Solar heating system
AssigneeGrumman Aerospace Corporation
InventorArthur M. Frank
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar heating system for preheating water which may be used in conjunction with an existing hot water heater. The use of potable water as the heating fluid renders the use of a heat exchanger unit unnecessary. A novel collector unit is disclosed which includes a molded plastic collector frame with integral fluid passageway. The durable unitized collector design eliminates the need for frame members, additional fluid conduits, specially manufactured collector plates and multiple collector sealing layers. The invention provides an exceptionally low cost, material intensive solar heating system. Pumping systems are provided to facilitate collector operation in conjunction with high or low pressure preheating systems.
Claims2
A domestic solar hot water system having a pressurized water input and output comprising:
- means for reducing the input water pressure;
- an insulated low pressure preheater tank with an input in fluid communication with said pressure reducing means and an output discharge conduit leading from said preheater tank;
- a first pumping means between the system output and said preheater tank output for communicating water from said preheater tank to a pressurized external hot water heater when useage requires;
- an array of interconnected solar assembly units having input and output ports, both being connected to said preheater tank;
- a differential temperature controller connected between said solar array and said preheater tank, being adjustable to actuate when said array receives sufficient solar energy to heat the water therein to a temperature greater than that of the water in said preheater;
- and
- second pumping means connected to and actuated by said differential temperature controller to pump water from said preheater through said solar array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.