US 4,224,925 AGranted

Heating system

OwnerNyle O. Movickinventor

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Abstract

A heating system for heating a building or the like wherein a working fluid is heated by heat sources such as fireplace heat collectors or solar heat collectors is vaporized, and then circulated in a closed loop to a lower level of the building where the heat is extracted by condensing the vapor back to a liquid. The extracted heat is stored at the lower level of the building in a storage tank and can then be easily distributed throughout the building as required for heating the building. A closed circulating loop for the working fluid keeps the heated vaporized working fluid circulating from the heat collectors down to the heat storage tank for condensation and the condensed liquid working fluid circulating from the storage tank up to the heat collectors for reheating. The circulating loop utilizes gravity and the pressure generated by vaporizing the working fluid to move the working fluid through the system without external pumps or controls and with no additional energy input.

Claims13

Dependent claims

Apparatus for heating a building or the like comprising:

a working fluid;
collector means adapted to contain the working fluid and to transfer heat to the working fluid for boiling and vaporizing the working fluid;
heat storage means located at a level of the building below the collector means for storing the collected heat;
a heat exchanger for receiving vaporized working fluid from the collector means for condensing the vaporized working fluid for extracting heat and transferring the heat to the heat storage means;
heat distributor means for extracting heat from the heat storage means for distributing the heat throughout the building;
a lower collecting resevoir located at a level below the collector means and the heat exchanger having a sealed chamber coupled to the collector means and to the heat exchanger for receiving vaporized working fluid from the collector means and condensed working fluid from the heat exchanger whereby pressure may be built up in the sealed chamber for moving the vaporized and condensed working fluid to a higher level;
a liquid separator coupled to the heat exchanger for preventing vaporized working fluid from discharging from the heat exchanger into the lower collecting reservoir until the working fluid condenses;
an upper distributor reservoir located at a level above the collector means having a sealed chamber coupled to the lower collecting reservoir for receiving vaporized and condensed working fluid from the lower collecting reservoir and coupled to the heat exchanger at its upper end for distributing the vaporized working fluid to the heat exchanger and coupled to the collector means at its lower end for distributing the condensed working fluid to the collector means;
and
liquid separator means located between the upper distributor reservoir and collector means for preventing vaporized working fluid from discharging from the upper distributor reservoir into the collector means.

7 more elements

Apparatus for heating a building or the like comprising:

a working fluid;
heat collector means adapted to contain the working fluid and to collect heat for heating and vaporizing liquid working fluid;
a heat storage tank located at a level in the building below the heat collector means and having a heat storage liquid for storing the collected heat;
a heat exchanger submerged within the heat storage liquid for receiving heated vaporized working fluid from the heat collector means for extracting heat from the vaporized working fluid and transferring the heat to the storage liquid;
a first pressurized vessel located at a level below the heat storage tank and coupled to the heat collector means at its upper end and heat exchanger for receiving liquid and vaporized working fluid from the heat collector means and the heat exchanger whereby pressure may be built up for moving the liquid and vaporized working fluid to a higher level;
a liquid separator means coupled between the heat exchanger and first pressurized vessel for preventing vaporized working fluid from discharging from the heat exchanger until the vaporized working fluid has condensed;
a second pressurized vessel located at a level in the building above the heat collector means and coupled to the first pressurized vessel, to the heat collector means at its lower end, and to the heat exchanger at its upper end, for receiving liquid and vaporized working fluid from the first pressurized vessel and distributing the liquid working fluid to the heat collector means for heating and the vaporized working fluid to the heat exchanger for heat extraction;
a liquid separator located between the upper distributor reservoirs and collector means for preventing vaporized working fluid from discharging from the upper distributor reservoir into the collector means;
and
heat distributor means for picking up heat from the storage liquid and distributing the heat to the building.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.