GB2269661A

GB2269661A - Solar energy collecting device

Info

Publication number: GB2269661A
Application number: GB9216940A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hsi-Hsin Ho
Original assignee: HO HSI HSIN
Current assignee: HO HSI HSIN
Priority date: 1992-08-10
Filing date: 1992-08-10
Publication date: 1994-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2012-08-10
Also published as: GB9216940D0; GB2269661B

Abstract

A solar energy collecting device for a solar heating system is equipped with a plurality of water-heating solar panels each rotatable in supporting joints at its ends. Each solar panel can be adjusted in its tilting angle and orientation in response to the location of the sun in different regions whereby the solar panels can always catch maximum solar energy to heat the circulated water in the solar energy collecting device. The supporting joints are ball and socket joints, so that the panels can both be rotated about the axis of their water circulation tubes and, if required, skewed relative to main tubes 30. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVED SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTING DEVICE The present invention relates to an improved solar energy collecting device, mainly adapted for use in a solar heating system. The system is equipped with a plurality of solar panels each provided with a ball and socket supporting joint at one of the two ends thereof so as to permit the solar panels to be adjustably positioned toward the sun by way of varying the tilting angle and the orientation thereof whereby maximum solar energy can be collected to heat the circulating water in the device in accordance to the location of the solar heating system.

Solar energy is a boundless and the cleanest source of energy and is prevailingly used in areas all over the world where the sun can be available most of the time. In some deserts, tropical regions and places on the equator, the sun provides abundant energy all the year around, so much equipment can be operated by the use of solar energy which can be converted into electrical energy. Using solar energy to heat water is the most direct way of use of the energy. There are many types of solar energy collecting devices developed to heat circulating water to a certain temperature for people to use or drink.

As shown in Fig. 1, the prior art solar heating system is a standardised one which is made up of an outer bracket 10, a heat insulation board 11, a plurality of heat exchanging tubes 12, a heat collecting board 13 and a transparent cover 14. The heat exchanging tubes 12 include a number of parallel minor tubes 121 and a pair of major tubes 122 coupled by welding perpendicular to the minor tubes 121. The heat exchanging tubes 12 are welded directly to the heat collecting board 13. Such a solar heating system has a bulky frame and is heavy and difficult to transport.

Moreover, the conventional solar heating system is fixed in place and the heat collecting board 13 can not be adjusted according to the position of the sun. It is well known that the maximum energy absorbed by a heat collecting board 13 is obtained when the same is perpendicular to the beams from the sun; but the solar heating system can not always be positioned in an ideal place because the buildings to which the solar heating systems are mounted can be located with different orientations with respect to the sun. As shown in Fig. 2, the solar heating system is mounted to the roof of a building with such an orientation that a raised frame D is used to make the heat collecting board thereof have the best orientation toward the sun at that specific position.In Fig. 3, when the solar heating system is mounted to the roof of a building which is located in an area near the equator, the angle of tilt of the solar heating system is relatively-small. As it is known that the nearer to the equator the system is, the less the angle of tilt is required because of the difference in the position of the sun, i.e. the perpendicularity of the sun beam. Therefore, the frame D cannot be produced in a unified manner to meet all the requirements in different regions.

Furthermore, there are two disadvantages associated with the frame D: 1. The construction of the frame is time consuming and relatively expensive and makes the cost of installation of the solar heating system unacceptable.

2. The circulation of the heated water is effected by means of the gravity of the earth, so the use of the raised frame D causes the solar energy collecting panels B, C to be located at an elevated position, resulting in the water tower E thereof needing to be positioned at a relatively high place and making the installation unsafe when subject to strong wind.

All the above cited problems are caused because of the lack of variability of the angle of tilt and the orientation of the solar energy collecting board of the solar heating system.

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved solar energy collecting device mainly adapted for a solar heating system which is simple in structure and light in weight so that the transportation and installation thereof is relatively easy, and the cost thereof is lowered as a result of mass production thereof being possible.

According to the present invention there is provided a solar energy collecting device which is provided with a plurality of solar panels having a ball and socket supporting joint at each end thereof so that the angle of tilt and orientation of each panel can be adjusted with respect to the location of the sun. This means that the solar energy collecting device will always be able to obtain maximum solar energy when installed in different regions on earth.

Preferably the solar panels are disposed between upper and lower water circulation tubes. The installation of the system is therefore rather simple.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided an improved solar energy collecting device adapted for a solar heating system comprising a upper and lower tube each having a number of equally spaced coupling tubes disposed thereon, and said upper and lower tubes having the two ends thereof connectable to other means, a plurality of solar panels each having an outer bracket and an insulation layer, a heat absorbing plate, a branch tube and a transparent cover, a plurality of ball and socket supporting joints each being attached to one end of said branch tube of said solar panels, each being made up of a cap and a pair of sealing rings with a ball member disposed therebetween, said ball member being provided with a through hole for the passage of the end of said branch tube, each said cap being provided with inner threads so as to be engaged with said coupling tube which is provided with a threaded ending so that said cap can be removably secured to said upper or lower main tube, whereby each solar panel can be adjusted in its tilting angle and the orientation thereof so as to permit the solar energy collecting device to collect maximum solar energy in accordance to the location of a building on which said solar heating system is mounted.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a prior art solar collecting device; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the embodiment of the prior art solar heating system; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the prior art solar heating system; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the present invention with an enlarged drawing of the ball and socket supporting joint illustrated; Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the exploded components of the ball and socket supporting joint of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the adjustment of the present invention; Fig. 7 is another diagram showing the adjustment thereof; Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another embodiment thereof; and Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a third embodiment thereof.

Referring to Fig. 4, the present solar energy collecting device for a solar heating system is comprised of upper and lower main tubes 20, 30 and a plurality of solar panels 40 wherein the upper and lower main tubes 20, 30 are provided with a pair of ends respectively that are connectable to other tubes (not shown). A number of spaced coupling tubes A are disposed at an equal distance on the main tubes 20, 30, each coupling tube A being provided with a threaded end for easy coupling.

Referring to Fig. 5, each solar panel 40 is made up of an outer bracket 41, an insulation layer 42, a heat absorbing plate 43, a branch tube 44 and a transparent cover 45. Each end of the branch tube 44 is provided with a ball and socket supporting joint which has a cap 441 having an inner threaded surface conforming to the threaded end of the coupling tube A and a pair of sealing rings 442 with a ball member 443 disposed therebetween being sandwiched by the cap 441 and the coupling tube A. The ball member 443 is provided with a through hole 4431 for the passage of the branch tube 44 so as to permit the solar panel 40 to be pivotally and turnably moved with respect to the main tubes 20, 30, as shown in Fig. 4A.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7, the ball members 443 in association with the branch tube 44 are free to move in the caps 441 so that each solar panel 40 is able to be adjusted with maximum freedom. The angle of tilt and the orientation thereof with respect to the sun are variable over a reasonable range whereby the solar panels 40 are able to be orientated toward the sun in such a manner that a solar heating system can obtain the maximum solar energy when positioned in different regions or areas, as shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10. The solar panels 40 of the solar heating system are given maximum adjustability so that when the solar panels 40 are mounted on the top of differently positioned buildings, the most suitable angle of tilt can be easily set as shown in Figs. 8, 9.The orientation of the solar panels 40 are also slightly variable, as shown in Fig. 10 to enable the maximisation of the collection of the solar energy depending on the location of the building.

To make the adjustment of the solar panels 40, it is necessary to loosen each cap 441. When the adjustment is completed the caps 441 are then tightened to hold the panel 40 in place.

The present invention has the following advantages over the prior art: 1. The present solar energy collecting device includes a plurality of detachable solar panels which are easily disposed between the upper and lower and main tubes, the components are small in size and light in weight so that they can be delivered and assembled with ease.

2. The easy adjustment of the solar panels permits the present solar energy collecting device to be mounted simply on the roof of a building without the use of a raised frame in accordance to the location of the building.

3. The size of each component used in the present invention is relatively small so that the components are easily mass produced in unified standards, the cost of the whole system can be lowered effectively.

4. The angle of tilt and orientation of the solar panels are readily varied when installed to conform to the geographical condition of the building on which the solar heating system is disposed so that a maximum solar energy can be obtained.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A solar energy collecting device comprising a plurality of solar panels having a ball and socket supporting joint at each end thereof so that the angle of tilt and orientation of each panel can be adjusted with respect to the location of the sun.

2. A solar energy collecting device as claimed in claim 1 in which the solar panels are disposed between upper and lower water circulation tubes.

3. A solar energy collecting device adapted for a solar heating system comprising an upper and lower tube each having a number of equally spaced coupling tubes disposed thereon, said upper and lower tubes ' having the two ends thereof connectable to other means, a plurality of solar panels each having an outer bracket and an insulation layer, a heat absorbing plate, a branch tube and a transparent cover, a plurality of ball and socket supporting joints each being attached to one end of said branch tube of said solar panels, each being made up of a cap and a pair of sealing rings with a ball member disposed therebetween, said ball member being provided with a through hole for the passage of the end of said branch tube, each said cap being provided with inner threads so as to be engaged with said coupling tube which is provided with a threaded end so that said cap can be removably secured to said upper or lower main tube, whereby each solar panel can be adjusted in its angle of tilt and the orientation thereof so as to permit the solar energy collecting device to collect maximum solar energy in accordance to the location of a building on which said solar heating system is mounted.

4. A solar energy collecting device as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 4 to 10.