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US 3,949,732 AGranted
Solar heated building
OwnerRobert G. Reinesinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerRobert G. Reinesinventor
Estimating the term…
A solar heated building of generally hemispherical shape which supports on its surface solar heat collectors. The solar heat collectors are in the shape of spherical sectors and cover an arcuate area defined by the receipt of usable solar heat energy; consideration being given to the diurnal and seasonal positions of the sun. Heat collecting fluid is passed in thermal contact with the solar heat collectors and is in circulation with a heat storage reservoir. Air is passed in thermal contact with the solar heat collector to prevent overheating when the heat collecting fluid is cut off or to provide hot air when the heat storage reservoir is fully heated or when the solar heat collector is warmer than ambient but not hot enough to supply heat to the heat storage reservoir. The solar heat collectors are segregated by the heat collecting fluid circulation system piping into discrete arrays each covering about 15.degree. of azimuth arc and each such array is controlled by one or more valves which admits or blocks heat collecting fluid flow. Each of the solar heat collector arrays and the heat reservoir is provided with a temperature sensor. A temperature comparison device compares the temperature of each of the solar collectors with the temperature of the heat reservoir to automatically open the valves to only such arrays as will supply heat to the heat reservoir. The air circulation system through the solar heat collectors is automatically activated for cooling when the solar heat collectors are not being used for heat storage. When air is passed through the solar heat panels, the heated air may be used to directly provide hot air for space conditioning or other purposes and thereby conserve the stored heat. The dual-mode capability of air-fluid operation enables the system to extract the maximum amount of solar energy for usable purposes.
A solar heated building comprising in combination:
A solar heat collecting panel comprising a solar heat absorbing sheet having a front and a back side, a thick insulation blanket affixed directly on the back side, a transparent cover affixed in spaced relation to and over the solar heat absorbing sheet front side, controllable means for flowing a heat transport liquid in thermal contact with said solar heat absorbing sheet front side, controllable means for flowing air through the space between the solar heat absorbing sheet front side and the transparent cover and in thermal contact with the solar heat absorbing sheet front side means for selectively operating the controllable means for flowing a heat transport liquid and the controllable means for flowing air, whereby heat transport liquid along can be heated, or air alone can be heated for utilitarian purposes and to prevent overheating of the solar heat collecting panel, or warm air can be humidified by heat transport liquid.
In a dome shaped solar heated building having a dome shaped exterior wall, a plurality of frusto-sector shaped solar heat collecting panels comprising a solar heat collecting sheet and a spaced transparent cover, means for passing water over the solar heat collecting sheet in thermal contact therewith, air passage means for passing air in thermal contact with the solar heat collecting sheet between the solar heat collecting sheet and the transparent cover, means for opening and closing the air passage means, a common drain manifold connected to all the solar heat collecting panels and to a liquid heat storage reservoir for continuously maintaining the solar heat collecting panels in drained condition, means responsive to positive differential of temperature of the solar heat collecting sheets over the temperature of the heat storage reservoir for opening the means for passing water over the solar heat collecting sheets, means responsive to the absence of the positive differential of temperature of a solar heat collecting sheet over the temperature of the heat storage reservoir for closing the means for passing water over the solar heat collecting sheet, means responsive to the absence of the positive differential of temperature of the solar heat collecting sheet over the temperature of the heat storage reservoir and to a positive differential of temperature of the solar heat collecting sheet over the interior temperature of the building to open the means for passing air in thermal contact with the solar heat collecting sheet whereby the heat stored in the heat storage reservoir is conserved whenever heated air is available for space heating.
Solar heat conversion apparatus comprising a plurality of vertically inclined solar heat collectors supported in an azimuth arc, each of said solar heat collectors having a solar heat collecting sheet, valve means in series with a liquid source connected to admit liquid in thermal contact with each solar heat collecting sheet, a liquid heat storage reservoir, temperature sensing means in thermal contact with each of the solar heat collecting sheets and the liquid heat storage reservoir, means for comparing the temperature of the liquid heat storage reservoir, and for generating an electrical quantity in response to a positive differential of temperature of a solar heat collecting sheet over the temperature of the liquid heat reservoir, and means connecting such electrical quantity to the respective valve means to admit liquid to the respective solar heat collector.
A solar heat collector comprising a plurality of discrete solar heat collector panels supported to form a substantially arcuate wall, the convex side of which subtends an arc co-extensive, substantially with the path of the visable sun, a heat storage reservoir, said solar heat collector panels each having at least one solar heat collecting sheet, controllable valve means adapted to admit a heat transport fluid in thermal contact with each solar heat collector sheet and the heat storage reservoir;
A dual mode solar heat collector panel adapted to heat a heat transport liquid and air, comprising a solar heat collecting sheet, a substantial blanket of insulation directly adhered to the back of the heat collecting sheet, a transparent cover spacedly supported over and hermetically affixed to said solar heat collecting sheet on all edges thereof, controllable heat transport liquid inlet duct means penetrating said solar heat collecting sheet from the rear to the front thereof in a top portion thereof and adapted to admit a flow of heat transport liquid over said sheet, means for collecting heated transport liquid from proximate the bottom of said solar heat collecting sheet, controllable air duct means penetrating the solar heat collecting sheet above the heat transport liquid inlet duct means, air duct means connected to a lower portion of the solar heat collecting sheet adapted to admit unheated air into the space between the solar heat collecting sheet and the transparent cover, and, air duct valve switch means connected to the controllable air duct means to direct warmed air to a using device, or to dump the warmed air, if not needed, to the atmosphere to prevent excessive temperatures from damaging the solar heat collector panel, and whereby manipulation of the controllable heat transport inlet duct means and the controllable air duct means provides modes of operation which are:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.