Method and apparatus for collecting and domestic use of solar heat

Patent · Tue Jul 08 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5083910

Gay, L

A description is given of a solar heating collecting and storing system comprising: a thermal storage tank having a top and a bottom effective to contain a heat storage liquid; a horizontally disposed heat exchanger elevated above said bottom; a body of porous material between said bottom and said heat exchanger; at least one solar heat collecting means for collecting solar heat; means for circulating a collecting liquid through said collecting means for transferring collected heat to said heat exchanger; pick-up distributor means horizontally disposed at the top of said heat storage liquid extending along substantially all of at least one horizontal dimension of said thermal storage tank; said pick-up distributor means having means for admitting said heat storage liquid uniformly along it whereby turbulence and mixing of said heat storage liquid remaining in said thermal storage tank during removal of some of the heat storage liquid is minimized; return means for returning said heat storage liquid to said thermal storage tank within said body of porous material below said heat exchanger, said porous body being effective to restrict the flow of heat storage liquid upward therethrough whereby turbulence and mixing of heat storage liquid due to heat storage liquid being returned by said return means is minimized; said return means including discharge distributor means horizontally disposed at the bottom of said thermal storage within said body of porous material extending substantially all of at least one horizontal dimension of said thermal storage tank; said discharge distributor means having means for discharging returned heat storage liquid uniformly along it; a hot air furnace having a hot air conduit and a cold air return; a liquid-to-air heat exchanger in said cold air return; means for directing cold air in the cold air return a plurality of passes through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger.

• Assignee: IFI; ERA-06-000532; EDB-80-122428
• Patent Number(s): US 4211209
• OSTI ID: 5083910
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
DESIGN
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS
FLUIDS
FURNACES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT STORAGE
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HEATING SYSTEMS
PERFORMANCE
ROCK BEDS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
STORAGE