Improved natural circulation system integrated within a solar collector and assembly comprising a plurality of natural circulation systems provided inside said solar collector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing natural circulation solar systems face issues such as visible storage tanks affecting aesthetics and landscape impact, increased encumbrance, limited installation flexibility, heat dispersion, and ice formation risks, due to external storage tanks and direct irradiation designs.
Innovation Solution
A compact natural circulation system integrated within a solar collector, featuring a box-like structure with a transparent top, where the absorber is positioned below the transparent surface, and a secondary fluid circuit with heat exchangers, allowing countercurrent circulation of primary and secondary fluids, and utilizing insulating materials to minimize thermal dispersion and ice formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a storage tank is placed outside the solar collector, then the collector structure is simplified, but the aesthetic impact and landscape visibility are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the storage tank with the solar collector by integrating it into the back plate structure. The tank is positioned within the collector assembly so that it is not visible from the front, merging the aesthetic solar collecting function with the storage function in a single integrated unit that maintains visual appeal while providing storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage tank is nested within the collector structure, specifically integrated into the back plate assembly. This nesting allows the tank to be contained within the overall collector footprint without adding external visibility, effectively hiding the storage component within the structural framework of the collector.
2Ease of manufacture
If the storage tank is integrated within the solar collector, then the aesthetic performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The back plate is designed to serve dual functions: as the structural rear element of the collector and as the housing for the storage tank. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate external tank mounting structures and simplifies the overall assembly process despite the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The back plate structure is designed as a multi-functional component that provides both structural support for the collector and housing for the storage tank. This universal design approach allows a single structural element to fulfill multiple roles, reducing overall system complexity despite the integrated nature of the design.
3Use of energy by moving object
If natural circulation is used without pumps, then energy consumption is reduced, but the system requires proper assembly and positioning for correct operation
Solution Approach 1:
The primary and secondary circuits are integrated within the same collector assembly, with the storage tank positioned to enable natural circulation between both circuits. This integration ensures that the circulation path is pre-configured during manufacturing, reducing installation complexity while maintaining energy-free operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed with the storage tank and heat exchanger positioned at appropriate elevations to enable natural circulation through gravity-driven density differences. The integrated design ensures that the circulation loop maintains the necessary height differential for natural convection without requiring additional installation complexity.
4Device complexity
If direct irradiation collectors are used without absorbers, then the structure is simplified, but heat dispersion and ice formation risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the advantages of direct irradiation (simple structure) with the benefits of an absorber system (reduced heat dispersion). The absorber plate is integrated with the storage tank positioning system, allowing the tank to be held at the optimal position for natural circulation while the absorber captures and transfers heat efficiently, reducing heat loss to the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorber plate serves as an intermediary element that captures solar radiation and transfers heat to the primary fluid in a controlled manner. This intermediary approach prevents direct exposure of the storage tank to environmental elements, reducing heat dispersion and ice formation risks while maintaining structural simplicity through the integrated design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a compact, aesthetically pleasing, and efficient solar collector design with reduced heat dispersion and ice formation risks, enabling easy installation on various surfaces without external tanks, while maintaining high performance and uniform temperature distribution.
Implementation Method 1
an absorber consisting of a copper plate, or of other thermally conductive material, with welded ducts, which captures solar energy and transfers it to a primary heat transfer fluid
Implementation Method 2
an absorber consisting of a copper plate, or of other thermally conductive material
Implementation Method 3
a secondary fluid, mainly sanitary water, is contained within a storage tank provided with an exchanger inside which said primary fluid flows and transfers the heat to the secondary fluid
Implementation Method 4
natural circulation systems, the principle of operation of which provides for a primary heat transfer fluid flowing between an absorber and a storage tank inside which heat exchange takes place, without circulation means, such as pumps, but thanks to the natural tendency of a hot fluid to rise
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a natural circulation solar system with for solar collector, said solar collector providing a box-like containment structure (1), closed above by a transparent surface (2), and further providing inside upper absorbing means (3), for the exposure to the solar radiation, arranged inferiorly with respect to said transparent surface (2), a series of independent accumulation primary circuits (21) for the circulation therein of a primary heat carrier fluid, a series of secondary accumulation ducts (5) for the natural circulation of a secondary fluid, and a series of heat exchangers (15) for the exchange of heat between said primary heat carrier fluid and said secondary fluid, said natural circulation system being characterized in that said series of secondary ducts comprise at least an inlet opening (7) and at least an outlet opening (8) of said secondary fluid, said openings being reachable from the outside with respect to said box-like containment structure (1), in that said series of primary circuits (21) comprise at least a first portion, thermally connected to said upper absorbing means (13), and at least a second portion (15) thermally connected to said series of secondary ducts (5), in correspondence with said series of heat exchangers (15), and in that at least one layer of insulating material (4) is provided between said series of ducts of said primary circuit (21) and said series of ducts (5) of said secondary fluid, and in that, when said primary heat carrier fluid flows by natural circulation in said series of primary circuits (21), said primary heat carrier fluid and said secondary fluid circulate in countercurrent in said heat exchanger.