US 2018/0347858 A1 · Combination Solar and Combustion Heater

Abstract

Substituting a solar concentrator for a conventional burner for heating is desirable. However, the sun's energy is diurnal and cannot be counted upon even during daylight hours. To ensure heating is available, a combustor can be provided. According to the present disclosure, a heat exchanger element of the heater assembly is directly acted upon by solar rays via a solar concentrator and by combustion. The heat exchanger also acts as the combustion holder when the burner supplements or supplants the solar radiation. Fuel provided to the outside of the heat exchanger is adjusted based on the demanded for heating and the amount of insolation (rate of delivery of solar radiation) achieved via the solar concentrator. The heat exchanger can be part of a conventional heater or a heat pump for heating water or air.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A heater assembly, comprising:

a window having an outer surface and an inner surface;
a solar concentrator having a collection area many times greater than an area of the window wherein most of the incident solar radiation that impacts the solar concentrator are reflected onto the outer surface of the window;
a chamber defined by the inner surface of the window, a side wall and a bottom wall;
a heat exchanger disposed in the chamber, the heat exchanger dividing the chamber into a fuel-and-air delivery chamber and an exhaust chamber;
wherein:
the heat exchanger comprises at least one tube with a working fluid disposed within the tube;
and
fuel and air provided to the fuel-and-air delivery chamber participate in an exothermic reaction near the surface of the heat exchanger;
exhaust from the exothermic reaction exits the exhaust chamber.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Combination Solar and Combustion Heater

Life of this patent

Combination Solar and Combustion Heater

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20