Evacuated tubular collector utilizing a heat pipe. Progress report, May 1 1975--August 31, 1975

Research and development activities performed by the Corning Glass Works solar group during the period from May 1, 1975 to August 31, 1975 are reported. The analytical studies encompassed optical modeling of a modified cusp reflector, fresnel losses from tubular enclosures as a function of orientation, preliminary work on a digital Monte-Carlo Ray Tracing Computer Code and the determination of U/sub L/ losses as a function of vacuum level and temperature of the absorber. Compatible enclosure materials, wicks and working fluids were selected to assemble heat pipes for use as solar collector absorbers. Cusp reflectors with good accuracy were fabricated from various commercial bright aluminum sheet and their optical properties determined. Evacuation techniques were developed and special bake-out procedures were worked out to assemble the evacuated tubular collectors. The work on selective coatings narrowed down the field of potential absorber films to ''black chrome'' which has good stability in vacuum and the necessary ..cap alpha../epsilon value. Six different heat pipes and one flow-through absorber were fabricated and were partially characterized for thermal performance. Indoor and outdoor test facilities were completed and calibrated within proposed NBS standards. They are now available for parametric as well as true-life experiments with solar radiation