| What is Heat Pipe Technology ? |
| R
& D work for the SEIDO line of evacuated tubes using heat
pipe technology was carried out by the Daimler-Benz Aerospace
Group, in cooperation with Beijing SUNDA Solar Energy Technology
Company, based on experience gained in the temperature control
of satellite electronics. The main component of a SEIDO collector is the aluminum absorber mounted in an evacuated glass tube. The absorber, coated with a special aluminum nitride layer, converts incoming solar radiation to heat. The special coating absorbs more than 92% of the arriving radiation, but radiates less than 8% back to the environment. Heat transfer from the absorber to the fluid circuit is performed by the “heat pipe”. A heat pipe is a closed system, carefully evacuated and charged with a small amount of water before it is sealed. The absorber imparts heat to this water, causing it to evaporate. The steam rises to the upper end of the heat pipe where it transfers heat to the fluid circuit via a metallic conduction bridge. Being a “dry” connection, fluid in the heating circuit does not flow through the collector. The absorber and heat pipe are mounted in a sealed evacuated glass tube, cutting heat losses via conduction and convection. The stable vacuum assures that the collector performs at low outside temperatures and protects the absorber against the environment. |
Key
Benefits
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