Solar panel with a translucent multi-walled sheet for heating a circulating fluid

Abstract

A panel for generating electrical and thermal power comprises an upper layer formed by a translucent sheet having an array of photovoltaic cells and a support structure including a pair of multi-walled translucent sheets, and an underlying reflective sheet. The multi-walled translucent sheets each include a number of elongated channels, with the two sheets being arranged so that their channels lie perpendicular to one another for rigidity. The channels within at least one of the sheets are filled with circulating water, which is heated by solar energy not absorbed within the photovoltaic cells.

1 . A solar panel comprising: 
 a first translucent thermoplastic multi-walled sheet having a plurality of channels extending in a first direction between an input end and an output end, opposite the input end; and    a first input manifold attached to extend over openings of the plurality of channels at the input end of the first multi-walled sheet, including an input port and an input cavity connecting the input port with at least one of the openings of the plurality of channels at the input end of the first multi-walled sheet;    a first output manifold attached to extend over openings of the plurality of channels at the input end of the first multi-walled sheet, including an output port and an output cavity connecting the output port with at least one of the openings of the plurality of channels at the output end of the first multi-walled sheet, wherein the input cavity is connected to the output cavity through the channels within the first multi-walled sheet.    
     
     
         2 . The solar panel of  claim 1 , additionally comprising an array of photovoltaic cells upwardly disposed from the first multi-walled sheet.  
     
     
         3 . The solar panel of  claim 2 , additionally comprising a reflector downwardly disposed from the first multi-walled sheet, wherein the reflector includes an upwardly facing reflective surface.  
     
     
         4 . The solar panel of  claim 1  additionally comprising a reflector downwardly disposed from the first multi-walled translucent thermoplastic sheet, wherein the reflector includes an upwardly facing reflective surface.  
     
     
         5 . The solar panel of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a plurality of input end cavities and a plurality of output end cavities, wherein 
 each of the input end cavities connects a plurality of the channels within the first multi-walled sheet at the input end of the first multi-walled sheet,    each of the output end cavities connects a plurality of the channels within the first multi-walled sheet at the output end of the first multi-walled sheet,    the output end cavities are staggered among the channels within the first multi-walled sheet relative to the input end cavities, so that channels within the first multi-walled sheet connected to one another by one of the input end channels are connected to a pair of adjacent output end cavities, and so that channels within the first multi-walled sheet connected to one another by one of the output end channels are connected to a pair of adjacent input end cavities,    the input cavity connects the input port with at least one channel within the first multi-walled sheet not connected to another channel within the first multi-walled sheet by an input end cavity, and    the output cavity connects the output port with at least one channel within the first multi-walled sheet not connected to another channel within the first multi-walled sheet by an output end cavity.    
     
     
         6 . The solar panel of  claim 5 , wherein the input end cavities and output end cavities are disposed within the first multi-walled sheet.  
     
     
         7 . The solar panel of  claim 5 , wherein 
 the input end cavities are disposed within the input manifold, and    the output end cavities are disposed within the output end manifold.    
     
     
         8 . The solar panel of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the channels within the first multi-walled sheet are directly connected to both the input cavity and the output cavity.  
     
     
         9 . The solar panel of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a second translucent thermoplastic multi-walled sheet having a plurality of channels extending in a direction perpendicular to the first direction between an input end and an output end, opposite the input end, wherein the second multi-walled is disposed below the first multi-walled sheet.  
     
     
         10 . The solar panel of  claim 9 , additionally comprising a reflector having a surface facing upward and disposed below the second multi-walled sheet.  
     
     
         12 . The solar panel of  claim 10 , additionally comprising a framework holding the reflector in a spaced-apart relationship with the second multi-walled sheet.  
     
     
         13 . The solar panel of  claim 9 , additionally comprising a third translucent thermoplastic multi-walled sheet having a plurality of channels extending between an input end and an output end, opposite the input end, wherein the third multi-walled is disposed below the reflector.  
     
     
         14 . The solar panel of  claim 10 , additionally comprising an array of photovoltaic cells upwardly disposed from the first multi-walled sheet.  
     
     
         15 . The solar panel of  claim 13 , additionally comprising a framework holding the array of photovoltaic cells in a spaced-apart relationship with the first multi-walled sheet.  
     
     
         16 . The solar panel of  claim 9 , additionally comprising: 
 a second input manifold attached to extend over openings of the plurality of channels at the input end of the second multi-walled sheet, including an input port and an input cavity connecting the input port with at least one of the openings of the plurality of channels at the input end of the second multi-walled sheet;    a second output manifold attached to extend over openings of the plurality of channels at the input end of the second multi-walled sheet, including an output port and an output cavity connecting the output port with at least one of the openings of the plurality of channels at the output end of the second multi-walled sheet, wherein the input cavity is connected to the output cavity through the channels within the second multi-walled sheet.    
     
     
         17 . The solar panel of  claim 15 , additionally comprising a plurality of first input end cavities, a plurality of first output end cavities, a plurality of second input end cavities, and a plurality of second output end cavities, wherein 
 each of the first input end cavities connects a plurality of the channels within the first multi-walled sheet at the input end of the first multi-walled sheet,    each of the first output end cavities connects a plurality of the channels within the first multi-walled sheet at the output end of the first multi-walled sheet,    the first output end cavities are staggered among the channels within the first multi-walled sheet relative to the first input end cavities, so that channels within the first multi-walled sheet connected to one another by one of the first input end channels are connected to a pair of adjacent first output end cavities, and so that channels within the first multi-walled sheet connected to one another by one of the first output end channels are connected to a pair of adjacent first input end cavities,    the input cavity within the first input manifold connects the input port with at least one channel within the first multi-walled sheet not connected to another channel within the first multi-walled sheet by an input end cavity,    the output cavity within the first output manifold connects the output port with at least one channel within the first multi-walled sheet not connected to another channel within the first multi-walled sheet by an output end cavity,    each of the second input end cavities connects a plurality of the channels within the second multi-walled sheet at the input end of the second multi-walled sheet,    each of the second output end cavities connects a plurality of the channels within the second multi-walled sheet at the output end of the second multi-walled sheet,    the second output end cavities are staggered among the channels within the second multi-walled sheet relative to the second input end cavities, so that channels within the second multi-walled sheet connected to one another by one of the second input end channels are connected to a pair of adjacent second output end cavities, and so that channels within the second multi-walled sheet connected to one another by one of the second output end channels are connected to a pair of adjacent second input end cavities,    the input cavity within the second input manifold connects the input port with at least one channel within the second multi-walled sheet not connected to another channel within the second multi-walled sheet by an input end cavity, and    the output cavity within the second output manifold connects the output port with at least one channel within the second multi-walled sheet not connected to another channel within the second multi-walled sheet by an output end cavity.    
     
     
         18 . The solar panel of  claim 16 , additionally comprising a tube connecting the output port of the first output manifold with the input port of the second input manifold.