Perforated heat transfer sheet

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a perforated heat transfer panel or sheet for use in transferring heat from a heat source to a fluid at a highly efficient rate and requiring low power consumption for moving the fluid.
In the form as disclosed, a thin sheet of heat conducting material has apertures therethrough of small size.
Air is considered as a primary fluid for transfer of heat, because of the advantages as will be more fully discussed, but other fluids can be used.
The panel is heated from a heat source, which could be solar heat, electrical, or other sources of heat, and the fluid is passed over the sheet.
The fluid passes through the apertures to a second side of the sheet, and from there is withdrawn to the place of heat storage or heat utilization.
A circulating system can be set up to provide for circulation of the fluid across the heat transfer panel.
The pressure drop of the fluid across the sheet is maintained at a sufficient level to insure that unwanted convection will not be set up adjacent the perforated sheet, but it is still low enough to keep power consumption for inducing fluid flow to a minimum.
The hole or aperture size used with the heat transfer panel is selected to be within preferred ranges for maximum utilization of the heat transfer characteristics, and with provision for heat transfer to the fluid without a significant temperature drop adjacent the edges of the openings to maintain a high rate of heat transfer.
In the form shown, the device can be made into foldable or rollable heat transfer panels, or collectors, which can be stored in limited space, can be easily manufactured and shipped and will provide for very efficient heat transfer.
Additionally, the perforated sheets, when used in a collector assembly suppress unwanted free convection from one side of the sheet to the other.