With storage tank for fluent medium

A solar heating method and apparatus including a system for storing solar heat is provided for heating a house, building or other area. A chamber is filled with calcium oxide which is fed on demand to a tank of water where it converts to calcium hydroxide releasing energy which heats the water. Heat...     

An environment heating and cooling system comprising a solar collector, heat storage ground well, cold storage ground well and a heat exchange apparatus. Water from a cold storage ground well is heated in the heat exchange apparatus by solar heating fluid heated in a solar collector. The heated water...     

Discloses a closed-system, solar heat holder for thin-film heating of heat-transfer fluid in a tank. Solar energy, passing through an insulated glass cover, is trapped between the glass cover and an absorbing surface to heat the absorbing surface and thereby a thin film of heat-transfer fluid passing...     

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a dwelling structure includes a floor heating structure including copper piping embedded within a concrete slab having insulation thereunder, having hot water circulated to the concrete slab conduits from a solar cell unit arranged along an upright outer wall...     

A structure for collecting solar energy and storing the same as heat in a body of water. An inclined southerly wall is provided with a solar absorption surface protected from convection losses by a transparent membrane overlaying the absorption surface. The absorption surface is also formed as a membrane...     

A heat storage tank is mounted in a pit in the ground. The pit preferably has four sides and a bottom. A lining of insulating material mounted against the sides of said pit. A water impervious liner tank is mounted against the insulation. A top rests on the contents of the tank. At least one insulating...     

A solar heating system of the closed type comprises a solar collector, a water storage tank, and water lines therebetween. The solar collector preferably comprises a continuous length of tubing coiled in a helical array of closely adjacent turns, having a water inlet communicating with the outermost...     

A collector panel for thermal energy emanating from the sun comprises a coiled length of tubing arranged in a planar toroid and held in that position by a plurality of radial clamps. The tubing is continuous and carries the fluid to be heated, typically water from a swimming pool or similar container,...     

A closed water/glycol solar heating system for preheating a fluid so as to reduce energy requirements in bringing said fluid up to a desired temperature and holding same, said system including a solar collector having a flexible dome.

A system is described for storing near infrared heat energy of the sun for use in a building including at least one glazing panel for transmitting the light and near infrared heat energy of the sun into the building. The system comprises a first tank capable of being completely filled with a heat absorbing...     

Method and apparatus for solar heating of a fluid in stages involving solar heaters which maintain good thermal efficiency to differing maximum temperatures in order to provide effective heating over a temperature range wider than could be effectively dealt with by any one type of solar heater.

A heat or cold storage system utilizing a plurality of channels dug directly into the earth and filled with rocks which are used to absorb heat or cold for storage, a part of such storage being the rocks themselves and a (usually much larger) part being the adjacent earth. Conduit connections are provided...     

A solar energy apparatus for gathering and transmitting solar radiation to an energy storage area. Wide-angle lens apparatus is used to focus solar radiation on an end of an optical fiber bundle. The other end of the optical fiber bundle is placed in the energy storage area and has a radiating device...     

A heliothermal heating and cooling system of the type using a heat transport fluid such as water is disclosed. The energy collector comprises an assembly of individual solar collector panel modules in a series/parallel configuration and function to heat water flowing therethrough. Each solar collector...     

A solar heating plant incorporating means to condense and focus solar energy on an elongated heat exchange member which is in communication with a fluid which is circulated thru a thermal storage means to heating radiators. An alternate embodiment is disclosed wherein the heating fluid is water and the...     

A solar heating and cooling system comprising a multi-tiered collector and heat exchanger that is mounted on a roof or installed in a vertical wall. Each tier of the exchanger includes a plurality of longitudinal channels with upper and lower manifolds communicating with all of the channels. A duct extends...     

A solar generator panel in which a channel contains water, and has a cover which is transparent to solar radiation to allow solar radiation to pass into water in the channel whereby to absorb energy in the water from the radiation, and including an absorber for solar energy forming the front of said...     

A solar energy collector having therein a solar energy-absorbing panel in thermally-conductive relation to fluid conduits through which fluid is urged by an electrically controlled pump, and a thermostat associated with the collector and arranged to detect panel temperature as unaffected by the temperature...     

A multi-purpose solar collector - heat exchanger that is susceptible of usage other than the heating of a house or similar premises. The heat exchanger comprises at least three flat metallic sheets and two sheets having longitudinal grooves therein. One of the grooved sheets is interposed between an...     

For solar heating (with cooperating cooling) both simplification and automatic control are needed. In the present invention solar heating and air conditioning apparatus is improved in various ways. For example, the furnace for auxiliary heat is eliminated. Operation of the solar heat collecting apparatus...     

A solar energy collector having a hollow, pyramidal-shaped body made of insulation material and a fluid conducting coil of heat conducting tubing extending around the inside of the body. The outer case or shell has a fluid coil to sense heat and cold of liquid flowing to the fluid bed. A plurality of...     

A heat storage tank suitable for solar house heating systems. The tank includes a rigidly supported bottom panel covered with a layer of stones of substantially uniform size which are bonded together thermally and mechanically at their points of contact with each other, but which have voids forming air...     

Apparatus is disclosed for utilizing the energy of the sun to heat a rotatable round metal tank. The tank is cradled upon two sets of wheels, of which one set of wheels is powered by an electric motor. The tank is placed in horizontal position upon the two sets of wheels which are near ground level....     

A heating apparatus including a circulation system for hydraulic fluid, a pump for pumping the fluid, a windmill for driving the pump, an adjustable pressure responsive relief valve for restricting the flow of hydraulic fluid in the circulation system and establishing therein an adjustable fluid pressure...     

A domestic heating system that utilizes heat collectors such as solar collectors or fireplace heat collectors, and effectively transfers the heat from these collectors for storage or useage without additional energy input. Thermal pump apparatus is utlized for transferring the collected heat to a lower...     

A heat storage and/or recovery system using multiple heat storage tanks to selectively store heat from a solar collector and recover the stored heat to operate a heat driven system. The heat from the solar collector is transferred into the storage tanks through an input heat transfer link configuration...     

A system utilizing solar energy collectors for heating water, which system embodies a piping circuit whereby water from a storage or supply tank is pumped in a continual upward path through the collectors to a peak elevation and thence through sized return piping so as to return with any entrapped air...     

A heating system for heating a confined area with an open-hearth wood-burning fireplace. A fireplace jacket is provided which comprises a multi-chambered double-walled arrangement or a grate member. Log supporting portions of the jacket slant upward slightly in order to prevent a pinging sound by creating...     

A solar heating system including a specially designed tank divided into zones in which heat is stored in water, the hottest water in each zone rising to the top thereof by convection. A solar flow circuit draws water from the bottom of the coldest zone, and delivers it through a solar heat collection...     

A heating system is provided to convert radiant solar energy into heat for use in buildings. The apparatus includes a solar energy collection and heat radiation means, a heat storage means utilizing a heat retention medium, ducting means for providing pneumatic communication within the system, and fluid...     

A venetian-blind solar collector system having several slat-like members each of which has a radiation-reflecting surface and a heat exchange mechanism, radiation being reflected from the reflecting surface of one member of the collector to the heat exchange mechanism of another member. The members can...     

Heat storage and/or cold storage are essential to effective utilization of solar energy sources, including sun and wind. Efficient auxiliary controlled heat sources are also desirable, if not essential. This invention provides a liquid heat and/or cold storage unit in radiant heat transfer relationship...     

A quantity of aluminum is in heat exchange contact with a potassium loop and a steam/water loop. The potassium loop includes a solar energy collector and the solar-heated potassium melts the aluminum to store thermal energy as latent heat of fusion. The steam/water loop extracts steam at 1,000.degree....     

An active solar energy system comprising an array of solar collectors, a pumping device to circulate fluid therethrough and a storage tank to contain the heated fluid. The pump is driven by an electric motor and a solar-electric power transducer system energizes the motor, whereby the fluid is circulated...     

A self-insulating water wall designed to modify the temperature of a region. Each water wall module is a single container that uses solar energy or the night environment to create convection currents which either heat or cool a storage fluid. The invention is switched between its heating and cooling...     

A flat plate collector of parallelepipedal configuration for a solar energy system, comprising a plane collective surface for the reception of solar energy with internal channels designed to maximize turbulent flow of heat-absorptive fluid therethrough and provide a maximum of heat absorptive surface...     

Solar heat storage apparatus, invented by Thomason, includes a tank of water surrounded by a truckload of stones in a heat storage bin in the basement, U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,702 and others. Air circulating through the bin is warmed and circulated through the home to warm the home, or other building. The...     

A solar energy collector system including at least one heat exchange panel posessing a system of internal tubular passageways defining opposed headers connected by connecting portions of said passageways extending therebetween, said passageways including entry and exit portions extending from opposing...     

A solar energy collector which is inexpensive to manufacture and install comprising a heat absorber unit of rubber-like material having channels for the passage therethrough of heat exchange fluid and spaced-apart retainer means on its top for retaining a flexible solar collector cover in a flexed configuration...     

A control unit has two inputs for connection to respective temperature sensors, and alternative primary and secondary outputs. It comprises a comparison circuit operative to sense the differential between the two input temperatures, switching means to render the primary and secondary outputs alternatively...     

A solar energy collector is provided with a conduit in which tubing carries a heat collecting fluid within an evacuated jacket that encompasses the tubing and within which the tubing is located in an insulation space. The jacket is transparent to solar radiation within a solar radiation collection portion...     

A domestic solar water heater system is provided which includes a collector, a storage tank, and a circulating pump. The system also includes a solid state electronic control module which automatically stops the circulating pump when the temperature of the water in the collector drops below the temperature...     

A hot water solar system receives water from a source and heats it in solar panels. From the solar panels it is circulated through a supplemental heater and through a domestic heating system and thus made available for domestic use in washers and baths and is then recirculated through the solar panels....     

A solar water heater is disclosed comprising a frame adapted to be mounted within the wall of a building, a conduit securely mounted within the frame in a sinuous planar configuration and having an outer surface adapted to absorb solar energy, an inlet end adapted for connection to a water supply and...     

A system for collection of solar energy by one or more reflectors which concentrate the suns rays on liquid circulating pipes which is part of a collecting and storing system for solar heated liquid to replace or supplement usual sources of heat in heating systems. More specifically, the system comprises...     

An apparatus for directing and controlling the flow of water between the supply and return of a solar collecting device, the cold water inlet and hot water outlet of a water heater and the cold water source and hot water feed of conventional household plumbing. The Water Flow Controller Device includes...     

A combined heating and cooling system includes a solar collector and evaporator for absorbing heat from solar radiation and/or the ambient air and for using the absorbed heat to evaporate a binary-phase, liquid-vapor working fluid. In the heating mode, whenever the temperature of the working fluid inside...     

A sun tracking solar energy boiler comprising a solar radiation collector and tracking assembly for collecting and focusing solar radiation upon a surface maintained precisely normal to its direction of incidence, in combination with boiler means comprising a preheat tank and steam pressure tank arrangement...     

A mass transit system is provided which derives its basic energy from the solar system and recovered heat energy. The system of the invention provides a storage building having a roof and an internal storage area for a multiplicity of individual wheel vehicles, a solar energy collection system on the...     

A solar energy conversion apparatus having two phases of operation which, in one phase, absorbs thermal energy from sunlight incident on the device, and in a second phase, absorbs energy from air in an attic-type space heated by solar radiation. The two phases may be utilized independently or in concert...     

A solar heating system is provided which utilizes the suns rays to heat fluid in a solar panel, which heated fluid is released to a storage tank when it reaches a predetermined temperature, and where it is available for withdrawal from the tank for heat exchange as desired.

The present invention relates to solar energy collection and distribution systems and more particularly to such systems wherein the solar energy collecting elements, arrays or sections are disposed over or floated on a body of water while having associated control, distribution and auxilliary means largely...     

A liquid medium solar heating system especially suitable to effectively capture intermittent and/or low intensity solar radiation as in cooler and/or cloudier climates. The system employs a quick response liquid storage having a capacity equal to only a small fraction of the capacity of the main storage...     

A solar heating system. A roof mounted panel collects heat from the sun. The panel having an upper sunlight-absorbing surface. A translucent cover is mounted above the panel to protect it from the weather. The panel has a lower surface for heat transfer to a stream of water. The panel is mounted in cooperative...     

A portable water container which incorporates a solar heating panel. One wall of the portable container consists of an outer transparent/translucent panel and an inner heat-absorbing panel which is spaced from the outer panel. The inner panel may be ribbed or otherwise formed to improve heat-exchange.

A solar water heating device is disclosed adapted to be installed in the area beneath the roof of a building structure, the device has an inner tube surrounded by and substantially coextensive with an outer tube through which solar heated air flows by natural convection. Water is passed through the inner...     

Light weight, compact and efficient thermal energy reservoirs are described in which thin layers of a heat storage material, such as an inorganic salt having a high latent heat of fusion, are heated or cooled by an intermittent primary energy source, such as solar or off-peak electric power. The stored...     

A solar hot water heating system is provided with solar collectors connected to a hot water storage tank with a recirculating pump to circulate the cooler water in the storage tank through the collector to absorb heat therefrom and to be returned to the storage tank. A plurality of temperature sensors...     

A solar air and water heater comprises a solar energy collector which is crossed by a forced air flow fed by an electrically driven fan. The solar energy collector has an air inlet pipe and an air outlet pipe both connected to an air flow control device which is supported by the covering lid of a container...     

A solar heating system adapted to be installed in a chimney. A solar tank is mounted on top of the chimney. A translucent dome covers the top of the solar tank. An outer pipe extends down from the solar tank through the chimney. A heating tank is located at the lower end of the chimney, the outer pipe...     

A controller for a system of the type including a variable temperature heat source arranged in heat exchange relation with a fluid circulating circuit, and a variable speed pump disposed in said circuit for varying the flow rate of fluid therethrough in response to variations in the temperature of the...     

An apparatus for heating water with solar radiation incorporates an auxiliary heating unit, external to the hot water reservoir and bypassing the solar heating element, for providing auxiliary water heating whenever the temperature in a selected portion of the reservoir decreases below a predetermined...     

A shallow open top sheet metal housing contains thermal insulating material on its side and bottom walls and is covered by a translucent top panel beneath which a multiplicity of translucent tubes in side-by-side contacting relationship provide dead air insulation. Serpentine copper tubing topped by...     

The solar energy apparatus of the present invention collects, concentrates, and transmits solar radiation to a light converter, which converts solar radiation to another energy form. The apparatus includes aspheric reflectors which are used in conjunction with azimuth and altitude tracking means, which...     

A solar heating system adapted to provide heated air and water to a building structure with simple yet efficient components. The solar heating system comprises an air heating chamber which is exposed directly or indirectly to radiant solar energy, and air heated therein is directed to a heat exchange...     

A forced air solar heating system including a solar panel unit having an elongated base member, a corrugated absorber member disposed over the base member, an end cap disposed over a first end of the base and absorber members, another cap disposed over the other end of the base and absorber members,...     

A closed circuit solar heating system in which hot air from the upper end of a southwardly sloping flat-plate solar heat collector is circulated through a lower heat exchanger in the lower portion of an upright insulated heat storage tank filled with liquid storage medium (water) and back through the...     

A solar energy fluid heating system and method wherein sunlight is focused on the one end of a number of light pipes and directed by the other ends of the light pipes onto a heat conductive surface at the bottom of a number of tubes within a fluid storage tank. Each of the tubes within the tank is apertured...     

Solar collectors are supported for accurate alignment with the sun through all daylight hours, as guided by a tracking system employing a sensor for light level and subordinate sensors for two axis tracking, each of the subordinate sensors having a relatively long and thin band of view parallel to the...     

A solar liquid heater employing a solar absorber flat plate collector combined in a self-contained unit with an integral liquid storage tank insulated to prevent reversible heat flow and embodying an air flow path over the top of the collector, around the liquid storage tank, across the bottom of the...     

In a solar energy collecting system which comprises a primary closed circuit including a solar energy collector, a heat exchanger, a carrier fluid receiver tank, and a circulating pump and a secondary closed circuit including a utilization means and engaged with the primary closed circuit through the...     

A thermal energy storage apparatus and method in which containers holding a salt hydrate heat storage material are rotated by convection currents created in a bath liquid surrounding the containers, thereby increasing the life of the heat storage material without having to supply energy for an externally...     

A solar energy collector is disclosed which is comprised of a base and a solar energy absorbing element spaced from the base. The solar energy absorbing element has an accordian-like shape including angularly disposed upper ridges and lower valleys interconnected by generally planar surfaces. The lower...     

A solar furnace apparatus including a reflector portion, a collector portion and a fluid transfer portion; the reflector portion including a generally dish-shaped reflective member, the reflective member having a conic section configuration with a large open face and a highly reflective internal surface,...     

A heat accumulator comprises a thermally-insulated reservoir full of paraffin wax mixture or other flowable or meltable heat-storage mass, heat-exchangers immersed in the mass, a heat-trap connected to one of the heat-exchangers, and a heat user connected to the other heat-exchanger. Pumps circulate...     

A solar collector mounting system includes a vertically extending pedestal for supporting a solar collector at a predetermined minimum height above ground level to provide an unobstructed utilization of the space immediately surrounding the pedestal. The pedestal includes a pivoting bracket at the upper...     

An energy-saving system for reclaiming the waste water contained in the ice shavings obtained from resurface ice at an ice skating rink, the system including a first tank for holding the ice shavings, a second tank for storing the waste water from the melted ice shavings, a first conduit system for conveying...     

A closed solar water heating system automatically replaces, with air, the water which may be subjected to freezing when the system is in a nonoperative mode.

A solar powered water heater including a housing within which are a water storage tank, reflective coated insulation and a solar panel. Pressurized water such as from a municipal water system is fed into the tank interior via a tank supply conduit. A reverse flow of pre-heated water from the tank to...     

Solar heating system. A solar connector. A double storage device connected to the collector to provide coolest possible heat transport medium at beginning of each day's collection and to control collector input temperature at minimum temperature and hence maximum collection efficiency. The first storage...     

A solar hot water generating system is disclosed which comprises a vertically pivotable heat exchanger automatically pivotable by means of a timer-actuated electric motor. The heat exchanger is fluidly connected to an insulated storage tank which retains the thermal values of the heated fluid. The system...     

Energy conversion capable of receiving input energy in thermal or radiant form at a variable rate and releasing energy in thermal, radiant or electrical form independent of rate is accomplished by providing a buffer member of a material that has three criteria, a melting temperature above 1300.degree....     

A solar heating system comprises a heat accumulating structure for heating both air and water in which both the heated air and water are directed to an object to be heated such as a commercial building or private residence. The heat accumulating structure is below ground and includes a magnifying glass...     

A solar energy collector assembly is provided which finds particular utility when interconnecting a plurality of tubular solar energy collectors with each other, in parallel, to form a bank of collectors, and when interconnecting a plurality of such banks of collectors with each other, in series, to...     

A solar panel unit for heating circulating fluid has a plurality of preferably rectangular lenses for focusing and concentrating the sun's energy onto a heat-absorbing body through which a heat-exchange fluid is circulated.

A heating apparatus which uses solar energy to heat a solar energy working fluid moving through a solar collector is provided. The heating apparatus includes an outer tank and an inner tank completely contained within the outer tank. The inner tank is surrounded by the solar energy working fluid held...     

The invention comprises a single unit which serves as the solar collector, heat storage area, and the heat exchanger. A generally rectangular tank is provided with suitably heavy insulated walls at the bottom, ends and rear. One side, facing the sun is open and the opening extends into a portion of the...     

An energy collector and transferring apparatus which in its first embodiment utilizes three connected closed loop conduit systems. The first closed loop conduit system is to include an energy collector which is to collect not only solar energy but ambient energy. The energy is absorbed within a black...     

This invention relates to the collection of solar energy by use of a novel concrete block construction and to the construction of buildings from such blocks for supplying the hot water requirements for a structure and/or the total heat for the building as well as the hot water supply.

An energy storage system of increased conductivity for enhanced receipt, capture, storage, removal and release of energy is provided by dispersing finely divided filaments of highly conductive material throughout chemical energy storage media and causing the conductive filaments to establish a myriad...     

In the field of solar heating, domestic water heating is accomplished by flowing the potable (city) water through an inner tank which is bathed in a non-toxic liquid in a slightly larger tank, which, in turn, is bathed in an outer tank containing liquid that is circulated to a solar heat collector for...     

A solar energy system including a storage tank, a heat conductive top, and elements extending into the tank for conduction of heat energy. The invention also discloses lens focusing means and tracking elements located on top of said tank.

A solar heating system for providing heat to a building is disclosed as having a plurality of solar panels for collecting heat. The solar panels have a transparent panel through which the sun rays pass for heating the interior of the panel and the air within that panel. Additionally, the transparent...     

A heating and cooling system utilizing solar, or other energy, includes a solar heat collector having fluid ducts connected to the lower portion of a buried fluid thermal unit, which transfers collected heat to an underground storage area. The thermal unit provides fluid convection flow between portions...     

A solar heating control is adapted to be interconnected to a pre-existing auxiliary heating system connected to operate in response to a command signal issued by a pre-existing thermostat. The control operates in response to a first temperature sensed within the solar heating system to directly conduct...     

A solar thermosyphon water heater assembly wherein an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold which also serves as a storage tank are connected by a solar heat absorber comprising flexible rubber tube strips each formed of multiple tubes connected by separable webs, whereby prior to installation the strips...     

A thermal storage system for use with a solar collector and/or heat pump includes a plurality of discrete heat reservoirs having regular geometric shapes such as spheres or cylinders for forming a self-sorting array of the reservoirs when stacked in a storage bin. Each reservoir has a shell formed of...     

A solar hot water heater includes an insulated box having one or more hot water storage tanks contained inside and further having a lid which may be opened to permit solar radiation to heat a supply of water contained within the one or more hot water storage tanks. A heat-actuated control unit is mounted...     

A combined solar water heating device and storage tank for low cost solar hot water heaters is disclosed, consisting of an insulated open-topped tank in which is introduced a volume of water at atmospheric pressure to be heated by solar radiation entering through the open top of the tank. A transparent...     

In a solar heating system, using liquid for heat-transfer or heat-storage or both, the liquid may be lost slowly due to a leaky pipe connection, or a cracked or split absorber plate or collector pipes attached to the absorber of a closed type of collector, by evaporation through broken solar collector...