Air structure
OwnerGraham A. Stevensinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air structure comprises a double-skin wall construction having an outer skin that is substantially transparent to short wave solar radiation but relatively opaque to long wave heat radiation and an inner skin. Radiation converter elements, preferably in the form of black plastic diaphragms linking the inner and outer skins and effective to absorb solar radiation and to convert the same to heat energy are disposed in the inter-skin space. The structure is self-erecting on exposure to solar radiation, and may advantageously be combined with a heat store that emits heat and maintains the structure erected under conditions of reduced solar radiation availability. The structure may be free floating or may be anchored to the ground to form, for instance, a greenhouse or other enclosure.
Claims17
An air-supported structure comprising a double-skin wall construction having an inner skin and an outer skin, the wall construction having the configuration of a large-span arch rising from a perimeter of the construction, the inner and outer skins being of flexible material at least substantially impermeable to air and defining therebetween an inter-skin space, the outer skin being at least substantially transparent to short wave solar radiation but relatively opaque to long wave heat radiation, air filling the inter-skin space for supporting the double-skin wall construction, and a plurality of radiation converter elements disposed in the inter-skin space, the converter elements being diaphragms spaced at intervals between the inner and outer skins, the diaphragms linking the skins, dividing the inter-skin space into tunnel-like spaces, and extending in parallel planes at right angles to the axis of curvature of the arch whereby the tunnel-like spaces extend upwardly from the perimeter to the apex of the arch, effective to absorb solar radiation and to convert the solar radiation to heat energy whereby the air filling the inter-skin space is heated.
An air-supported structure comprising a double-skinned wall construction having an inner skin and an outer skin, the inner and outer skins being of flexible material at least substantially impermeable to air and defining therebetween an inter-skin space, the outer skin being at least substantially transparent to short wave solar radiation but relatively opaque to long wave heat radiation, air filling the inter-skin space for supporting the double-skinned wall construction, a plurality of radiation converter elements disposed in the inter-skin space, the converter elements being diaphragms spaced at intervals between the inner and outer skins, the diaphragms linking the skins and dividing the inter-skin space into tunnel-like spaces, the converter elements being effective to absorb solar radiation and to convert the solar radiation to heat energy whereby the air filling the inter-skin space is heated, tunnel-like housings at the junctions linking the inner skin to the diaphragms, and anchoring cables extending through the tunnel-like housings to anchorage points at opposite sides of the double-skin wall construction.
An air-supported structure comprising a double-skin wall construction having an inner skin and an outer skin, the inner and outer skins being of flexible material at least substantially impermeable to air and defining therebetween an inter-skin space, the outer skin being at least substantially transparent to short wave solar radiation but relatively opaque to long wave heat radiation, air filling the inter-skin space for supporting the double-skin wall construction, at least one radiation converter element disposed in the inter-skin space, the converter element being effective to absorb solar radiation and to convert the solar radiation to heat energy whereby the air filling the inter-skin space is heated, controlled venting means arranged near the periphery of the wall construction for venting the air in the inter-skin space, and a thermal store in communication with the inter-skin space, the thermal store comprising a rock pile and the rock pile being arranged to anchor the perimeter of the wall construction to the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.