Thermosiphoning system with side mounted storage tanks
AssigneeFAFCO, Inc.
InventorsGalen Bowen, Robert Bowen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved thermosiphon solar heater is disclosed. The thermosiphon solar heater includes a substantially planar collector including a plurality of heat exchanger channels that are positioned next to one another in a parallel relationship. The thermosiphoning solar heater also includes a pair of headers fluidly coupled to the collector. A first header is disposed at a top end of the collector. A second header is disposed at a bottom end of the collector. The thermosiphoning solar heater further includes one or more exposed storage tanks fluidly coupled to the header and positioned in a side by side relationship next to the collector.
Claims31
A thermosiphon solar heater, comprising:
- a substantially planar collector including a plurality of heat exchanger channels that are positioned next to one another in a parallel relationship;
- a pair of headers fluidly coupled to the collector, a first header disposed at a top end of the collector, a second header disposed at a bottom end of the collector;
- and
- one or more storage tanks fluidly coupled to each of the headers and positioned in a side by side relationship next to the collector.
A thermosiphoning solar heater, comprising:
- a flexible collector including a plurality of small diameter plastic tubes that are positioned side by side and held together with one or more clips;
- a pair of rigid headers formed from large diameter plastic pipe, the headers being fluidly coupled and integrally formed with the tubes of the collector to form a single unified piece, a first header being perpendicularly positioned at a top end of the collector, a second header being perpendicularly positioned at a bottom end of the collector;
- and
- at least a first pair of rigid storage tanks formed from large diameter plastic pipe and in fluid communication with the headers, the storage tanks being positioned next to and parallel with the collector, a first storage tank being positioned on a first side of the collector, a second storage tank being positioned on a second side of the collector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.