Heating apparatus using solar energy and method of heating using solar energy
AssigneeTata Steel UK Limited
InventorsDavid Paul Jones, Reginald Geraint Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This relates to a heating device including a solar energy collector, the solar energy collector transferring collected solar energy to outside air. First collector panels are used to heat outside air which heated air is led to a heater, for example a space heater. Second collector panels are used to transfer solar energy to air led to a heat exchanger of a heat pump. The heat pump transfers the extracted heat to heat storage. The stored heat is added to the air coming from the first collector panels if the temperature of the air coming from the first collector panels is below a predetermined temperature.
Claims19
Heating apparatus comprising:
- a solar energy collector, the solar energy collector for transferring collected solar energy to outside air passing through the solar energy collector, wherein the solar energy collector comprises at least one first collector panel and at least one second collector panel, each collector panel respective defining an at least partially enclosed space and has one or more solar energy absorbing sides, air-inlet openings connecting outside environment with the at least partially enclosed space and an air-outlet connected to the at least partially enclosed space;
- a heat pump having a condenser side and an evaporator side,
- a first heat exchanger having an air inlet, an air outlet, a heat exchange medium inlet, and a heat exchange medium outlet,
- a second heat exchanger for extracting heat from the air from the second heat collector panel, said second heat exchanger connected to the heat pump evaporator side as the heat source for the heat pump, and
- heat storage means, connected to the heat pump condenser side to receive heat from the heat pump, the heat pump for transferring heat, extracted from the air by the second heat exchanger, from the second heat exchanger to the heat storage means;
- means for leading the air coming from the at least one first collector panel to a space heater for using the heat of air coming from the at least one first collector panel for heating, said means for leading air comprising a first air outlet duct for leading air from the first collector panel to the first heat exchanger air inlet for heat exchange with heat transfer medium, and means for leading the air from the first heat exchanger air outlet to the space heater;
- the first heat exchanger heat exchange medium inlet and heat exchange medium outlet directly connect by pipes for passing the heat exchange medium to and from the heat storage means;
- and
- means for leading the air coming from the at least one second collector panel to the second heat exchanger connected to the heat pump, comprising an air-outlet duct for leading air from the second collector panel to the second heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.