AET launches solar-thermal collector
AET now offers the Camel Solar high-efficiency evacuated-tube solar thermal collector, which can absorb over 92% of the Sun’s energy that lands on it. This capability is said to make it one of the most efficient solar collectors on the market, with a stagnation temperature of 250°C. Evacuated tubes enable these collectors to work effectively even during the coldest months of Winter.
A collector has 10 or 15 high-efficiency double-walled evacuated glass tubes, each containing a heat-absorbing plate. The vacuum between the twin walls helps reduce convection and conduction heat losses to improve efficiency. The efficiency is further enhanced by a high-efficiency selective coating on the outer wall of the inner glass tube to increase the heat absorbed.
Each evacuated glass tube surrounds an aluminium absorber plate finished with a special coating to absorb infra-red radiator to maximise the solar energy harvested.
The absorber plate is ultrasonically welded to a patented U-type copper pipe containing the heat-transfer fluid. To minimise heat loss, the heat-transfer manifolds are insulated using high-density mineral-wool insulation covered by an anodised-aluminium casing.
These units can be installed horizontally, vertically, or any angle in between.
