Method and apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer

In a structure having a non-horizontally disposed sheet of heat conductive material separating fluid bodies of differing temperatures, apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer through said sheet, comprising

• collector means positioned generally horizontally along and adjacent to said sheet on both sides thereof for collecting fluid displaced along an expanse of said sheet by convection resulting from density differential between the fluid adjacent said sheet and the surrounding fluid,
• said collector means on the side of said sheet in the warmer of said fluid bodies including a trough formed to open upwardly for receiving fluid moving downwardly along said expanse of sheet by reason of greater density than the surrounding fluid, said greater density resulting from heat transfer through said sheet of heat conductive material to the cooler fluid body on the other side,
• said collector means on the side of said sheet in the cooler of said fluid bodies including a trough formed to open downwardly for receiving fluid moving upwardly along said expanse of sheet by reason of lesser density than the surrounding fluid, said lesser density resulting from heat transfer through said sheet of heat conductive material from the warmer fluid body on the other side,
• pump means on each side of said sheet for removing the collected fluid from said trough means on such side,
• and a distributor means on each side of said sheet connected to said pump means on the same side and positioned along said expanse of said sheet in vertically spaced relation to said trough means on the same side, each of said distributor means being formed for discharging said collected fluid along said expanse of sheet for displacement thereacross and back into the trough means on the same side so as to reduce the temperature differential between the layers of fluid at the opposite sides of said sheet,
• said distributor means on the side of said sheet in the warmer of said fluid bodies extending generally horizontally along the lower edge of said expanse,
• and said distributor means on the side of said sheet in the cooler of said bodies extending generally horizontally along the higher edge of said expanse.

A window structure having apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer therethrough, comprising

• a window pane,
• a sash supporting said window pane across an opening in a building structure whereby said pane has an inner face contacting the air contained in said building structure and an outer face contacting the outside air,
• a collector mounted to extend generally horizontally along the lower edge of the inner face of said pane for collecting air displaced downwardly along the inner face of said pane by reason of greater density than the surrounding air resulting from heat transfer through said pane to cooler outside air,
• a distributor mounted generally horizontally along the upper edge of the inner face of said pane,
• and air recirculating means having a power driven fan operatively mounted in a conduit connecting said collector to said distributor and formed for removing the denser air from said collector and supplying such denser air through said distributor to pass downwardly along the inner face of said pane and back into said collector.

A window structure having apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer therethrough comprising

• a window pane,
• a sash supporting said window pane across an opening in a building structure whereby said pane has an inner face contacting the air contained in said building structure and an outer face contacting the outside air,
• a collector mounted to extend generally horizontally along the upper edge of the outer face of said pane for collecting air displaced upwardly along the outer face of said pane by reason of lesser density than the surrounding air resulting from heat transfer through said pane from warmer inside air,
• a distributor mounted generally horizontally along the lower edge of the outer face of said pane,
• and air recirculating means having a power driven fan operatively mounted in a conduit connecting said collector to said distributor and formed for removing the less dense air from said collector and supplying such air of lesser density through said distributor to pass upwardly along the outer face of said pane and back into said collector.

In a structure having a non-horizontally disposed sheet of heat conductive material separating fluid bodies of differing temperatures, apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer through said sheet, comprising

• collector means positioned generally horizontally along and adjacent to said sheet on both sides thereof for collecting fluid displaced upwardly or downwardly along an expanse of said sheet by density differential between the fluid adjacent said sheet and the surrounding fluid,
• said collector means on the side of said sheet in the warmer of said fluid bodies including a trough formed to open upwardly for receiving fluid moving downwardly along said expanse of sheet by reason of greater density than the surrounding fluid, said greater density resulting from the chilling effect on the boundary layer of fluid resulting from heat transfer through said sheet of heat conductive material to the cooler fluid body on the other side,
• said collector means on the side of said sheet in the cooler of said fluid bodies including a trough formed to open downwardly for receiving fluid moving upwardly along said expanse of sheet by reason of lesser density than the surrounding fluid, said lesser density resulting from the warming effect on the boundary layer of fluid resulting from heat transfer through said sheet of heat conductive material from the warmer fluid body on the other side,
• pump means for removing the collected fluid from said collecting means troughs,
• and distributor means connected to said pump means and positioned along and adjacent to said sheet on both sides thereof in vertically spaced relation to said collector means troughs, said distributor means being formed for discharging said collected fluid along said expanse of sheet for displacement thereacross and back into the trough on the same side so as to reduce the temperature differential between the layers of fluid at the opposite sides of said sheet,
• said distributor means on the side of said sheet in the warmer of said fluid bodies extending horizontally along the uper edge of said expanse,
• and said distributor means on the side of said sheet in the cooler of said bodies extending horizontally along the lower edge of said expanse.

A window structure having apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer therethrough, comprising

• a window pane,
• a frame supporting said window pane to extend non-horizontally across an opening in a wall structure whereby said pane has an inner face contacting air contained by said wall structure,
• a collector mounted to extend generally horizontally along the lower edge of the inner face of said pane for collecting air displaced downwardly along the inner face of said pane by reason of greater density resulting from heat transfer through said pane to the outside,
• a distributor mounted generally horizontally along the upper edge of the inner face of said pane,
• and air recirculating means having a power driven fan operatively mounted in a conduit connecting said collector to said distributor and formed for removing the denser air from said collector and supplying such senser air through said distributor to pass downwardly along the inner face of said pane and back into said collector.

A window structure having apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer therethrough comprising

• a window pane,
• a frame supporting said window pane to extend non-horizontally across an opening in a wall structure whereby said pane has an inner face contacting air contained by said wall structure,
• a collector mounted to extend generally horizontally along the upper edge of the inner face of said pane for collecting air displaced upwardly along the inner face of said pane by reason of lesser density than the surrounding air resulting from heat transfer through said pane from a warmer outside environment,
• a distributor mounted generally horizontally along the lower edge of the inner face of said pane,
• air recirculating means having a power driven fan operatively mounted in a conduit connecting said collector to said distributor and formed for removing the less dense air from said collector and supplying such air of lesser density through said distributor to pass upwardly along the inner face of said pane and back into said collector,
• and means for repositioning said frame so that said collector extends along the lower edge of said pane and said distributor extends along the upper edge of said pane when the air outside the pane is colder than that inside.

A window structure having apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer therethrough, comprising

• a window pane,
• a sash supporting said window pane across an opening in a building structure whereby said pane has an inner face contacting the air contained in said building structure and an outer face contacting the outside air,
• a collector mounted to extend generally horizontally along the lower edge of the outer face of said pane for collecting air displaced downwardly along the outer face of said pane by reason of greater density than the surrounding air resulting from heat transfer through said pane to cooler inside air as during air conditioning,
• a distributor mounted generally horizontally along the upper edge of the outer face of said pane,
• and air recirculating means having a power driven fan operatively mounted in a conduit connecting said collector to said distributor and formed for removing the denser air from said collector and supplying such denser air through said distributor to pass downwardly along the outer face of said pane and back into said collector.

A window structure having apparatus for reducing the rate of heat transfer therethrough, comprising

• a window pane,
• a frame supporting said window pane to extend non-horizontally across an opening in a wall structure whereby said pane has an inner face contacting air contained by said wall structure,
• a collector mounted to extend generally horizontally along the upper edge of the inner face of said pane for collecting air displaced upwardly along the inner face of said pane by reason of lesser density resulting from heat transfer to said pane from the outside,
• a distributor mounted generally horizontally along the lower edge of the inner face of said pane,
• and air recirculating means having a power driven fan operatively mounted in a conduit connecting said collector to said distributor and formed for removing the less dense air from said collector and supplying such less dense air through said distributor to pass upwardly along the inner face of said pane and back into said collector.