Solar collector arrangement

Abstract

A solar collector arrangement comprises at least two solar collectors, each solar collector comprising at least one collector element with at least one flow channel for receiving heat transfer medium to be heated in the solar collector. The at least two solar collectors are arranged in parallel connection relative to each other and the heat transfer medium to be heated in the solar collectors and the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collectors are arranged to flow into the solar collectors and out of the solar collectors in turns one or some solar collectors of the solar collector arrangement at a time.

1 . A solar collector arrangement comprising
 at least two solar collectors, each solar collector comprising at least one collector element with at least one flow channel for receiving heat transfer medium to be heated in the solar collector, at least one inflow passage for allowing a flow of the heat transfer medium to be heated into the at least one flow channel and at least one outflow passage for allowing a flow of heat transfer medium heated in the solar collector out of the at least one flow channel, and in which arrangement   the at least two solar collectors are arranged in parallel connection relative to each other and   the heat transfer medium to be heated in the solar collectors and the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collectors are arranged to flow into the solar collectors and out of the solar collectors in turns one solar collector or some solar collectors of the solar collector arrangement at a time.   
     
     
         2 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the solar collector arrangement comprises   a feeding channel for feeding the heat transfer medium to be heated into the solar collectors,   a discharge channel for collecting the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collectors out of the solar collectors, and wherein   there is a controllable flow control valve in the outflow passage of each solar collector for controlling the connection of the outflow passage of the solar collector to the discharge channel, and wherein   one flow control valve or some flow control valves is/are arranged to be controlled at a time for controlling the flow of the heat transfer medium to be heated into the solar collectors and the flow of the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collectors out of the solar collectors one solar collector or some solar collectors at a time.   
     
     
         3 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the solar collector arrangement comprises a control unit configured to control an order of connecting the solar collectors to the discharge channel in turns one solar collector or some solar collectors at a time.   
     
     
         4 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein
 the control unit is arranged to control the flow control valve of one solar collector or some solar collectors at a time for connecting the outflow passage of one solar collector or some solar collectors to the discharge channel at a time.   
     
     
         5 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the outflow passages of the solar collectors of the solar collector arrangement are connected to the discharge channel one solar collector or some solar collectors at a time in a predetermined order.   
     
     
         6 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the solar collector comprises at least one temperature sensor for measuring temperature of the heat transfer medium in the at least one flow channel in the solar collector, and wherein   the solar collectors of the solar collector arrangement are connected to the discharge channel in an order determined on a basis of measured temperatures of the heat transfer medium in the solar collectors.   
     
     
         7 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein
 a control unit of the solar collector arrangement comprises at least one settable target value for the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector, and wherein the heat transfer medium is to be collected out of the solar collector to the discharge channel in response to the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector receiving the target value set for the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector.   
     
     
         8 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein
 the solar collector arrangement comprises at least one server unit arranged in connection with a weather forecast service and that the settable target value for the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector is set on the basis of the forecasted temperature for a region of a location of the solar collector arrangement.   
     
     
         9 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein
 the control unit comprises a learning unit for describing a dependency between the forecasted air temperature and the respective temperature of the heat transfer medium to be achieved in the solar collector, and wherein the control unit comprises an optimization unit for controlling the operation of the flow control valves of the solar collectors on the basis of the temperature dependency between the forecasted air temperature and the respective temperature of the heat transfer medium to be achieved in the solar collectors.   
     
     
         10 . A solar collector arrangement as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein
 a control unit of the solar collector arrangement is arranged to determine a second derivate of the temperatures of the heat transfer medium in the solar collectors and that the control unit is arranged to control the flow control valves of the solar collectors for collecting the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collectors out of the solar collectors in response to the second derivate of the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector being negative.   
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a solar collector arrangement comprising at least two solar collectors arranged in parallel connection relative to each other, each solar collector comprising at least one collector element with at least one flow channel for receiving heat transfer medium to be heated in the solar collector, at least one inflow passage for allowing a flow of the heat transfer medium to be heated into the at least one flow channel and at least one outflow passage for allowing a flow of heat transfer medium heated in the solar collector out of the at least one flow channel, the method comprising
 controlling the flow of the heat transfer medium to be heated in the solar collectors into the solar collectors and the flow of the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collectors out of the solar collectors in turns one solar collector or some solar collectors of the solar collector arrangement at a time.   
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , comprising
 feeding the heat transfer medium to be heated in the solar collectors into the solar collectors through a feeding channel,   collecting the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collectors out of the solar collectors through a discharge channel, and   controlling controllable flow control valves arranged in the outflow passages of the solar collectors one flow control valve or some flow control valves at a time for controlling the flow of the heat transfer medium to be heated into the solar collectors and the flow of the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collectors out of the solar collectors one solar collector or some solar collectors at a time.   
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , comprising
 controlling an order of connecting the solar collectors to the discharge channel in turns one solar collector or some solar collectors at a time by a control unit of the solar collector arrangement.   
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , comprising
 controlling by the control unit the flow control valve of one solar collector or some solar collectors at a time for connecting the outflow passage of one or some solar collectors to the discharge channel at a time.   
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , comprising
 connecting the outflow passages of the solar collectors to the discharge channel one solar collector or some solar collectors at a time in a predetermined order.   
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , comprising
 measuring temperature of the heat transfer medium in the at least one flow channel in the solar collector and   connecting the solar collectors of the solar collector arrangement to the discharge channel in an order determined on a basis of measured temperatures of the heat transfer medium in the solar collectors.   
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in  claim 16 , comprising
 setting at least one settable target value for the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector, and   collecting the heat transfer medium out of the solar collector to the discharge channel in response to the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector receiving the target value set for the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector.   
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , comprising
 arranging the solar collector arrangement in connection with a weather forecast service and   setting the settable target value for the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector on the basis of the forecasted temperature for a region of a location of the solar collector arrangement.   
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 18 , comprising
 providing in the control unit a learning unit for describing a dependency between the forecasted air temperature and the respective temperature of the heat transfer medium to be achieved in the solar collector, and   providing in the control unit an optimization unit for controlling the operation of the flow control valves of the solar collectors on the basis of the temperature dependency between the forecasted air temperature and the respective temperature of the heat transfer medium to be achieved in the solar collectors.   
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 16 , comprising
 determining a second derivate of the temperatures of the heat transfer medium in the solar collectors and   controlling the flow control valve of the solar collector for collecting the heat transfer medium heated in the solar collector out of the solar collector in response to the second derivate of the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the solar collector being negative.