Solar heating unit and heat transfer apparatus

Patent · Tue Mar 27 00:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6508405

Brekke, C E

A heating unit transfers energy via vaporized working fluid exclusively. The unit operates at sub-atmospheric pressure and a unique heat transfer apparatus is provided to serve as an energy absorber panel and/or a heat exchange unit. Since vaporized working fluid is utilized to transfer energy several hundred times the amount of energy can be transferred per unit weight of working fluid as compared to systems which transfer energy via liquid working fluid. Thus, a minimal amount of working fluid can be utilized. The heating unit is constructed so as to prevent the delivery of working fluid to the interior cavity of the energy absorber panel in response to the working fluid within the cavity reaching a selected level. Vapor is conducted from a location in the cavity above that selected level to the heat exchange unit. The working fluid is selected to boil at a sub-atmospheric pressure within the cavity at a temperature which falls within a range from about 27/sup 0/ C. to about 99.5/sup 0/ C.

• Assignee: EDB-84-165016
• Patent Number(s): US 4438758
• OSTI ID: 6508405
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 14 Jun 1982; Other Information: PAT-APPL-388403
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
HEAT TRANSFER
BOILING POINTS
EVAPORATION
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
SOLAR ABSORBERS
VAPORS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
HEATING SYSTEMS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
140901* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling