Heat-collecting member and agricultural house

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12429250-B2
Application number	US-202218578496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Aug 17, 2021
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A heat collector includes a body including a hollow portion extending from a first end to a second end of the body and being a metal-extruded body having a light-receiving surface to receive sunlight, a pair of lids adjacent to the first end and the second end and covering the hollow portion, an inlet located in one of the pair of lids to allow a heating medium to enter the hollow portion, and an outlet located in one of the pair of lids to allow the heating medium to exit the hollow portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat collector, comprising:
a body including a hollow portion extending from a first end to a second end of the body, the body being a metal-extruded body having a light-receiving surface to be irradiated with sunlight;
a pair of lids adjacent to the first end and the second end, respectively, the pair of lids covering the hollow portion;
an inlet located in one of the pair of lids to allow a heating medium to enter the hollow portion; and
an outlet located in one of the pair of lids to allow the heating medium to exit the hollow portion.

2. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the hollow portion includes
a first flow channel through which the heating medium flows from the first end toward the second end, and
a second flow channel through which the heating medium flows from the second end toward the first end, the second flow channel being adjacent to the first flow channel with a partition wall between the first flow channel and the second flow channel.

3. The heat collector according to claim 2 , wherein
the partition wall has a connection hole connecting the first flow channel and the second flow channel to cause the heating medium to meander from the inlet toward the outlet.

4. The heat collector according to claim 2 , wherein
each of the pair of lids includes a connection channel connecting the first flow channel and the second flow channel to cause the heating medium to meander from the inlet toward the outlet.

5. The heat collector according to claim 2 , wherein
the first flow channel aligned with the inlet has a smaller flow channel cross-sectional area than the second flow channel.

6. The heat collector according to claim 2 , wherein
the hollow portion includes a plurality of the first flow channels through which the heating medium flows from the first end toward the second end, and the plurality of first flow channels are adjacent to one another with a partition wall between adjacent first flow channels of the plurality of first flow channels.

7. The heat collector according to claim 6 , wherein
each of the pair of lids includes a common channel connecting with opening ends of the plurality of first flow channels to cause the heating medium to flow from the inlet to the plurality of first flow channels, merge after flowing through the plurality of first channels, and flow toward the outlet.

8. The heat collector according to claim 6 , wherein
the body includes a plurality of recesses adjacent to the first end and the second end, the plurality of recesses connect ends of the plurality of first flow channels, and each of the pair of lids includes an inlet/outlet flow channel connecting the inlet or the outlet with one of the plurality of recesses.

9. The heat collector according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support supporting the body at an adjustable angle.

10. The heat collector according to claim 9 , wherein
the body is a panel,
the body includes a heat collecting portion on a front surface of the panel and a reflective portion on a back surface of the panel, the heat collecting portion collects heat from the received sunlight, and the reflective portion reflects the received sunlight, and
the support supports the body at an angle of the body adjustable between a heat collecting position at which the heat collecting portion faces upward and a light-blocking position at which the reflective portion faces upward.

11. The heat collector according to claim 10 , wherein
the heat collecting portion includes a cover covering the front surface of the body and a fin protruding from the cover.

12. The heat collector according to claim 10 , wherein
the heat collecting portion is painted black.

13. The heat collector according to claim 10 , wherein
the body comprises aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the reflective portion is the back surface with the aluminum or the aluminum alloy being exposed.

14. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the body includes a stepped portion in a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the body extends.

15. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the body includes a curved portion in a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the body extends.

16. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the hollow portion includes a first rib in a direction in which the hollow portion extends.

17. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the hollow portion includes a first recess in a direction in which the hollow portion extends.

18. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the light-receiving surface includes a second rib in a direction in which the body extends.

19. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the light-receiving surface includes a second recess in a direction in which the body extends.

20. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the light-receiving surface is coated with a black film.

21. The heat collector according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat insulator on an outer surface of the body except the light-receiving surface.

22. The heat collector according to claim 1 , wherein
the body includes
an upper wall being a plate,
a lower wall being a plate and facing the upper wall, and
a pair of side walls each connecting an end of the upper wall and an end of the lower wall.

23. The heat collector according to claim 22 , wherein
the upper wall includes flanges protruding from the upper wall beyond the pair of side walls, and
the light-receiving surface includes an upper surface of the upper wall and upper surfaces of the flanges to face the sun.

24. The heat collector according to claim 22 , wherein
the partition wall is thicker than the upper wall, the lower wall, and the pair of side walls.

25. An agricultural greenhouse, comprising:
one or more heat collectors, each of the one or more heat collectors comprising:
a body including a hollow portion extending from a first end to a second end of the body, the body being a metal-extruded body having a light-receiving surface to receive sunlight;
a pair of lids adjacent to the first end and the second end, the pair of lids covering the hollow portion;
an inlet located in one of the pair of lids to allow a heating medium to enter the hollow portion; and
an outlet located in one of the pair of lids to allow the heating medium to exit the hollow portion.

26. The agricultural greenhouse according to claim 25 , wherein
each of the one or more heat collectors includes the body being a panel and supported by a structural member of the agricultural greenhouse at an adjustable angle,
the body includes a heat collecting portion on a front surface of the panel and a reflective portion on a back surface of the panel, the heat collecting portion collects heat from received sunlight, and the reflective portion reflects received sunlight, and
the agricultural greenhouse further comprises a rotator configured to synchronously change angles of the one or more heat collectors with respect to the structural member.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Uematsu Koji
• Sugimoto Akio
• Okada Hiroki

Classifications

• F24S80/60

  Thermal insulation (transparent coverings F24S80/50) · CPC title

• F24S2080/05

  Flow guiding means; Inserts inside conduits · CPC title

• F24S2010/71

  the conduits having a non-circular cross-section · CPC title

• F24S50/80

  for controlling collection or absorption of solar radiation · CPC title

• F24S30/425

  Horizontal axis · CPC title