Toroidal solar collection and energy storage apparatus

Abstract

Vehicular tires are generally toroidal heat collection elements of a solar heating system. Liquid or gaseous fluid flow is circulated between the tires and a space to be heated for transferring the heat from the tires to the space. The tires are generally vertically stacked within a thermally insulated enclosure which includes a double glazed window located that solar rays impinge on and heat the tires. Heat storage media such as water, rock or pebble beds, or phase change material in an elongated coiled jacket may be provided within the tires. Downwardly inclined vanes either partially cut from the tire walls or attached to the tires or attached to separators between the tires, provide additional surface area to absorb the solar radiation and to also direct airflow radially inward into the center of the tires. When the vanes are formed by cutting from the tires, they are naturally hinged for elevational angulation and a cable linkage is provided to simultaneously adjust the elevation of the vanes or to close the apertures in the tire walls formed by the cutting out of the vanes. The window is selectively obstructed from light and heat transfer therethrough either by means of a removeable cover or by thermally insulating sliding opaque sheets within the walls of the enclosure which are selectively positionable between the double glazing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.