In one aspect the invention provides a heat transfer apparatus which includes a transmitter object which defines an external collection surface and an internal transmission surface. Also provided is a receiver object displaced from the transmitter object, the receiver object defining an internal receiving surface and an external heat delivery surface. A thermal conduit is provided which incorporates at least one side wall connected between the transmitter object and receiver object, this at least one side wall spanning the distance between the transmitter object and receiver object and enclosing a volume between the transmitter and receiver objects. This side wall or walls enclose the internal transmission surface of the transmitter object and the internal receiving surface of the receiver object. The transmitter object, receiver object and thermal conduit are configured to promote heat transfer predominantly towards the receiver object.

This invention relates to flat plate solar collectors and, particularly, to solar panels applied in these flat plate solar collectors.

The proposed solar panel is designed as a shallow box, with rear and front walls, which are conditionally vertically positioned a most part of the external surface of the front wall is provided with a coating absorbing solar radiation.

In addition, the internal side of the rear wall is joined with an auxiliary perforated sheet.

There is a rectangular pipe, which is installed vertically or horizontally on the exterior side of the front wall and serves for passage of a liquid to be heated.

The solar panel is functioning as a flat heat pipe with zones of evaporation and condensation on the front wall.

Elastic deformations of the front and rear walls under difference between atmospheric and internal pressure allows to prevent overheating of liquid in the vertical rectangular pipe.

A solar heat collector includes a container, a transparent cover plate located on the container, a thermal insulation material located inside of the container to form an insulation space, and a heat absorption plate located in the insulation space. The heat absorption plate includes a base and a coating located on the base, and the coating includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes entangled with each other to form a network structure and a plurality of carbon particles in the network structure.

A material may be included in a cooling film or cooling panel to achieve cooling even under direct solar irradiation. The material includes one or more constituent materials and an outer surface configured to interact thermally with the atmosphere and with solar radiation. The material exhibits an emissivity of at least 0.8 in spectral range of 5 μm to 15 μm, an ultraviolet reflectivity of at least 0.5 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, an ultraviolet absorptivity of at least 0.75 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, or a combination thereof. A cooling film, or cooling panel, may be affixed to an exterior surface of a vehicle, structure, or system to provide cooling even under direct solar irradiance.

A material may be included in a cooling film or cooling panel to achieve cooling even under direct solar irradiation. The material includes one or more constituent materials and an outer surface configured to interact thermally with the atmosphere and with solar radiation. The material exhibits an emissivity of at least 0.8 in spectral range of 5 μm to 15 μm, an ultraviolet reflectivity of at least 0.5 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, an ultraviolet absorptivity of at least 0.75 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, or a combination thereof. A cooling film, or cooling panel, may be affixed to an exterior surface of a vehicle, structure, or system to provide cooling even under direct solar irradiance.

A roof or wall comprising an insulating selective surface (1) for the use of transferring net heat energy into or out of an enclosure, such as a building. The insulating selective surface comprises at least one transparent cover (2) that comprises a chamber (9), and in the chamber is a moveable plate (4) comprising a plurality of surfaces (5, 6). At least one of the surfaces is a selective surface which can be moved to substantially face the sky, or moved to face away from the sky. The device insulates the enclosure from conductive losses, while using the sun to heat the enclosure, or the cold of deep space to cool the enclosure depending on how the plate is moved.

The present invention relates to a solar selective coating for a metal substrate comprising at least one absorber layer and at least one semi-absorber layer selected from the structures of AlTiN and AlTiSiN. In preferred embodiments, the solar selective coating according to the present invention is a double layer coating with AlTiN—AlTiN or AlTiSiN—AlTiSiN formation. The process for producing the coating includes a step of treatment of the metal substrate with a reactive magnetron sputtering system.

The present invention relates to a solar selective coating for a metal substrate comprising at least one absorber layer and at least one semi-absorber layer selected from the structures of AlTiN and AlTiSiN. In preferred embodiments, the solar selective coating according to the present invention is a double layer coating with AlTiN—AlTiN or AlTiSiN—AlTiSiN formation. The process for producing the coating includes a step of treatment of the metal substrate with a reactive magnetron sputtering system.

A passive thermal regulation system includes a substrate and a coating. The coating is positioned to encapsulate at least a portion of the substrate. The coating includes a first hydrogel layer and a second hydrogel layer. The first hydrogel layer has a plurality of carbon materials configured to absorb a solar radiation. The second hydrogel layer includes a hydrogel that is different from the first hydrogel layer. The coating, at a first temperature, causes the passive thermal regulation system to passively switch from a solar reflective state to solar absorber state to permit the plurality of carbon materials to absorb the solar radiation. At a second temperature, the coating causes the system to passively switch from the solar absorber state to the solar reflective state where the hydrogel of the second hydrogel layer inhibits the solar radiation from absorption. The second temperature is greater than the first temperature.

A passive thermal regulation system includes a substrate and a coating. The coating is positioned to encapsulate at least a portion of the substrate. The coating includes a first hydrogel layer and a second hydrogel layer. The first hydrogel layer has a plurality of carbon materials configured to absorb a solar radiation. The second hydrogel layer includes a hydrogel that is different from the first hydrogel layer. The coating, at a first temperature, causes the passive thermal regulation system to passively switch from a solar reflective state to solar absorber state to permit the plurality of carbon materials to absorb the solar radiation. At a second temperature, the coating causes the system to passively switch from the solar absorber state to the solar reflective state where the hydrogel of the second hydrogel layer inhibits the solar radiation from absorption. The second temperature is greater than the first temperature.