CA1093404A - Solar water heater - Google Patents
Solar water heaterInfo
- Publication number
- CA1093404A CA1093404A CA298,049A CA298049A CA1093404A CA 1093404 A CA1093404 A CA 1093404A CA 298049 A CA298049 A CA 298049A CA 1093404 A CA1093404 A CA 1093404A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- water heater
- solar water
- base member
- intermediate member
- chamber
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 46
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000012858 resilient material Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920001971 elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 6
- 229920005830 Polyurethane Foam Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 239000011496 polyurethane foam Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000011152 fibreglass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 description 2
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910001335 Galvanized steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229920005439 Perspex® Polymers 0.000 description 1
- NIXOWILDQLNWCW-UHFFFAOYSA-N acrylic acid group Chemical group C(C=C)(=O)O NIXOWILDQLNWCW-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000008397 galvanized steel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004926 polymethyl methacrylate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010935 stainless steel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910001220 stainless steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000012780 transparent material Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
- F24S25/70—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules with means for adjusting the final position or orientation of supporting elements in relation to each other or to a mounting surface; with means for compensating mounting tolerances
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
- F24S25/10—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules extending in directions away from a supporting surface
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S60/00—Arrangements for storing heat collected by solar heat collectors
- F24S60/30—Arrangements for storing heat collected by solar heat collectors storing heat in liquids
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S90/00—Solar heat systems not otherwise provided for
- F24S90/10—Solar heat systems not otherwise provided for using thermosiphonic circulation
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
- Y02B10/20—Solar thermal
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
- Y02E10/47—Mountings or tracking
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Heat-Pump Type And Storage Water Heaters (AREA)
- Cookers (AREA)
- Surface Heating Bodies (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A solar water heater which includes a base member, an upper member adapted to absorb radiant heat and removably attached to the base member to define a chamber for liquid therebetween, an inlet and an outlet for filling and drawing liquid into and from the chamber, and an intermediate member of an insulative material dividing the chamber into upper and lower compartments, the intermediate member having passages therein providing communication between the upper and lower compartments.
A solar water heater which includes a base member, an upper member adapted to absorb radiant heat and removably attached to the base member to define a chamber for liquid therebetween, an inlet and an outlet for filling and drawing liquid into and from the chamber, and an intermediate member of an insulative material dividing the chamber into upper and lower compartments, the intermediate member having passages therein providing communication between the upper and lower compartments.
Description
10~ 0~
This invention relates to a solar water heater.
According to the invention, there is provided a solar water heater which includes a base member, an upper member adapted to absorb radiant heat and removably attached to the base member to define a chamber for liquid therebetween, an inlet and an outlet for filling and drawing liquid into and from the chamber, and an intermediate member of an insulative material dividing the chamber into upper and lower compartments, the intermediate member having passages therein providing communication between the upper and lower compartments, the upper member, the intermediate member and base member being of saucer shape with concave portions, the concave portions of the upper member and intermediate member being directed towards the concave portion of the base member, the upper, intermediate and base members having outwardly extending peripheral flanges, and the flange of the intermediate member being clamped between the flanges of the base member and upper member.
The intermediate member is conveniently located closer to the upper member than to the base member so that the upper compartment is smaller than the lower compartment. The :
~ .. ,., "
340~
intermediate member is intended to minimise outward radiation of heat via the upper member from the major portion of liquid in the chamber during periods when radiant heat is not being applied to the upper member.
When the solar water heater is inclined at an angle to the horizontal to present as much as possible of the surface of the upper member to direct rays from the sun, at least one of the passages in the intermediate member is conveniently controlled by a non-return valve, thereby to permit flow of lo liquid from the upper compartment to the lower compart~ent via the non-return valve in the passage or passages located at a high level. If desired, a further non-return valve may be provided in the passages located at a low level in the intermediate member to prevent flow of liquid from the upper compartment to the lower compartment at such low level.
The chamber may be substantially elliptical in cross-section with a varying radius of curvature, the inner walls of the upper member and base member being smoothly curved.
When the flanges of the upper and base members clamp the flange of the intermediate member between them, this permits ready removable attachment of the upper and base members. One or more gaskets may be provided intermediate the flanges of the upper member, intermediate member and/or base member.
A protective cover of transparent or translucent material is conveniently provided above the upper member to afford protection against physical damage, e.g. from hail - :
1()93404 stones. The base member may be covered on its outside by an insulative material, e.g. of polyurethane foam.
The base member may have a downwardly depending skirt at its outer edge for supporting the solar water heater.
The or each non-return valve in the passages may be formed by two sheets of flat resilient material, e.g. rubber sheeting, joined along their longitudinal edges, e.g. by vulcanising, but not along their ends or lateral edges. One end of the pair of rubber sheets may then be fitted over a pipe protruding from the passage in the intermediate member. By reason of the resilience of the pair of rubber sheets, and by reason of their close proximity along a major portion of their length, fluid flow from this other end through the pipe is minimised.
The solar water heater may be mounted on a stand which may be adjustable to permit adjustment of the angle of inclination of the heater at different latitudes or during different seasons of the year. In another embodiment, the heater may be mounted on a surface by means of one or more wedge shaped mounting members to provide a suitable angle of inclination.
The inlet to the chamber may include a pipe forming a blind passage and having a plurality of transversely extending outlet apertures in the pipe to minimise disturbance of the liquid during filling of the chamber. In another embodiment, ; ;' .
, ~ :
i~'3~'t~
the inlet to the chamber may have a deflector plate near its mouth. The outlet to -the chamber may have a stand pipe or pressure operated release valve to cater for expansion of the liquid contained in the chamber.
The base member and/or upper member may be formed by a metal pressing process.
Various embodiments of the invention are now described by way of e~ample with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a solar water heater in accordance with the invention;
Figure 2 shows a plan view of the solar water heater of Figure l;
Figure 3 shows a sectional view of portion of the solar water heater;
Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional view of a non-return valve used in the solar water heater;
Figure 5 shows a sectional view of portion of the solar water heater mounted on a pair of wedge shaped members;
Figures 6 to 10 show schematic side elevations of various configurations of wedge shaped mounting members used in combination with the solar water heater; and ~0~3340~
Figure 11 shows a plan view of still a further configuration of wedge shaped mounting members used with the solar water heater.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, reference numeral 20 generally indicates a solar water heater which includes a base member 22 having a smoothly curved inner wall 24, an upper member 26 which is also smoothly curved and which is adapted to absorb radiant heat, and an intermediate member 28 of an insulative material. Conveniently, the in-termediate member 28 is formed from two layers of fibreglass sandwiching a layer of polyurethane foam therebetween.
The intermediate member 28 divides the solar water heater into an upper compartment 30 and a lower compartment 32, the lower compartment 32 being much larger than the upper compartment 30.
The area defined between the outer surface of the inner wall 24 of the base member 22 and a peripheral skirt 34 of the base member 22 is filled with an insulative material, e.g. of polyurethane foam or the like. The upper member 26 is conveniently formed as a metal pressing from copper, stainless steel, galvanized steel, or the like and covered on its outer surface with a matte black coating. The inner wall 24 of the base member 22 may be moulded from a glass reinforced plastics material.
The upper member 26, intermediate member 28 and base member 22 each have outwardly extending peripheral flanges ;" :
:
?3~
26.1, 28,1 and 22.1 respectively to permit removable attachment of the upper and base members and sandwiching of the flange 28.1 of the intermediate member 28 between the flanges of the upper and base members.
The upper surface of the solar water heater i8 protected by a dome-shaped protective covering 36 of a translucent or transparent material which is hail resistant, e.g. perspex, acrylic cabulite, or the like.
The solar water heater is filled with liquid via an inlet connection 38 and liquid can he drawn off from the heater via an outlet connection 40. A further outlet is provided at 42 to permit connection to an expansion pipe.
As shown in Figure 2, a plurality of passages 44 are provided at a high level in the intermediate member 28 and a further set of passages 46 are provided at a low level in the intermediate member 28.
At least those passages 44 at a high level are, as shown in Figure 3, controlled by a non-return valve 48, details of which are shown in Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 3, the passage 44 is defined by a pipe 50 extending through and protruding from the intermediate member 28. The non-return valve 48 comprises a pair of rubber sheets joined together along their longitudinal edges at 52 (see Figure 4). Ona end of the pair of rubber sheets is fitted over the pipe 50 while the rubber sheets at the other end, by reason of their resilience, ~ 3~04 are in close proximity. It has been found that this arrangement allows flow of liquid from the pipe S0 into the lower compart-ment 32 but reverse flow is minimised. If non-return valves are provided in the passages 46 at a low level, they would be reversed and extend into the upper compartment to minimise flow of liquid from the upper compartment to the lower compartment.
As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the inner walls of the solar water heater are smoothly curved having a varying radius of curvature so that the chamber in which liquid is held, is substantially elliptical in crosssection. In plan view, the chamber can be circular as shown in Figure 2 or square or rectangular as described.
As shown in Figure 3, the flange 28.1 of the intermediate member 28 is clamped between the flanges 26.1 and 22.1 of the upper member 26 and the base member 22 by means of a plurality of bolts and nuts 54. O-ring type gaskets 56 prevent leakage of the liquid from the upper and lower compartments 30 and 32.
As shown in Figure 1 and 2, the solar water heater can be mounted on an adjustable stand 58 so that as much as possible of the surface area of the upper member 26 is presented to the direct rays of the sun.
In another arrangement shown in Figures 5 to 11, one or more wedge shaped mounting members 60 may be provided for mounting the solar water heater 20 on a surface 62. Thus, in - - .
:
. .
.' ~ '~ .
:~
i~)9~4(~i Figure 6, where the surface 62 e.g. a roof of a dwelling, is inclined at an angle of, say, 30 , a single mounting member 60 is used so that the heater 20 is arranged at an angle of 45.
In the Figure 7 embodiment, the surface 62 is at an angle of 15, and, accordingly two mounting members 60 are used.
In Figure 8, three mounting members 6Q are used on a flat horizontally extending surface 62.
In Figure 9, four mounting members 60 are used when the surface 62 slopes downwardly away from the sun.
In Figure 10, three mounting members 60 are used to mount the heater 20 on a vertical surface 62, which may, for example, be the side wall of a building.
In Figure 11, the mounting members 60 are furthermore rotated relative to each other to provide a tortuous mounting for a surface 62 which does not run substantially east west.
Details of the mounting members 60 are shown in Figure 5. As shown, the mounting members 60 have lower and upper inwardly turned flanges 64 which are bolted together. The lowermost flange 64 is fixed to the surface 62 via a flange 65 while the base of the solar water heater has an inwardly directed lip 66 attached to its skirt 34 whereby the base of the solar water heater is fitted onto the uppermost flange of the mounting member 60. When the solar water heater is fixed directly to a surface, a flange similar to the flange 65 is ~V~3~0~
provided attached to its base via a countersunk screw (not shown).
In use, while the solar water heater is exposed to sunlight, water contained therein will be heated in the upper compartment 30 and, by convection, will pass through the passages 44 into the lower compartment while water in the lower compartment will circulate into the upper compartment via the passages 46. While the solar water heater is not exposed to sunlight, the major portion of the liquid contained therein is insulated by the intermediate member 28 to prevent radiation of heat outwardly therefrom. Only the liquid contained in the upper compartment 30 will lose heat during such periods.
The invention provides a neat, compact solar water heater which can be relatively inexpensively manufactured and which minimises heat loss during periods when it is not exposed -~to sunlight. A variety of configurations of mountings are provided for the solar water heater to facilitate its mounting on different surfaces. The construction of the solar water heater is simple as the upper and base members can be formed from metal pressings and/or moulded forms. The solar water heater can be readily disassembled for inspection and cleaning.
It will be noted that the surfaces of the solar water heater which in use will be in contact with water are weld-free thereby minimising the risk of corrosion of welded joints. The non-return valves are also of simple yet, it is believed, effective construction and not readily susceptible to furring.
- ::
.
- : .
. :;. ~ :
This invention relates to a solar water heater.
According to the invention, there is provided a solar water heater which includes a base member, an upper member adapted to absorb radiant heat and removably attached to the base member to define a chamber for liquid therebetween, an inlet and an outlet for filling and drawing liquid into and from the chamber, and an intermediate member of an insulative material dividing the chamber into upper and lower compartments, the intermediate member having passages therein providing communication between the upper and lower compartments, the upper member, the intermediate member and base member being of saucer shape with concave portions, the concave portions of the upper member and intermediate member being directed towards the concave portion of the base member, the upper, intermediate and base members having outwardly extending peripheral flanges, and the flange of the intermediate member being clamped between the flanges of the base member and upper member.
The intermediate member is conveniently located closer to the upper member than to the base member so that the upper compartment is smaller than the lower compartment. The :
~ .. ,., "
340~
intermediate member is intended to minimise outward radiation of heat via the upper member from the major portion of liquid in the chamber during periods when radiant heat is not being applied to the upper member.
When the solar water heater is inclined at an angle to the horizontal to present as much as possible of the surface of the upper member to direct rays from the sun, at least one of the passages in the intermediate member is conveniently controlled by a non-return valve, thereby to permit flow of lo liquid from the upper compartment to the lower compart~ent via the non-return valve in the passage or passages located at a high level. If desired, a further non-return valve may be provided in the passages located at a low level in the intermediate member to prevent flow of liquid from the upper compartment to the lower compartment at such low level.
The chamber may be substantially elliptical in cross-section with a varying radius of curvature, the inner walls of the upper member and base member being smoothly curved.
When the flanges of the upper and base members clamp the flange of the intermediate member between them, this permits ready removable attachment of the upper and base members. One or more gaskets may be provided intermediate the flanges of the upper member, intermediate member and/or base member.
A protective cover of transparent or translucent material is conveniently provided above the upper member to afford protection against physical damage, e.g. from hail - :
1()93404 stones. The base member may be covered on its outside by an insulative material, e.g. of polyurethane foam.
The base member may have a downwardly depending skirt at its outer edge for supporting the solar water heater.
The or each non-return valve in the passages may be formed by two sheets of flat resilient material, e.g. rubber sheeting, joined along their longitudinal edges, e.g. by vulcanising, but not along their ends or lateral edges. One end of the pair of rubber sheets may then be fitted over a pipe protruding from the passage in the intermediate member. By reason of the resilience of the pair of rubber sheets, and by reason of their close proximity along a major portion of their length, fluid flow from this other end through the pipe is minimised.
The solar water heater may be mounted on a stand which may be adjustable to permit adjustment of the angle of inclination of the heater at different latitudes or during different seasons of the year. In another embodiment, the heater may be mounted on a surface by means of one or more wedge shaped mounting members to provide a suitable angle of inclination.
The inlet to the chamber may include a pipe forming a blind passage and having a plurality of transversely extending outlet apertures in the pipe to minimise disturbance of the liquid during filling of the chamber. In another embodiment, ; ;' .
, ~ :
i~'3~'t~
the inlet to the chamber may have a deflector plate near its mouth. The outlet to -the chamber may have a stand pipe or pressure operated release valve to cater for expansion of the liquid contained in the chamber.
The base member and/or upper member may be formed by a metal pressing process.
Various embodiments of the invention are now described by way of e~ample with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a solar water heater in accordance with the invention;
Figure 2 shows a plan view of the solar water heater of Figure l;
Figure 3 shows a sectional view of portion of the solar water heater;
Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional view of a non-return valve used in the solar water heater;
Figure 5 shows a sectional view of portion of the solar water heater mounted on a pair of wedge shaped members;
Figures 6 to 10 show schematic side elevations of various configurations of wedge shaped mounting members used in combination with the solar water heater; and ~0~3340~
Figure 11 shows a plan view of still a further configuration of wedge shaped mounting members used with the solar water heater.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, reference numeral 20 generally indicates a solar water heater which includes a base member 22 having a smoothly curved inner wall 24, an upper member 26 which is also smoothly curved and which is adapted to absorb radiant heat, and an intermediate member 28 of an insulative material. Conveniently, the in-termediate member 28 is formed from two layers of fibreglass sandwiching a layer of polyurethane foam therebetween.
The intermediate member 28 divides the solar water heater into an upper compartment 30 and a lower compartment 32, the lower compartment 32 being much larger than the upper compartment 30.
The area defined between the outer surface of the inner wall 24 of the base member 22 and a peripheral skirt 34 of the base member 22 is filled with an insulative material, e.g. of polyurethane foam or the like. The upper member 26 is conveniently formed as a metal pressing from copper, stainless steel, galvanized steel, or the like and covered on its outer surface with a matte black coating. The inner wall 24 of the base member 22 may be moulded from a glass reinforced plastics material.
The upper member 26, intermediate member 28 and base member 22 each have outwardly extending peripheral flanges ;" :
:
?3~
26.1, 28,1 and 22.1 respectively to permit removable attachment of the upper and base members and sandwiching of the flange 28.1 of the intermediate member 28 between the flanges of the upper and base members.
The upper surface of the solar water heater i8 protected by a dome-shaped protective covering 36 of a translucent or transparent material which is hail resistant, e.g. perspex, acrylic cabulite, or the like.
The solar water heater is filled with liquid via an inlet connection 38 and liquid can he drawn off from the heater via an outlet connection 40. A further outlet is provided at 42 to permit connection to an expansion pipe.
As shown in Figure 2, a plurality of passages 44 are provided at a high level in the intermediate member 28 and a further set of passages 46 are provided at a low level in the intermediate member 28.
At least those passages 44 at a high level are, as shown in Figure 3, controlled by a non-return valve 48, details of which are shown in Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 3, the passage 44 is defined by a pipe 50 extending through and protruding from the intermediate member 28. The non-return valve 48 comprises a pair of rubber sheets joined together along their longitudinal edges at 52 (see Figure 4). Ona end of the pair of rubber sheets is fitted over the pipe 50 while the rubber sheets at the other end, by reason of their resilience, ~ 3~04 are in close proximity. It has been found that this arrangement allows flow of liquid from the pipe S0 into the lower compart-ment 32 but reverse flow is minimised. If non-return valves are provided in the passages 46 at a low level, they would be reversed and extend into the upper compartment to minimise flow of liquid from the upper compartment to the lower compartment.
As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the inner walls of the solar water heater are smoothly curved having a varying radius of curvature so that the chamber in which liquid is held, is substantially elliptical in crosssection. In plan view, the chamber can be circular as shown in Figure 2 or square or rectangular as described.
As shown in Figure 3, the flange 28.1 of the intermediate member 28 is clamped between the flanges 26.1 and 22.1 of the upper member 26 and the base member 22 by means of a plurality of bolts and nuts 54. O-ring type gaskets 56 prevent leakage of the liquid from the upper and lower compartments 30 and 32.
As shown in Figure 1 and 2, the solar water heater can be mounted on an adjustable stand 58 so that as much as possible of the surface area of the upper member 26 is presented to the direct rays of the sun.
In another arrangement shown in Figures 5 to 11, one or more wedge shaped mounting members 60 may be provided for mounting the solar water heater 20 on a surface 62. Thus, in - - .
:
. .
.' ~ '~ .
:~
i~)9~4(~i Figure 6, where the surface 62 e.g. a roof of a dwelling, is inclined at an angle of, say, 30 , a single mounting member 60 is used so that the heater 20 is arranged at an angle of 45.
In the Figure 7 embodiment, the surface 62 is at an angle of 15, and, accordingly two mounting members 60 are used.
In Figure 8, three mounting members 6Q are used on a flat horizontally extending surface 62.
In Figure 9, four mounting members 60 are used when the surface 62 slopes downwardly away from the sun.
In Figure 10, three mounting members 60 are used to mount the heater 20 on a vertical surface 62, which may, for example, be the side wall of a building.
In Figure 11, the mounting members 60 are furthermore rotated relative to each other to provide a tortuous mounting for a surface 62 which does not run substantially east west.
Details of the mounting members 60 are shown in Figure 5. As shown, the mounting members 60 have lower and upper inwardly turned flanges 64 which are bolted together. The lowermost flange 64 is fixed to the surface 62 via a flange 65 while the base of the solar water heater has an inwardly directed lip 66 attached to its skirt 34 whereby the base of the solar water heater is fitted onto the uppermost flange of the mounting member 60. When the solar water heater is fixed directly to a surface, a flange similar to the flange 65 is ~V~3~0~
provided attached to its base via a countersunk screw (not shown).
In use, while the solar water heater is exposed to sunlight, water contained therein will be heated in the upper compartment 30 and, by convection, will pass through the passages 44 into the lower compartment while water in the lower compartment will circulate into the upper compartment via the passages 46. While the solar water heater is not exposed to sunlight, the major portion of the liquid contained therein is insulated by the intermediate member 28 to prevent radiation of heat outwardly therefrom. Only the liquid contained in the upper compartment 30 will lose heat during such periods.
The invention provides a neat, compact solar water heater which can be relatively inexpensively manufactured and which minimises heat loss during periods when it is not exposed -~to sunlight. A variety of configurations of mountings are provided for the solar water heater to facilitate its mounting on different surfaces. The construction of the solar water heater is simple as the upper and base members can be formed from metal pressings and/or moulded forms. The solar water heater can be readily disassembled for inspection and cleaning.
It will be noted that the surfaces of the solar water heater which in use will be in contact with water are weld-free thereby minimising the risk of corrosion of welded joints. The non-return valves are also of simple yet, it is believed, effective construction and not readily susceptible to furring.
- ::
.
- : .
. :;. ~ :
Claims (11)
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A solar water heater which includes a base member, an upper member adapted to absorb radiant heat and removably attached to the base member to define a chamber for liquid therebetween, an inlet and an outlet for filling and drawing liquid into and from the chamber, and an intermediate member of an insulative material dividing the chamber into upper and lower compartments, the intermediate member having passages therein providing communication between the upper and lower compartments, the upper member, the intermediate member and base member being of saucer shape with concave-portions, the concave portions of the upper member and intermediate member being directed towards the concave portion of the base member, the upper, intermediate and base members having outwardly extending peripheral flanges, and the flange of the intermediate member being clamped between the flanges of the base member and upper member.
2. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, in which the intermediate member is located closer to the upper member than to the base member so that the upper compartment is smaller than the lower compartment.
3. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one of the passages in the intermediate member is controlled by a non-return valve.
4. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 3, in which the non-return valve is formed by two sheets of flat resilient material joined along their longitudinal edges and openable along their lateral edges, the sheets, by reason of their resilience, lying in close abutting relationship along a major portion of their length.
5. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, in which the chamber is substantially elliptical in cross section with a varying radius of curvature.
6. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, in which at least two gaskets are provided, one intermediate the flanges of the upper member and intermediate member, and the other between the flanges of the intermediate member and the base member.
7. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, which includes a protective cover of a transparent or translucent material fitted over the upper member to afford protection against physical damage.
8. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, in which the base member is covered exteriorly by an insulative material.
9. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, which includes a stand which is adjustable to permit adjustment of the angle of inclination of the solar water heater.
10. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, which includes at least one wedge shaped mounting member for mounting it on a surface at a suitable angle of inclination.
11. A solar water heater as claimed in claim 1, in which the base member or upper member are formed by a metal pressinq process.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZA00771466A ZA771466B (en) | 1977-03-10 | 1977-03-10 | Solar water heater |
| ZA77/1466 | 1977-03-10 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1093404A true CA1093404A (en) | 1981-01-13 |
Family
ID=25571337
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA298,049A Expired CA1093404A (en) | 1977-03-10 | 1978-03-02 | Solar water heater |
Country Status (19)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS53112528A (en) |
| AR (1) | AR226810A1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU512105B2 (en) |
| BR (1) | BR7801461A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1093404A (en) |
| CY (1) | CY1089A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE7807020U1 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES467457A1 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2383409A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB1564887A (en) |
| GR (1) | GR66017B (en) |
| IL (1) | IL53396A (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1093789B (en) |
| KE (1) | KE3093A (en) |
| MW (1) | MW578A1 (en) |
| MX (1) | MX144807A (en) |
| PT (1) | PT67760A (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA771466B (en) |
| ZM (1) | ZM2578A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2520851A1 (en) * | 1982-02-03 | 1983-08-05 | Marsot Charles Louis | Solar heater for water - has storage vessel within absorber tube and reflecting backplate |
| WO1985001790A1 (en) * | 1983-10-11 | 1985-04-25 | Walter Freller | Solar water heater |
| FR2575811A1 (en) * | 1985-01-09 | 1986-07-11 | Total Energie Dev | Collector/storage assembly for heating water by solar energy |
| GB2295452B (en) * | 1994-11-26 | 1998-06-10 | Jonathan Maxwell Boardman | Evacuated solar collector |
| IL118982A (en) * | 1996-07-30 | 2000-02-17 | Hazan Haim | Water heater and storage tank |
| DE102006001936A1 (en) * | 2006-01-14 | 2007-07-19 | Ulrich Schrapp | Protection device for a solar energy collector |
| WO2012002788A1 (en) * | 2010-06-28 | 2012-01-05 | Pieck Gochicoa Javier Del Sagrado Corazon | Solar water heater |
| US8316618B1 (en) | 2011-07-07 | 2012-11-27 | Solon Corporation | Integrated photovoltaic rooftop modules |
| US9263985B2 (en) | 2012-11-13 | 2016-02-16 | Pi Solar Technology Gmbh | Rooftop photovoltaic modules |
| US9628019B1 (en) | 2016-09-09 | 2017-04-18 | Polar Racking Inc. | Photovoltaic panel racking system |
-
1977
- 1977-03-10 ZA ZA00771466A patent/ZA771466B/en unknown
- 1977-11-15 IL IL53396A patent/IL53396A/en unknown
-
1978
- 1978-02-22 GB GB7095/78A patent/GB1564887A/en not_active Expired
- 1978-02-22 CY CY1089A patent/CY1089A/en unknown
- 1978-02-22 MW MW5/78A patent/MW578A1/en unknown
- 1978-02-27 ZM ZM7825A patent/ZM2578A1/en unknown
- 1978-02-28 AR AR271260A patent/AR226810A1/en active
- 1978-02-28 GR GR55563A patent/GR66017B/el unknown
- 1978-03-01 ES ES467457A patent/ES467457A1/en not_active Expired
- 1978-03-01 FR FR7805820A patent/FR2383409A1/en active Granted
- 1978-03-02 CA CA298,049A patent/CA1093404A/en not_active Expired
- 1978-03-02 JP JP2401978A patent/JPS53112528A/en active Pending
- 1978-03-08 DE DE19787807020U patent/DE7807020U1/en not_active Expired
- 1978-03-09 BR BR7801461A patent/BR7801461A/en unknown
- 1978-03-09 PT PT67760A patent/PT67760A/en unknown
- 1978-03-09 AU AU34020/78A patent/AU512105B2/en not_active Expired
- 1978-03-09 IT IT21057/78A patent/IT1093789B/en active
- 1978-03-10 MX MX172707A patent/MX144807A/en unknown
-
1980
- 1980-10-08 KE KE3093A patent/KE3093A/en unknown
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| MX144807A (en) | 1981-11-23 |
| JPS53112528A (en) | 1978-10-02 |
| IT1093789B (en) | 1985-07-26 |
| ZM2578A1 (en) | 1978-10-23 |
| AR226810A1 (en) | 1982-08-31 |
| IL53396A (en) | 1980-06-30 |
| KE3093A (en) | 1980-12-05 |
| GB1564887A (en) | 1980-04-16 |
| PT67760A (en) | 1978-04-01 |
| MW578A1 (en) | 1978-11-08 |
| FR2383409A1 (en) | 1978-10-06 |
| AU3402078A (en) | 1979-09-13 |
| IL53396A0 (en) | 1978-01-31 |
| ES467457A1 (en) | 1978-10-16 |
| FR2383409B3 (en) | 1980-11-28 |
| ZA771466B (en) | 1978-06-28 |
| AU512105B2 (en) | 1980-09-25 |
| BR7801461A (en) | 1978-10-03 |
| GR66017B (en) | 1981-01-13 |
| IT7821057A0 (en) | 1978-03-09 |
| CY1089A (en) | 1980-12-27 |
| DE7807020U1 (en) | 1978-08-31 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |