Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collector

Abstract

A solar cell and water heater plate assembly is disclosed which may be incorporated into a PVT collector.

1 . A solar cell and water heater assembly for coupling to a pipe with a fluid therein comprising:
 a transparent plate used as base plate;   a solar cell secured to the transparent plate;   a heat collecting metal plate that is made of heat conductive metal coated with an electrical insulator, the electrical insulator configured to protect from short circuit and corrosion;   a first layer of polymer glue which attaches the transparent plate and the heat collecting metal plate;   a fastening plate which includes a clamping means for holding the pipe, the fastening plate being made of a heat-conductive material; and   a second layer of polymer glue which attaches the combination of the heat collecting plate and the electrical insulator to the fastening plate so that solar heat can be transferred to the fluid in the heat conductive pipe.   
   
   
       2 . A solar cell and water heater assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second layer of polymer glue are made of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate. 
   
   
       3 . A solar cell and water heater assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the heat collecting metal plate being coated with a layer of electrical insulator that is made of EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) polymer glue. 
   
   
       4 . A solar cell and water heater assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical insulator made of Unitane. 
   
   
       5 . A solar cell and water heater assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening plate is a flat plate and the clamping means being fixed approximately in the middle of the flat plate and approximately perpendicular to the flat plate. 
   
   
       6 . A solar cell and water heater assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the fastening plate further includes a first securing member positioned at a first end of the fastening plate and a second securing member positioned at a second end of the fastening plate, the second securing member being configured to cooperate with a first securing member of an adjacent fastening plate to secure the adjacent fastening plate to the fastening plate. 
   
   
       7 . A solar cell and water heater assembly of  claim 6 , wherein said first securing member is a notched niche and the second securing member is an edge end. 
   
   
       8 . A solar cell and water heater assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said clamping means includes a straight rail with one of a “U” shape cross-section and a semicircle shape cross-section, the cross-section extending in an approximately perpendicular direction to a plane of the fastening plate. 
   
   
       9 . A PVT collector comprising:
 an installation frame having a top, a middle, and a bottom portion;   a light receptor glass plate installed on the top portion of the installation frame to create a green house effect;   a solar cell and water heater plate assembly installed at the middle portion of the frame, the solar cell and water heater plate assembly configured to convert solar energy into electrical and heat energy;   a heat insulator installed at the bottom portion of the frame; and   a cover plate secured to the bottom portion to seal against moisture, wherein the solar cell and water heater plate assembly includes   a transparent plate used as base plate;   a solar cell secured to the transparent plate;
 a heat collecting metal plate that is made of heat conductive metal coated with an electrical insulator, the electrical insulator configured to protect from short circuit and corrosion; 
 a first layer of polymer glue which attaches the transparent plate and the heat collecting metal plate; 
 a fastening plate which includes a clamping means for holding the pipe, the fastening plate being made of a heat-conductive material; and 
 a second layer of polymer glue which attaches the combination of the heat collecting plate and the electrical insulator to the fastening plate so that solar heat can be transferred to the fluid in the heat conductive pipe. 
   
   
   
       10 . The photovoltaic thermal collector of  claim 9 , wherein the heat collecting metal plate is coated with an electrical insulator made of a polyurethane. 
   
   
       11 . The photovoltaic thermal collector of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second layer of polymer glue are made of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate. 
   
   
       12 . A photovoltaic thermal collector of  claim 9 , wherein the fastening plate is a flat plate and the clamping means being fixed approximately in the middle of the flat plate and approximately perpendicular to the flat plate. 
   
   
       13 . A photovoltaic thermal collector of  claim 12 , wherein the fastening plate further includes a first securing member positioned at a first end of the fastening plate and a second securing member positioned at a second end of the fastening plate, the second securing member being configured to cooperate with a first securing member of an adjacent fastening plate to secure the adjacent fastening plate to the fastening plate. 
   
   
       14 . A photovoltaic thermal collector of  claim 12 , wherein said first securing member is a notched niche and the second securing member is an edge end. 
   
   
       15 . A photovoltaic thermal collector of  claim 9 , wherein said clamping means includes a straight rail with one of a “U” shape cross-section and a semicircle shape cross-section, the cross-section extending in an approximately perpendicular direction to a plane of the fastening plate. 
   
   
       16 . A PVT collector comprising:
 a frame;   a fluid carrying conduit passing from an exterior of the frame into an interior of the frame and again to the exterior of the frame; and   a solar cell and water heater plate assembly coupled to the frame, the solar cell and water heater plate assembly including
 a transparent base plate; 
 a solar cell secured to the transparent base plate; 
 a heat collecting plate positioned proximate the solar cell; 
 a first layer of a polymer securing material which attaches the transparent base plate and the heat collecting metal plate; 
 a fastening plate which includes a first portion that engages the fluid carrying conduit within the interior of the frame couple the fluid carrying conduit to the fastening plate; and 
 a second layer of polymer securing material which attaches the heat collecting plate to the fastening plate so that during operation solar heat is transferred from the heat collecting plate to a fluid in the fluid carrying conduit. 
   
   
   
       17 . The PVT collector of  claim 16 , wherein the first portion of the fastening plate is generally shaped to contact a first exterior side of the fluid carrying conduit and a second exterior side of the fluid carrying conduit. 
   
   
       18 . The PVT collector of  claim 17 , wherein the first portion has one of a generally U-shaped and a generally semicircular shaped cross-section and wherein the transparent base plate, the heat collecting plate, and the fastening plate are each flat plates. 
   
   
       19 . The PVT collector of  claim 16 , wherein the first layer of polymer securing material and the second layer of polymer securing material each includes Ethylene Vinyl Acetate. 
   
   
       20 . The PVT collector of  claim 19 , wherein heat collecting plate is a metal plate which is coated on at least a first side with a polyurethane electrical insulator.