Solar heating system

A modular solar heat collecting system utilizing a solar heat collector and a forced flow gaseous heat transfer fluid medium, said collector having a rectangular box-like shape with a lengthwise dimension several times the width dimension of said collector and a thickness dimension much less than said width dimension, said collector having an inner heating compartment defined by and extending between a reflective bottom surface extending substantially the length and width of said collector and a solar transmissive inner glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said bottom surface, said collector having an outer heating compartment defined by and extending between said inner glazing means and a solar transmissive outer glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said inner glazing means on the side thereof remote from said inner compartment, an inlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said outer compartment at given location longitudinally of said collector, said outer and inner compartments being in fluid communication with one another at a longitudinal end thereof remote from said inlet duct via a gap defined between an end edge of said inner glazing means and an end wall of said collector, an outlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said inner compartment in the vicinity of said inlet duct longitudinally of the collector, and black body absorber means extending within said inner compartment parallel to said inner glazing means and said bottom surface and spaced approximately midway therebetween, said absorber means comprising a thin perforate member having a solar absorptive surface facing said inner glazing means and supported in said inner compartment such that said fluid medium can divide approximately equally for flow lengthwise of said inner compartment along both sides of said absorber means and back and forth therethrough without imposing a significant pressure gradient through said absorber means, and comprising an inventory of components made up in standard predetermined sizes for shipment as components to an on-site assembly location of said collector system, said components comprising horizontal framework members including sill beam means, head beam means and for plural row systems intermediate beam means, vertical framework members including end jamb means, manifold jamb means and inner and outer vertical strut means, and solar transmission and absorber means including outer glazing panels, inner glazing panels and black body means adapted for suspension from the horizontal framework members, said horizontal framework members being secured by fastener means to a supporting structure with said bottom surface thereagainst, said fastener means comprising first fasteners located only adjacent said inlet and outlet ducts and cooperating with said horizontal framework members to fix the same in a given location to said supporting structure and against thermally induced relative movement therebetween, and second fasteners spaced at intervals longitudinally of said horizontal framework members and progressively more remote from said first fasteners, said second fasteners cooperating with said horizontal framework members to fix the same in the direction of the width and thickness dimensions of said collector while accommodating thermally induced relative movement between said horizontal framework members and said supporting structure longitudinally of said collector.

Method of constructing a solar heat collector array for a solar heating system of the forced-flow gaseous heat transfer fluid medium type utilizing a solar collector having a rectangular box-like shape with a lengthwise dimension several times the width dimension of said collector and a thickness dimension much less than said width dimension, said collector having an inner heating compartment defined by and extending between a reflective bottom surface extending substantially the length and width of said collector and a solar transmissive inner glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said bottom surface, said collector having an outer heating compartment defined by and extending between said inner glazing means and a solar transmissive outer glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said inner glazing means on the side thereof remote from said inner compartment, an inlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said outer compartment at given location longitudinally of said collector, said outer and inner compartments being in fluid communication with one another at a longitudinal end thereof remote from said inlet duct via a gap defined between an end edge of said inner glazing means and an end wall of said collector, an outlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said inner compartment in the vicinity of said inlet duct longitudinally of the collector, and black body absorber means extending within said inner compartment parallel to said inner glazing means and said bottom surface and spaced approximately midway therebetween, said absorber means having a solar absorptive surface facing said inner glazing means and supported in said inner compartment such that said fluid medium can divide about equally for flow lengthwise of said inner compartment along both sides of said absorber means without imposing a significant pressure gradient through said absorber means, said collector being oriented in operation for solar incidence transverse to the plane defined by the length and width dimensions of said collector, with its lengthwise dimension extending generally horizontally, and said collector with its width dimension extending at an angle in the range of approximately 10.degree. to and including 90.degree. from horizontal, comprising an inventory of components made up in standard predetermined sizes for shipment as components to an on-site assembly location of said collector system, said components including horizontal framework members including sill beams, head beams and intermediate beams, vertical framework members including end jambs, manifold jambs and inner and outer vertical struts, and solar transmission and absorber means including outer glazing lites, inner glazing lites and a black body absorber adapted for suspension from the horizontal framework members, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) installing a reflective water-shedding sheathing against a building supporting surface over an area sufficient to receive said solar collector array thereagainst,
• (2) providing apertures for said inlet and outlet ducts through said sheathing and supporting surface in the appropriate location for end feed or center feed modes as desired,
• (3) installing one vertical jamb at one end of the layout of the array and one or more sill beams along the bottom edge of the intended array,
• (4) installing inner and outer vertical struts and remaining end jambs at longitudinally spaced intervals along said sill beams in conjunction with placement of an associated intermediate or head beam to temporarily jig the superposed intermediate or head beam in properly vertically spaced relation from the aforesaid sill beam, and then securing said intermediate or head beam to said supporting surface,
• (5) installing the cool air inlet and the warm air outlet ducts through their associated roof apertures,
• (6) installing the absorber black body by suspending the same from associated support structure provided on said sill and intermediate or head beams such that the black body extends laterally therebetween adjacent but spaced from said sheathing,
• (7) removing the inner struts as interference develops to the installation of the black body as set forth in step (6) and then replacing and fixedly securing the inner struts in proper location in preparation for installation of the array of inner glazing lites, the outer struts being individually removed and as interference develops to installation of the black body in step (6) and then replaced in jigging position as soon as possible as the installation of the black body progresses to maintain precision array alignment of said beams,
• (8) installing a selected array of inner glazing lites and cool air inlet manifold plate by placement of the same on the inner struts and on intermediate flange ledges provided along the sides of said sill and intermediate or head beams such that the inner lites and inlet manifold extend parallel to and are spaced above said black body,
• (9) installing retainer channels and associated wedge seals along the upper and lower side edges of the upper surface of said inner lite glazing and manifold to clamp the same on the associated beam flange ledges,
• (10) installing clamping strips on said interior vertical struts along adjacent end edges of said inner lites and manifold plate to further clamp said inner lites and manifold plate in place,
• (11) the outer struts being again individually removed and replaced as in step (7) as interference develops during installation of the inner lites and inlet manifold plate during step 8, and then, upon completion of at least step 8, fixedly securing all outer vertical struts at predetermined longitudinally spaced intervals along said beams,
• (12) installing the outer glazing lite array by laying the same in place on the outer struts and on upper flange ledges provided along said sill and intermediate or head beam such that said outer lite array extends parallel to and spaced above said inner lite array and extends laterally between said sill and intermediate or head beam, and
• (13) installing cap strips along the tops of said sill and intermediate or head beam, along said jambs and along the outer vertical struts at adjacent end edges of tandem outer lites to thereby clamp said outer lites onto said beams, jambs and struts.

A modular solar heating collector array for a solar heating system utilizing a forced flow gaseous heat transfer fluid medium, said array comprising a plurality of modular collectors each having an overall lengthwise dimension several times the width dimension of said collector, said collector having an inner heating compartment defined by and extending between an imperforate bottom surface extending substantially the length and width of said collector and a solar transmissive inner glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said bottom surface, said collector having an outer heating compartment defined by and extending between said inner glazing means and a solar transmissive outer glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said inner glazing means on the side thereof remote from said inner compartment, an inlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said outer compartment at given location longitudinally of said collector, passage means operable to effect fluid communication between said outer and inner compartments at a longitudinal end thereof remote from said inlet duct, an outlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said inner compartment in the vicinity of said inlet duct longitudinally of the collector, black body absorber means extending within said inner compartment parallel to said inner glazing means and said bottom surface and supported in said inner compartment such that said fluid medium can divide for flow lengthwise of said inner compartment along both sides of said absorber means, and support means connected to said collector such that said collector is oriented in operation for solar incidence transverse to the plane defined by the length and width dimensions of said collector and with its lengthwise dimension extending generally horizontally, said modular collectors being arranged on said support means in longitudinal end-to-end relationship with those longitudinal ends of said collectors which are disposed intermediate the opposite longitudinal ends of said array being interconnected for longitudinal flow of the fluid medium endwise successively from outer compartment to outer compartment of each collector and likewise from inner compartment to inner compartment of each collector in a reverse fold air flow pattern longitudinally of said array, said support means comprising trusses extending longitudinally transverse to the lengthwise dimensions of said collectors, a sheathing material supported on said trusses and defining said imperforate bottom surface of each of said plurality of collectors, and an inventory of components made up in standard predetermined sizes for shipment as components to an on-site assembly location of said collector array, said components being affixed to said support means and comprising horizontal framework members connected in end-to-end relationship and vertical framework members connected to define said opposite longitudinal ends of said array, said outer glazing means, inner glazing means and black body absorber means being suspended from said horizontal framework members.

In a solar heat collector for utilizing a forced flow gaseous heat transfer fluid medium, said collector having an inner heating compartment defined by and extending between an imperforate bottom surface and a solar transmissive inner glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said bottom surface, an outer heating compartment defined by and extending between said inner glazing means and a solar transmissive outer glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said inner glazing means on the side thereof remote from said inner compartment, an inlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said outer compartment at given location longitudinally of said collector, fluid medium passage means communicating said outer and inner compartments at a longitudinal end thereof remote from said inlet duct, an outlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said inner compartment in the vicinity of said inlet duct longitudinally of the collector and black body absorber means extending within said inner compartment whereby the pressurized fluid medium entering via said inlet duct flows longitudinally of said outer compartment, thence via said passage flows in reverse direction along said absorber means longitudinally of said inner compartment and exits therefrom via said outlet duct, the improvement wherein said absorber means comprises a thin perforate screen having a solar absorptive surface facing said inner glazing means and supported as a single layer in said inner compartment, said screen having a uniformly distributed open aperture area of about one seventh of the total area of said surface such that said fluid medium under forced flow divides approximately equally for flow lengthwise of said inner compartment along and in the same direction on both sides of said screen and back and forth therethrough without imposing a significant pressure gradient through said screen, said screen having a somewhat wavy contour longitudinally of said inner compartment.

A self-cooling solar heat collector module for a solar heating system utilizing a forced flow gaseous heat transfer fluid medium, said collector comprising a rectangular box-like modular construction having an overall lengthwise dimension several times its width dimension and a thickness dimension much less than its width dimension, said collector being sealed from exterior ambient air and having an inner heating compartment defined by and extending between an imperforate bottom surface extending substantially the length and width of said collector and a solar transmissive inner glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said bottom surface, said collector having an outer heating compartment defined by and extending between said inner glazing means and a solar transmissive outer glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said inner glazing means on the side thereof remote from said inner compartment, a sole inlet duct for said fluid medium extending transversely to the plane of and through said bottom surface and said inner compartment and communicating directly only with said outer compartment at a given location longitudinally of said collector, always open passage means operable to effect fluid communication between said outer and inner compartments at at least one longitudinal end thereof remote from said inlet duct, a sole outlet duct for said fluid medium extending transversely to the plane of and through said bottom surface and communicating directly only with said inner compartment in the vicinity of said inlet duct generally adjacent therewith laterally of the collector, black body fluid medium permeable and partially solar transmissive absorber means extending within said inner compartment between said inner glazing means and said bottom surface and supported in said inner compartment such that said fluid medium divides for flow lengthwise of said inner compartment along and in the same direction on both sides of said absorber means, and support means connected to said collector such that said collector is oriented in operation for solar incidence transverse to the plane defined by the length and width dimensions of said collector and with its lengthwise dimension extending generally horizontally and its width dimension extending at a tilt angle from horizontal in the range of approximately 10.degree. through 90.degree., whereby upon cessation of fluid medium forced flow via said ducts, thus producing a fluid medium stagnation condition in said collector, the fluid medium trapped therein circulates in said collector and to and from said compartments via said always open passage means in response to solar incidence induced convection currents to produce a self-cooling action wherein heat is continuously transferred to external ambient from said outer compartment via said outer glazing means, said collector having only one of said outer and only one of said inner heating compartments, said outer and inner glazing means and said absorber means each consisting of a single layer of constituent material, the fluid medium flow cross section of said compartments being substantially uniform from one longitudinal end of the collector to the opposite longitudinal end of the collector, the forced flow path of said fluid medium being longitudinally through said outer compartment from said inlet duct and thence through said passage means into said inner compartment and thence longitudinally therein to said outlet duct.

A solar heat system utilizing a collector array comprising a plurality of solar heat collector modules and utilizing a forced flow gaseous heat transfer fluid medium, each said collector module having an overall lengthwise dimension at least about four times the width dimension of said collector, said collector module having an inner heating compartment defined by and extending between a reflective bottom surface extending substantially the length and width of said collector and a solar transmissive inner glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said bottom surface, said collector module having an outer heating compartment defined by and extending between said inner glazing means and a solar transmissive outer glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said inner glazing means on the side thereof remote from said inner compartment, an inlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said outer compartment at given location longitudinally of said collector, passage means operable to effect fluid communication between said outer and inner compartments at a longitudinal end thereof remote from said inlet duct, an outlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said inner compartment in the vicinity of said inlet duct longitudinally of said module, black body absorber means extending within said inner compartment parallel to said inner glazing means and said bottom surface and supported in said inner compartment such that said fluid medium can divide for flow lengthwise of said inner compartment along both sides of said absorber means, and support means connected to said collector module such that said module is oriented in operation for solar incidence transverse to the plane defined by the length and width dimensions of said module and with its lengthwise dimension extending generally horizontally, said module being oriented on said support means with its width dimension extending at an angle in the range of approximately 10.degree. to and including 90.degree. from horizontal and operable in stagnant mode to produce self-cooling in response to solar-induced internal convection currents between said compartments, said solar heat collector modules being arranged on said support means in longitudinal end-to-end relationship to form at least one horizontally extending row of said modules with those longitudinal ends of said modules which are disposed intermediate the opposite longitudinal ends of said array being interconnected for longitudinal flow of the fluid medium endwise successively from outer compartment to outer compartment of each module and likewise from inner compartment to inner compartment of each module in a reverse fold air flow pattern longitudinally of said array, said system further comprising an inventory of components made up in standard predetermined sizes for shipment as components to an on-site assembly location of said collector system, said components comprising horizontal framework members including sill beams, head beams and intermediate beams, vertical framework members including end jamb means, manifold jamb means and inner and outer vertical strut means, and solar transmission and absorber means including outer glazing panels, inner glazing panels and black body means adapted for suspension from the horizontal framework members, said modules being arranged in at least two of said horizontal rows comprising said one row and a second duplicate row laterally adjacent said one row, said intermediate beam means being disposed intermediate said rows and comprising a common wall therebetween, said sill, head and intermediate beams being end-abutted in respective rows extending horizontally of each modular collector row to define at least one side wall of an associated row, said beams each comprising an extruded beam having a generally I-shape cross-sectional configuration so as to have an upright center web with a bottom flange extending along its lower edge for securing said beam to a supporting surface, a top flange extending along its upper edge for supporting at least at one side of the web an associated outer glazing panel of the solar collector rows and at the opposite side of the web another upper glazing panel or a weather sealing flashing material, said web having an intermediate flange protruding laterally from each collector interior side thereof vertically between said top and bottom flanges, each said intermediate flange supporting an associated inner glazing panel of an associated row of said collector system.

A solar heat collector array comprising a plurality of solar heat collector modules for a solar heating system utilizing a forced flow gaseous heat transfer fluid medium, each said collector module having an overall lengthwise dimension at least about four times the width dimension of said module, each said collector module having an inner heating compartment defined by and extending between a reflective bottom surface extending substantially the length and width of said module and a solar transmissive inner glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said bottom surface, said module having an outer heating compartment defined by and extending between said inner glazing means and a solar transmissive outer glazing means spaced from and extending parallel to said inner glazing means on the side thereof remote from said inner compartment, an inlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said outer compartment at given location longitudinally of said collector, passage means operable to effect fluid communication between said outer and inner compartments at a longitudinal end thereof remote from said inlet duct, an outlet duct for said fluid medium communicating with said inner compartment in the vicinity of said inlet duct longitudinally of the module, black body absorber means extending within said inner compartment parallel to said inner glazing means and said bottom surface and supported in said inner compartment such that said fluid medium can divide for flow lengthwise of said inner compartment along both sides of said absorber means, and support means connected to each said collector module such that each said module is oriented in operation for solar incidence transverse to the plane defined by the length and width dimensions of said module and with its lengthwise dimension extending generally horizontally, said module being oriented on said support means with its width dimension extending at an angle in the range of approximately 10.degree. to and including 90.degree. from horizontal and operable in stagnant mode to produce self-cooling in response to solar-induced internal convection currents between said compartments, said collector modules being arranged on said support means in longitudinal end-to-end relationship to form at least one horizontally extending row of modules with those longitudinal ends of said modules which are disposed intermediate the opposite longitudinal ends of said array being interconnected for longitudinal flow of the fluid medium endwise successively from outer compartment to outer compartment of each module and likewise from inner compartment to inner compartment of each module in a reverse fold air flow pattern longitudinally of said array, said inlet and outlet duct being disposed centrally longitudinally of the collector array to provide a center feed of said fluid medium and constructed with the axis of each of said ducts perpendicular to the glazing plane of the associated row such that the inlet flow divides and flows horizontally in opposite directions through the interconnected outer compartments and then flows into the interconnected inner compartments via two of said passage means disposed one at each of the opposite longitudinal ends of said array, the flows from said passage means thence returning towards one another to said outlet duct via the interconnected inner compartments along said absorber means therein, said outer and inner glazing means each comprising a plurality of solar transparent lites arranged in an end-to-end tandem array with each pair of the mutually abutting longitudinal ends of the outer and inner glazing lites being respectively supported by exterior and interior struts extending widthwise of the collector, each of said exterior struts being offset longitudinally of the collector from an associated interior strut.