Segment of a Solar Collector and Solar Collectors

Abstract

A segment of a solar collector including a top side, a bottom side and a circumferential end face having at least one longitudinal side, wherein the longitudinal side forms a top edge with the top side and forms a bottom edge with the bottom side, and comprises a core structure having at least one core made of foamed material. The segment of a solar collector further includes a shell made of one or a plurality of layers of a fiber material, wherein the shell at least partially covers the top side, the bottom side and at least the longitudinal side of the circumferential end face, wherein at least one layer of the shell extends about the top edge and at least one layer of the shell extends about the bottom edge, and a reflection layer disposed on the top side.

1 . A segment of a solar collector comprising:
 a top side, a bottom side and a circumferential end face having at least one longitudinal side, the longitudinal side forming a top edge with the top side and forming a bottom edge with the bottom side,   a core structure having at least one core made of foamed material,   a shell made of one or a plurality of layers of a fiber material, and   a reflection layer disposed on the top side,   wherein the shell comprises a first shell member arranged on the top side that at least partially covers the core structure on the top side and a second shell member arranged on the bottom side that at least partially covers the core structure on the bottom side, and   wherein the first shell member wraps around the top edge to partially cover the at least one longitudinal side and the second shell member wraps around the bottom edge to partially cover the at least one longitudinal side wherein the first shell member and the second shell member together completely cover the at least one longitudinal side.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The segment according to  claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a third shell member made of a fiber material that is arranged on the at least one longitudinal side and covers the core structure on the longitudinal side, the third shell member wrapping around the top edge and the bottom edge to at least partially cover the top side and the bottom side. 
     
     
         5 . The segment according to  claim 4 , wherein the first, the second and the third shell members respectively comprise at least one layer of fiber material. 
     
     
         6 . The segment according to  claim 1 , wherein the layers of the shell are made of glass-fiber or carbon-fiber material and comprise unidirectional or multi-axial fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The segment according to  claim 1 , wherein a reinforcement strip of fiber material is arranged around the top edge, the bottom edge and around the further edges formed between the surrounding end face and the top side and the bottom side, so as to reinforce the top edge, the bottom edge and the further edges. 
     
     
         8 . The segment according to  claim 1 , wherein the core structure comprises at least one rib of a fiber material that is separate from the core. 
     
     
         9 . The segment according to  claim 8 , wherein the core structure comprises two cores of foamed material and three ribs, the ribs and the two cores of foamed material being arranged alternately. 
     
     
         10 . The segment according to  claim 8 , wherein each rib comprises a cover made of a fiber material that covers at least a top side and a bottom side of the rib. 
     
     
         11 . The segment according to  claim 1 , wherein, adjacent to the longitudinal side, a flange is arranged for attachment of the segment to an opposite segment. 
     
     
         12 . The segment according to  claim 1 , wherein the top side has a curvature. 
     
     
         13 . The segment according to  claim 10 , wherein the layers of the shell, the at least one core of foamed material, the ribs of the core structure, the shell of the ribs, and reinforcing strips are bonded to each other by an epoxy resin adhesive. 
     
     
         14 . A solar collector comprising a plurality of segments according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . The solar collector according to  claim 14 , wherein two adjacent segments are bonded to each other via the longitudinal sides and, wherein a row of mutually bonded segments can be connected, with the aid of flanges on the segments, to a further row of opposite segments. 
     
     
         16 . The solar collector according to  claim 15 , comprising two rows of segments connected to each other via the flanges of the segments, and by a U-profile enclosing the flanges. 
     
     
         17 . The solar collector according to  claim 16 , wherein the U-profile comprises a plurality of layers of fiber material which are bonded to each other. 
     
     
         18 . The solar collector according to  claim 14 , comprising of 24 segments. 
     
     
         19 . The solar collector according to  claim 14 , wherein a framework construction for increasing the torsional stiffness is arranged on the surface formed by the bottom side of the segments, the framework construction being attached to the solar collector. 
     
     
         20 . The solar collector according to  claim 19 , wherein the framework construction is connected to a support structure of an absorber. 
     
     
         21 . The solar collector according to  claim 20 , wherein the framework construction is connected to the support structure of the solar collector. 
     
     
         22 . The segment according to  claim 5 , wherein the first, the second and the third shell members respectively comprise at least two layers of fiber material. 
     
     
         23 . The segment according to  claim 5 , wherein the first, the second and the third shell members respectively comprise three layers of fiber material. 
     
     
         24 . The segment according to  claim 8 , wherein the rib is arranged parallel to the at least one longitudinal side. 
     
     
         25 . The segment according to  claim 8 , wherein the rib is made of wood. 
     
     
         26 . The solar collector according to  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of layers of fiber material are bonded to each other by a resin-based adhesive. 
     
     
         27 . The solar collector according to  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of layers of fiber material are bonded to each other by an epoxy resin adhesive. 
     
     
         28 . The solar collector according to  claim 19 , wherein the framework construction is attached to the solar collector via fastening means bonded between two adjacent segments. 
     
     
         29 . The solar collector according to  claim 21 , wherein the framework construction is connected to an attachment metal plate of a solar collector support.