal energy collection system is a parabolic trough solar energy absorber system, the solar energy concentrator comprises a parabolic reflector having a focal axis that is parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the parabolic reflector and is spaced apart a focal length from a vertex of the parabolic reflector, and the parabolic trough solar energy absorber system further comprises:
a tube into which the absorber pipe is disposed, wherein the outer surface of the absorber pipe is spaced apart from an inner surface of the tube, and a wall of the tube allows for the transmission of radiant energy therethrough,
wherein the tube is coupled to the parabolic reflector such that the central longitudinal axis of the absorber pipe is coincident with the focal axis.

9. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 8 , wherein a vacuum condition is maintained between the outer surface of the absorber pipe and the inner surface of the tube.

10. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 8 , further comprising a heat transfer fluid tube coupled to an entry end and an exit end of the absorber pipe, wherein the heat transfer fluid tube and the absorber pipe form a closed loop through which the heat transfer fluid flows.

11. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 10 , further comprising a heat exchanger, wherein at least a portion of the heat transfer fluid tube is disposed inside the heat exchanger.

12. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger is a boiler tank.

13. The solar thermal energy collection system of claim 10 , further comprising a fluid pump coupled to the heat transfer fluid tube, and wherein the fluid pump causes the heat transfer fluid to flow through the heat transfer fluid tube and the absorber pipe.

Assignees

• Univ Florida State Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Yang Sam
• Ordonez Juan Carlos

Classifications

• F24S10/45 Primary

  the enclosure being cylindrical · CPC title

• F24S10/755

  the conduits being otherwise bent, e.g. zig-zag · CPC title

• F24S23/71

  with parabolic reflective surfaces (with cylindro-parabolic reflective surfaces F24S23/74) · CPC title

• Y02E10/44

  Heat exchange systems · CPC title

• F24S10/74

  the tubular conduits are not fixed to heat absorbing plates and are not touching each other · CPC title