Solar collector and solar air conditioning system having the same

Abstract

A solar air conditioning system and method of superheating working fluid is provided. The solar air conditioning system superheats the working fluid using radiant energy from the sun, and then delivers the working fluid as a superheated and higher-pressured gas to a condenser within the solar air conditioning system. The solar air conditioning system includes a solar collector within which the working fluid is superheated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooling system comprising:
 a compressor configured to compress a working fluid;   a working fluid heating unit coupled to the compressor, the working fluid heating unit configured to heat the working fluid by passing the working fluid through an interior space of at least one evacuated tube;   a condenser coupled to the working fluid heating unit, the condenser configured to condense the heated working fluid; and   an evaporator coupled between the condenser and the compressor, the evaporator configured to evaporate the condensed working fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the working fluid heating unit heats the working fluid using radiant energy from the sun. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the working fluid heating unit comprises:
 an inlet pipe that receives the working fluid;   at least one u-tube that receives at a first end the working fluid from the inlet pipe;   an outlet pipe that receives the working fluid from a second end of the at least one u-tube,   wherein the at least one u-tube is configured to extend within the interior space of the at least one evacuated tube.   
     
     
         4 . The cooling system of  claim 3 , wherein the working fluid heating unit comprises a plurality of u-tubes and a plurality of evacuated tubes, wherein each u-tube of the plurality of u-tubes receives the working fluid from the inlet pipe, and wherein each u-tube of the plurality of u-tubes is configured to extend within a corresponding evacuated tube of the plurality of evacuated tubes. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling system of  claim 3 , wherein the working fluid flows from the inlet pipe into the first end of the at least one u-tube and exits the at least one u-tube from the second end and flows into the outlet pipe. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling system of  claim 3 , wherein the working fluid travels through the at least one u-tube, is heated using radiant energy collected by the evacuated tubes, then circulates out from the at least one u-tube in a gaseous state, and is then delivered into the outlet pipe. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling system of  claim 3 , wherein the working fluid heating unit further comprises an inner tank, and wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are housed within the inner tank. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the inner tank comprises at least one hole through which the at least one u-tube extends out from the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, and wherein an upper portion of an open ended side of the at least one evacuated tube is inserted into the at least one hole. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling system of  claim 8 , wherein the inner tank and the interior space of the at least one evacuated tube is filled with a heat transfer fluid, wherein the at least one u-tube is submerged in the heat transfer fluid, and wherein the heat transfer fluid is sealed within an enclosure formed of the inner tank in combination with the at least one evacuated tube inserted into the at least one hole of the inner tank. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the working fluid heating unit further comprises:
 an insulating material that surrounds the inner tank; and   an outer housing that encloses the inner tank and the insulating material.   
     
     
         11 . The cooling system of  claim 3 , wherein the working fluid heating unit further comprises a heat transfer fluid that fills the interior space of the at least one evacuated tube and within which the at least one u-tube is submerged. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling system of  claim 11 , wherein the heat transfer fluid absorbs radiant energy from the sun, converts the radiant energy into heat, and transfers the heat to the working fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling system of  claim 12 , wherein the heat transfer fluid has a boiling point of at least 424° F. 
     
     
         14 . The cooling system of  claim 3 , wherein the working fluid heating unit further comprises at least one heat transfer fin attached to a portion of the at least one u-tube. 
     
     
         15 . The cooling system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one heat transfer fin contacts an inside wall of the at least one evacuated tube. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one heat transfer fin protrudes from the at least one u-tube and contacts a selective coating applied to an inner surface of the at least one evacuated tube. 
     
     
         17 . The cooling system of  claim 16 , wherein the selective coating comprises Al—N/AL and enables the at least one evacuated tube to absorb and convert radiant energy into heat. 
     
     
         18 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one evacuated tube is a double wall vacuum tube comprising a triple deposition selective surface coating. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one evacuated tube receives radiant energy from the sun, generates heat from the radiant energy, and transfers the heat through a heat transfer fluid to the compressed working fluid flowing within the interior space of the at least one evacuated tube. 
     
     
         20 . A cooling method comprising:
 heating a working fluid by passing the working fluid through an interior space of at least one evacuated tube;   condensing the heated working fluid;   evaporating, in an evaporator, the condensed working fluid, to thereby lower a temperature of the evaporator; and   cooling a space by utilizing the lowered temperature of the evaporator.