TRANSLATION (RULE 12.3) 14 May 2008

A Heating Solar Panel.

Technical Field

The Invention relates to a heating solar panel.

Heating solar panels, traditionally used for heating or production of electric energy, are devices for conversion of solar electromagnetic radiation into heat energy in a vector fluid. The vector fluid is generally a liquid which is 5 circulated internally of the panels, usually through a circuit of metal tubes; during the circulation, energy in the form of heat is transmitted to the liquid; energy which is then transferred to a tank by means of an exchanger. During designing of these devices, numerous details take into account the aim of improving the plant's overall performance. io Background Art

In the prior art, heating solar panels are in all cases devices dedicated to performing their energy-converting function. Consequently the panels have to be physically located in positions that are well-exposed to the sun and in any case external with respect to the body of the buildings. In the 5 arrangement of the flat batteries of panels, which also generally exhibit a considerable width, mass and visual impact have to be taken into account. The aim of the present invention is to provide a heating solar panel which can be associated unproblematically with regard to size and visual impact on an external surface of buildings, incorporating the original function of0 energy conversion in a structural element for cladding the building itself.

The panel can also be used as a radiating plate internally of the building for heating and cooling the building, and can be arranged on the wall, floor and/or ceiling.

An advantage of the invention relates to the durability and resistance to the majority of corrosive agents contained in the vector fluid, mainly thanks to the property of the materials used in the manufacturing of the panels. A further advantage of the panel of the invention consists in the very limited thickness thereof, which however in no way limits its typical use as a cladding element for example in the realising of breathing walls. A further advantage of the invented product relates to the use of economical raw materials which are not pollutants, as well as the simplicity and moderate cost of the productive process.

A still further advantage of the product is that it can satisfy various aesthetic requirements. Disclosure of Invention

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows of some preferred but nonexclusive embodiments of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which: figure 1 is a partially-sectioned plan view of a heating solar panel in a first embodiment; figure 2 is a transversal section of the heating solar panel of figure 1 ; figure 3 is a partially-sectioned plan view of a heating solar panel in a second embodiment; figure 4 is a transversal section of the heating solar panel of figure 3.

With reference to the figures of the drawings, 1 denotes the heating solar panel of the invention. As previously discussed, the device has the function

of converting electromagnetic radiation of solar origin, incident on an heat- absorbent surface 14 of a vector fluid circulating internally of the panel. The panel of the invention advantageously comprises opposing internal surfaces 10 defining a hollow space 11 predisposed for the circulation of the above-mentioned vector fluid; the hollow space 11 communicates with the outside of the heating solar panel 1 by means of at least a delivery opening 12 and at least a return opening 13. Further, at least the absorbent surface of the panel is uniform, in the sense that it does not exhibit shaip edges or sudden deviations with respect to a planarity thereof. The absorbent surface 14 is preferably flat.

The hollow space 1 1 for vector fluid circulation considerably reduces the thickness of the device with respect to panels having internal piping in the prior art. By combining this characteristic with the planarity of the absorbent surface 14, which apart from being a functional surface of the panel is also, for obvious reasons, the surface exposed to view after mounting, as mentioned above an element is obtained which, though leaving unaltered the original absorbent function of the solar radiation energy, has dimensional and aesthetic characteristics such as to perform the structural function of cladding a building. By dint of its cladding role, the choice of material for the panel is of particular importance. The device is preferably realised in a ceramic material, possibly vitrified ceramic. This choice primarily means that the known aesthetic and insulating characteristics of ceramic (recognised and appreciated throughout the world) can be fully enjoyed. Also, the use of vitrified ceramic enables good absorption of radiating solar energy, which is transmitted in the form of heat to the vector fluid. The colouring and glazing techniques known in the ceramic industry further enable easily

obtaining a dark-coloured absorbent surface 14, with a consequent improvement in the coefficient of absoiption of the solar rays. A further advantage connected to the use of ceramic material relates to the simplification of the production process of the solar panel for realising which techniques developed in the manufacture of tiles can be used.

The heating solar panel of the present invention comprises a front slab 15 which defines the absorbent surface 14 and one of the internal surfaces 10, and a posterior slab 16 which defines the other internal surface 10. The slabs are connected to one another by a frame 17, which frame 17 peripherally delimits the hollow space 1 1. In using the definitions front and posterior for the structural elements described in the present patent, the front part of the device is always considered the part which is predisposed to face towards the solar light. According to this logic, the absorption surface 14 is obviously arranged, as described above, on the front slab 15 of the solar panel 1.

The surfaces delimiting the hollow space 11 of the solar panel 1 can be partly coated with glassy material (glaze) in order to give the panel a particularly strong resistance to the corrosive agents present in the vector fluid. If the invention is made of ceramic material the internal coating is once more obtained by using the prior art in the field. In this case glassy material can be used essentially as "glue" at the facing surfaces 10 of the two slabs 15 and 16 which come into reciprocal contact. The remaining portions of surface which delimit the hollow space 1 1 , which are vitrified at the end of firing, in this state also provide a very high resistance to corrosion. In order to further improve this resistance, all the surfaces delimiting the hollow space 11 can be wholly coated with a glass-based material or the like

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(glaze) before the stage of firing the product, obtaining, at completion of firing, a glassy protective coating as above-described. The heating solar panel 1 preferably comprises at least a reinforcement 18 which crosses the hollow space 1 1 , connecting the internal surface 10 of the front slab 15 with the internal surface 10 of the posterior slab 16.

In a first embodiment, the reinforcements 18 are a plurality, exhibit a constant circular section and are distributed on the planes identified by the internal surfaces 10 along equi-distanced lines and columns. Ln this embodiment, the reinforcements 18 mainly function as spacers, in order to prevent flexions of the front slab which might lead to mechanical breakage or an occlusion of the hollow space 1 1 , which is necessary for the circulation of the vector fluid. The regular distribution of the reinforcements 18 contributes to this support function. In a second embodiment, the reinforcements 18 develop longitudinally parallel to one another and define flow channels 19 for the vector fluid to run through. In this case, apart from the above-described structural function, the supports also carry out a useful function of entraining the vector fluid between the delivery opening 12 and the return opening 13. These openings are consequently arranged at the opposite ends of the flow channels 19.

In both above-described embodiments, the at least a delivery opening 12 and the at least a return opening 13 cross the posterior slab 16 rather than the frame 17. This design choice is dictated by reasons connected to ease of installation of a heating plane which exploits a series of panels arranged to cover a surface. Both the delivery openings 12 and the return openings 13 are preferably two in number.

In a solar plant comprising at least a heating solar panel 1 of the present invention, the at least a delivery opening 12 and the at least a return

opening 3 of the heating solar panel 1 are set in communication, via a transmission circuit, with a heat exchanger predisposed to enable the transfer of heat energy from the vector fluid to a tank provided for the purpose.