Heat transfer device

Abstract

A heat transfer assembly comprising: an elongate envelope; an elongate heat transfer device located within the envelope, the heat transfer device having an elongate heat transfer chamber; and an elongate heat exchanger passing longitudinally through at least a portion of the elongate heat transfer chamber.

1 . A heat transfer assembly comprising:
 an elongate envelope;   an elongate heat transfer device located within the envelope, the heat transfer device having an elongate heat transfer chamber; and   an elongate heat exchanger passing longitudinally through at least a portion of the elongate heat transfer chamber.   
     
     
         2 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate envelope is transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         3 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the elongate envelope is glass. 
     
     
         4 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate heat transfer chamber extends along substantially the whole length of the elongate heat transfer device. 
     
     
         5 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate heat exchanger extends along substantially the whole length of the elongate heat transfer chamber. 
     
     
         6 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the elongate heat exchanger comprises a tube which passes through a first end of the elongate heat transfer chamber, extends along substantially the whole length of the elongate heat transfer chamber, and turns back to pass for a second time through the first end of the elongate heat transfer chamber. 
     
     
         7 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the elongate heat exchanger comprises a tube which passes twice through a first end of the elongate envelope. 
     
     
         8 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the elongate heat exchanger comprises a tube which passes through a first end of the elongate heat transfer chamber, extends along substantially the whole length of the elongate heat transfer chamber, and passes through a second end of the elongate heat transfer chamber opposite the first end. 
     
     
         9 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the tube and/or the elongate heat transfer device comprise means to accommodate differential thermal expansion between the tube and elongate heat transfer device. 
     
     
         10 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the means to accommodate differential thermal expansion comprise a bellows structure of the tube. 
     
     
         11 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the elongate heat exchanger comprises a tube which passes through a first end of the elongate envelope, extends along substantially the whole length of the elongate envelope, and passes through a second end of the elongate envelope opposite the first end. 
     
     
         12 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the tube and/or the elongate envelope comprise means to accommodate differential thermal expansion between the tube and elongate heat transfer device, and the elongate envelope. 
     
     
         13 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the means to accommodate differential thermal expansion comprise bends in the tube. 
     
     
         14 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the elongate heat exchanger comprises a tube which passes through a first end of the elongate envelope, passes through the elongate heat transfer chamber, and turns back to pass for a second time through the first end of the elongate envelope. 
     
     
         15 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the elongate heat exchanger comprises inner and outer concentric tubes which pass through a first end of the elongate heat transfer chamber and extend along substantially the whole length of the elongate heat transfer chamber, wherein the outer concentric tube is closed at an end remote from the first end of the elongate heat transfer chamber. 
     
     
         16 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate envelope is at least partially evacuated. 
     
     
         17 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 1 , and further comprising at least one photovoltaic element mounted on the elongate heat transfer device. 
     
     
         18 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate heat transfer chamber is a vapor chamber. 
     
     
         19 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the vapor chamber is at least partially evacuated. 
     
     
         20 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer assembly is arranged for rotation about a rotation axis. 
     
     
         21 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 20 , wherein the elongate envelope is cylindrical and has an axis of symmetry, and the axis of rotation is parallel to the axis of symmetry. 
     
     
         22 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 21 , wherein the axis of rotation and the axis of symmetry are coaxial. 
     
     
         23 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the heat transfer assembly is arranged for rotation about a rotation axis, and the axis of rotation coincides with the location of a tube passing through an end of the elongate envelope. 
     
     
         24 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the heat transfer assembly is arranged for rotation about a rotation axis, and the tube passes twice through the first end of the elongate envelope and the axis of rotation passes between the locations at which the tubes passing through the end of the elongate envelope. 
     
     
         25 . A heat transfer assembly according to  claim 24 , wherein the axis of rotation passes centrally between the locations at which the tubes passing through the end of the elongate envelope. 
     
     
         26 . A solar collector array comprising a plurality of heat transfer assemblies according to  claim 20  mounted in parallel on a common supporting structure. 
     
     
         27 . A solar collector array according to  claim 26 , and further comprising means for synchronously rotating all of the plurality of heat transfer assemblies relative to the supporting structure about their respective axes of rotation. 
     
     
         28 . A solar collector array according to  claim 26 , and further comprising means for rotating the supporting structure about an axis perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the heat transfer assemblies. 
     
     
         29 - 98 . (canceled)