Importance

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Abstract

A solar absorber-reflector is provided for solar heat transmission into a heat absorbing chamber and/or repelling back of solar heat resulting from incident solar radiation. The solar absorber-reflector is also suitable as a passive thermal control material for space applications, and consists of several layers. The minimal configuration includes three basic layers: a layer with a selective solar radiation absorbing surface, having high absorptance of solar radiation and low thermal emittance; a layer with a light-reflecting surface facing a direction opposite to the selective solar radiation absorbing surface; and a polymer film being transparent to visible light and possessing high thermal emittance, with a heat-emitting surface facing the same direction as the light-reflecting surface. The various layers and surfaces of the solar absorber-reflector are oriented, constructed and bonded together, enabling operation in a solar-heating mode, in which the incident solar radiation is absorbed and the resulting solar heat is transmitted into the heat absorbing chamber, or in a light-reflector mode, in which the incident solar radiation is reflected and the resulted solar heat is repelled back and prevented from penetrating into the heat absorbing chamber, or in a mixed mode, in which a part of the solar absorber-reflector operates in a solar-heating mode and a part of the solar-absorber-reflector operates in a light-reflection mode, simultaneously.

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First Claim