US 4,000,851 AGranted

Solar-heated dwelling

OwnerVolkmar Heilemanninventor

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Abstract

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, rotatably adjustable elongated cylindrical solar collector plate cells, rotatable around the elongated axis thereof for adjusting angle of incidence of exterior light rays from the sun to the surface of the collector plate, are mounted upon a roof with water flow therefrom being channelled below an insulated ceiling downwardly for alternate flow as between parallel flow paths alternately selectively to and through concrete slab conduits having copper tubing directing heated water therethrough, and the parallel flow conduits through a layer of rocks beneath the concrete slab, the concrete slab being a part of the floor structure of the dwelling and the layer of rocks being a reservoir sink therebeneath, flow being directed dependent upon differential temperature of the upper floor surface of the concrete slab, such that space within supporting wall room space defined between the ceiling and the floor is economically heated devoid of excessive room temperatures and with substantially level and constant ambient temperature ranges as desired and preset within the room space over extended periods of time for and throughout a heating season of the year, while being inoperative and non-functional when heat is not desired, and including further a hot-water heating provision embodied within an intermediate heat exchanger located between the solar cells fluid circuit and the concrete slab heating circuit, each circuit having its individual circulation pump controlled by its respective thermostat.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A solar heating unit comprising in combination:

a building structure having floor means for circulating fluid therethrough and for providing a heat-sink reservoir, and floor means comprising concrete having fluid-flow conduits embedded therein, and rocks in a layer beneath and in contact with a lower face of said concrete in heat-flow relationship adapted such that the rocks serve as a heat sink together with said concrete storing thermal energy over extended periods of time, and the building structure having spaced-apart upright wall structures-means for defining an enclosure inhabitable space therebetween mounted on an upper face of the floor means and supportable of overhead structure, and having ceiling means for providing support for upper structure and for insulating said inhabitable space, mounted on said upright wall structures-means above and capping said space, and roof means for providing shelter to the ceiling means and mounted thereabove on said spaced-apart upright wall structures-means and for providing support for solar cells thereon-above;
solar heating means for providing solar cells mounted exterior to said building structure with operative exposure thereof to outdoor sunlight source, and for circulating fluid serially to and through the solar cells, and therefrom to and through said floor means, and from the floor means back to the solar cells, in a substantially closed circulation cyclic flow, adapted such that heat becomes extracted from the fluid into the heat-sink-reservoir and thereby provides thermal heat energy to said inhabitable space for the heating thereof, and for providing forced circulation in said closed circulation cyclic flow.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.