CA1188585A - Passive solar panel and construction member - Google Patents
Passive solar panel and construction memberInfo
- Publication number
- CA1188585A CA1188585A CA000385779A CA385779A CA1188585A CA 1188585 A CA1188585 A CA 1188585A CA 000385779 A CA000385779 A CA 000385779A CA 385779 A CA385779 A CA 385779A CA 1188585 A CA1188585 A CA 1188585A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- solar
- heat exchanger
- solar panel
- construction member
- block
- 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
Classifications
-
- 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
- Y02E10/44—Heat exchange systems
Landscapes
- Building Environments (AREA)
Abstract
Passive Solar Panel and Construction Member Abstract A rigid foam insulation member is mounted in a wall and is used to perform a normal insulation function while supporting a solar panel. The solar collector portion of the solar panel forms a portion of the outside surface of a wall of a building while the heat exchanger structure forms a portion of the inside surface of the wall of the building.
Description
~B~5 Passive Solar Panel and Construction Member This invention relates to a passive solar panel which also serves as a construction member for a building.
Solar energy has been utilized in many applications with various degrees of sophistication. Some, such as providing domestic hot water9 are year-round and require special equipment while others are as simple as opening blinds or drapes to permit the sun load to help heat a room in the winter. Many such uses have inherent problems or compromises built into them such as siting and architectural considerations. Windows, for example, permit the sun load to reach the interior of a room while the sun is shining from ; a proper direction, but they permit it in summer, also, when it is not desired. Additionally, windows have greatly reduced insulating properties when compared to normal building insulation and so permit a net heat loss due to the presence of windows in the winter and, similarly, cooling loss in the summer for an air conditioned house. Offsetting these net heating/cooling losses, are the psychological advantages of a naturally illuminated room.
In accordance with the present invention, a solar panel is incorporated into the initial construction of the wall of a building as a part o a construction member formed by the solar panel and a rigid foam insulation block so as to replace a portion of the normal interior and exterior walls and the insulation therebetween. Enabling/disabling means such as a solenoid valve tied into the heating and/or cooling thermostat can be used ~o control when the heating function takes place. Without such a function, the ambient summer temperature, even in the absence of a sun load, could be sufficient to vapori~e the refrigerant and add an extra cooling load to an air conditioning system maintaining an internal temperature low enough to condense the refrigerant.
5~5 This invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the passive solar panel of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a partially cutaway view of the exterior of a building employing the solar panel of the present invention;
~igure 3 is a partially cutaway view of the interior side of an outside wall of a building employing the solar panel of the present invention;
; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3;
and Figure 5 is a sectional view of a modified solar panel.
Figure 1 illustrates the basic apparatus and operation of the present invention. A closed loop thermosiphon including a heat exchanger 20 and a solar receptor or collector 18 located, respectively, on the interior and e~terior sides of a rigid foam insulation member 16 is charged with a heat transfer medium such as refrigerant R-ll. This refrigerant boils at or near room temperature at atmospheric pressure and at a reasonable pressure within the temperature range useful for solar heating devices. A
thermosiphon e~is-ts when the solar receptor is receiving a sun load. In the thermosiphon the liquid level on the boiling side is generally higher than that on the condensing side because of the lower mean density of the fluid, but the entire system is at a substantially constant temperature. The density changes are a result of the vaporizing and condensing of the fluid. As a result, liquid refrigerant passing upwardly through the solar receptor 18 is progressively heated until vaporization takes place. The gaseous refrigerant then passes upwardly and through the insulation "~!~
5~5 into the heat exchanger 20. In the heat exchanger, heat is given off to the room resulting in the condensing of the refrigerant. As the refrigerant condenses, it becomes more dense and passes downwardly through the heat exchanger 20 in a counterflow relationship to the room air. The condensed refrigerant passes into the refrigerant reservoir ~2 to start the cycle all over.
It is clear that the thermosiphon cycle described will transfer heat from the solar receptor section of the device to the heat exchanger located in the interior of the room. In the absence of solar radiation of sufficient intensity, the solar receptor section of the device may become colder than the temperature of the interior of the room. Because the equilibrium level of fluid in liquid phase is well below the heat e~changer, however, no boiling can occur, and a reversal of the thermosiphon is impossible. The cycle, therefor, acts to transfer heat in-~o the room but bars the flow of heat out of the room.
When the outside air temperature is high, as in sl~nmer weather, it is not desirable that solar or other heat can be transferred into the room. Preferably, therefor, the cycle is enabled through a valve, which may be a solenoid valve, which permits refrigerant flow when in the heating mode and blocks refrigerant flow in the off or cooling mode.
In Figures 2-4~ the numeral 10 generally designates the passive solar panel and construction member of the present invention. With the exception of the glass and louvered covers 12 and 14, respectively, the elements of panel 10 are contained, as a unit, in rigid foam insulation block 16. Preferably, the foam block 16 will be of sufficient width to span at least two stud widths and so the resultant space will be boxed in as in the case of a window opening. As is evident from Fig~re 1, the mose effective p~rt of the solar receptor 18 is below the liquid level while the heat exchange takes place above the liquid level. Therefore, for ~ \
S
economic and/or aesthetic reasons, the double pane glass cover 12 and the louvered cover 14 may be no larger than are necessary an~
the remaining portions of foarn block 16 can be covered by the respective inside and outside wall coverings. The reservoir 22 is located on the outside or boiling side so as to provide less surface for reverse heat leakage.
Foam block 16 may be of any suitable rigid insulating foam such as polyurethane or cellular polystyrene that will afford the proper degree of support and insulation capability. Solar receptor 18 which is secured to the foam block ~6 may be of any suitable material such as blackened copper tubing. Glass cover 12 will preferably be of double pane construction for better thermal : insulation between the solar receptor 18 and ambient to thereby facilitate the heating of refrigerant passing upwardly through the solar receptor 18. The heat exchanger 20 will preferably be of a 3-row coil construction to reduce the height of the heat exchanger.
The refrigerant will preferably be R-11 and the reservoir 22 will be only large enough so that the liquid level will remain at a reasonably constant level even when the refrigerant is being vaporized in the solar receptor 18. A solenoid valve 24 will preferably be enabled by the heating thermostat and disabled by the air conditioning thermostat.
The device of Figures 2-4 meets the objects of the present invention in that it will perform the required insulating function while forming part of the interior and exterior wall surfaces and, in addition, serves a heating function. There are two drawbacks however in that the solar receptor cannot ef~ectively use the full height available because of the requirement that the gaseous leg of the loop contain the heat exchanger and because the heat is being furnished to the room at a point near the ceiling which is much higher than is normally desired. These drawbacks are overcome in the device of Figure 5 in which all structure is numbered 100 higher than corresponding structure in Figures 2 4. Solar receptor - \
118 is located between two floors and is of the full height except for the necessary space for boxing in the opening. The heat exchanger 120 is located on the floor above the solar receptor 118 a~ a conventional height. The heat exchanger 120 may be either 5 located in a foam insulation block as in the case of the device of Figures 2-4, or else, the hea~ exchanger 120 can be in the form of a conventional baseboard heater which extends into the room. The reservoir 122 is located within the foam 116 to isolate it from both the room and ambient. The operation of the device would otherwise be as described above.
Solar energy has been utilized in many applications with various degrees of sophistication. Some, such as providing domestic hot water9 are year-round and require special equipment while others are as simple as opening blinds or drapes to permit the sun load to help heat a room in the winter. Many such uses have inherent problems or compromises built into them such as siting and architectural considerations. Windows, for example, permit the sun load to reach the interior of a room while the sun is shining from ; a proper direction, but they permit it in summer, also, when it is not desired. Additionally, windows have greatly reduced insulating properties when compared to normal building insulation and so permit a net heat loss due to the presence of windows in the winter and, similarly, cooling loss in the summer for an air conditioned house. Offsetting these net heating/cooling losses, are the psychological advantages of a naturally illuminated room.
In accordance with the present invention, a solar panel is incorporated into the initial construction of the wall of a building as a part o a construction member formed by the solar panel and a rigid foam insulation block so as to replace a portion of the normal interior and exterior walls and the insulation therebetween. Enabling/disabling means such as a solenoid valve tied into the heating and/or cooling thermostat can be used ~o control when the heating function takes place. Without such a function, the ambient summer temperature, even in the absence of a sun load, could be sufficient to vapori~e the refrigerant and add an extra cooling load to an air conditioning system maintaining an internal temperature low enough to condense the refrigerant.
5~5 This invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the passive solar panel of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a partially cutaway view of the exterior of a building employing the solar panel of the present invention;
~igure 3 is a partially cutaway view of the interior side of an outside wall of a building employing the solar panel of the present invention;
; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3;
and Figure 5 is a sectional view of a modified solar panel.
Figure 1 illustrates the basic apparatus and operation of the present invention. A closed loop thermosiphon including a heat exchanger 20 and a solar receptor or collector 18 located, respectively, on the interior and e~terior sides of a rigid foam insulation member 16 is charged with a heat transfer medium such as refrigerant R-ll. This refrigerant boils at or near room temperature at atmospheric pressure and at a reasonable pressure within the temperature range useful for solar heating devices. A
thermosiphon e~is-ts when the solar receptor is receiving a sun load. In the thermosiphon the liquid level on the boiling side is generally higher than that on the condensing side because of the lower mean density of the fluid, but the entire system is at a substantially constant temperature. The density changes are a result of the vaporizing and condensing of the fluid. As a result, liquid refrigerant passing upwardly through the solar receptor 18 is progressively heated until vaporization takes place. The gaseous refrigerant then passes upwardly and through the insulation "~!~
5~5 into the heat exchanger 20. In the heat exchanger, heat is given off to the room resulting in the condensing of the refrigerant. As the refrigerant condenses, it becomes more dense and passes downwardly through the heat exchanger 20 in a counterflow relationship to the room air. The condensed refrigerant passes into the refrigerant reservoir ~2 to start the cycle all over.
It is clear that the thermosiphon cycle described will transfer heat from the solar receptor section of the device to the heat exchanger located in the interior of the room. In the absence of solar radiation of sufficient intensity, the solar receptor section of the device may become colder than the temperature of the interior of the room. Because the equilibrium level of fluid in liquid phase is well below the heat e~changer, however, no boiling can occur, and a reversal of the thermosiphon is impossible. The cycle, therefor, acts to transfer heat in-~o the room but bars the flow of heat out of the room.
When the outside air temperature is high, as in sl~nmer weather, it is not desirable that solar or other heat can be transferred into the room. Preferably, therefor, the cycle is enabled through a valve, which may be a solenoid valve, which permits refrigerant flow when in the heating mode and blocks refrigerant flow in the off or cooling mode.
In Figures 2-4~ the numeral 10 generally designates the passive solar panel and construction member of the present invention. With the exception of the glass and louvered covers 12 and 14, respectively, the elements of panel 10 are contained, as a unit, in rigid foam insulation block 16. Preferably, the foam block 16 will be of sufficient width to span at least two stud widths and so the resultant space will be boxed in as in the case of a window opening. As is evident from Fig~re 1, the mose effective p~rt of the solar receptor 18 is below the liquid level while the heat exchange takes place above the liquid level. Therefore, for ~ \
S
economic and/or aesthetic reasons, the double pane glass cover 12 and the louvered cover 14 may be no larger than are necessary an~
the remaining portions of foarn block 16 can be covered by the respective inside and outside wall coverings. The reservoir 22 is located on the outside or boiling side so as to provide less surface for reverse heat leakage.
Foam block 16 may be of any suitable rigid insulating foam such as polyurethane or cellular polystyrene that will afford the proper degree of support and insulation capability. Solar receptor 18 which is secured to the foam block ~6 may be of any suitable material such as blackened copper tubing. Glass cover 12 will preferably be of double pane construction for better thermal : insulation between the solar receptor 18 and ambient to thereby facilitate the heating of refrigerant passing upwardly through the solar receptor 18. The heat exchanger 20 will preferably be of a 3-row coil construction to reduce the height of the heat exchanger.
The refrigerant will preferably be R-11 and the reservoir 22 will be only large enough so that the liquid level will remain at a reasonably constant level even when the refrigerant is being vaporized in the solar receptor 18. A solenoid valve 24 will preferably be enabled by the heating thermostat and disabled by the air conditioning thermostat.
The device of Figures 2-4 meets the objects of the present invention in that it will perform the required insulating function while forming part of the interior and exterior wall surfaces and, in addition, serves a heating function. There are two drawbacks however in that the solar receptor cannot ef~ectively use the full height available because of the requirement that the gaseous leg of the loop contain the heat exchanger and because the heat is being furnished to the room at a point near the ceiling which is much higher than is normally desired. These drawbacks are overcome in the device of Figure 5 in which all structure is numbered 100 higher than corresponding structure in Figures 2 4. Solar receptor - \
118 is located between two floors and is of the full height except for the necessary space for boxing in the opening. The heat exchanger 120 is located on the floor above the solar receptor 118 a~ a conventional height. The heat exchanger 120 may be either 5 located in a foam insulation block as in the case of the device of Figures 2-4, or else, the hea~ exchanger 120 can be in the form of a conventional baseboard heater which extends into the room. The reservoir 122 is located within the foam 116 to isolate it from both the room and ambient. The operation of the device would otherwise be as described above.
Claims (6)
1. A solar panel and construction member comprising a rigid foam insulation block; solar receptor means located on one side of said block; heat exchanger means located on the opposite side of said block; first fluid connection means extending through said block and connecting the upper portion of said solar receptor means with the upper portion of said heat exchanger means; second fluid connection means extending through said block and connecting the lower portion of said solar receptor means with the lower portion of said heat exchanger means whereby said block, said solar receptor means and said heat exchanger means form a unit constituting a solar panel and construction member which can be installed in place of one or more standard insulation members; and a heat transfer medium in a closed loop fluid path formed by said solar receptor means, said heat exchanger means and said first and second fluid connection means whereby if said heat transfer medium is heated in said solar receptor means and is vaporized, the vaporized heat transfer medium passes through said first fluid connection means to said heat exchanger means where said vaporized heat transfer medium condenses thereby giving off heat and said condensed heat transfer medium passes into said second fluid connection means to return to said solar receptor means.
2. The solar panel and construction member of claim 1 wherein said foam insulation block is in an outside wall of a building.
3. The solar panel and construction member of claim 2 wherein said solar receptor means includes a transparent cover which forms a portion of the outside surface of said outside wall.
4. The solar panel and construction member of claim 2 wherein said heat exchanger means is located above said solar receptor means.
5. The solar panel and construction member of claim 1 further including valve means located in said first fluid connection means for selectively permitting and preventing flow therethrough.
6. The solar panel and construction member of claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger means is located in the wall of the building on a floor above a floor on which said solar receptor means is located.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US19351080A | 1980-10-02 | 1980-10-02 | |
| US193,510 | 1988-05-12 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1188585A true CA1188585A (en) | 1985-06-11 |
Family
ID=22713924
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000385779A Expired CA1188585A (en) | 1980-10-02 | 1981-09-14 | Passive solar panel and construction member |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (2) | JPS5787565A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU544834B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1188585A (en) |
| ES (1) | ES8302268A1 (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1138236B (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1993005348A1 (en) * | 1991-08-30 | 1993-03-18 | Robert Kenneth Prudhoe | Vacuum panel heat exchangers (vphe) |
Families Citing this family (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS5984355U (en) * | 1982-11-29 | 1984-06-07 | 松下電器産業株式会社 | Solar heating heater |
| JPS59189054U (en) * | 1983-06-01 | 1984-12-14 | 工業技術院長 | Heat pipe type solar heating wall |
| JPS60138164U (en) * | 1984-02-23 | 1985-09-12 | 昭和アルミニウム株式会社 | Heat pipe type solar heating system |
| JPH0665820B2 (en) * | 1984-12-05 | 1994-08-24 | 清水建設株式会社 | Heat collection panel |
| JPS61104154U (en) * | 1984-12-13 | 1986-07-02 | ||
| CO7610153A1 (en) * | 2015-05-14 | 2016-05-20 | Mps Teorema Ingenieria Sas | Structural system of walls and steel plates with bioclimatic and acoustic application |
Family Cites Families (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT1009720B (en) * | 1974-04-08 | 1976-12-20 | Saira Spa Off | SOLAR PANEL |
-
1981
- 1981-09-14 CA CA000385779A patent/CA1188585A/en not_active Expired
- 1981-09-23 IT IT24108/81A patent/IT1138236B/en active
- 1981-09-29 JP JP56154704A patent/JPS5787565A/en active Pending
- 1981-10-01 ES ES505929A patent/ES8302268A1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-10-01 AU AU75946/81A patent/AU544834B2/en not_active Ceased
-
1984
- 1984-04-17 JP JP1984055508U patent/JPS59178553U/en active Pending
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1993005348A1 (en) * | 1991-08-30 | 1993-03-18 | Robert Kenneth Prudhoe | Vacuum panel heat exchangers (vphe) |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPS5787565A (en) | 1982-06-01 |
| ES505929A0 (en) | 1983-01-01 |
| IT8124108A0 (en) | 1981-09-23 |
| AU544834B2 (en) | 1985-06-13 |
| ES8302268A1 (en) | 1983-01-01 |
| AU7594681A (en) | 1982-04-08 |
| JPS59178553U (en) | 1984-11-29 |
| IT1138236B (en) | 1986-09-17 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4280483A (en) | Solar heater | |
| Garg | Advances in Solar Energy Technology: Volume 2: Industrial Applications of Solar Energy | |
| US4281639A (en) | Solar heating system | |
| US4373573A (en) | Long term storage and use of solar energy | |
| US3893506A (en) | Device for the absorption and emission of heat | |
| Hay et al. | A naturally air-conditioned building | |
| US3996919A (en) | System for collecting and storing solar energy | |
| US4333517A (en) | Heat exchange method using natural flow of heat exchange medium | |
| US2693939A (en) | Heating and cooling system | |
| US4076013A (en) | Solar heating system | |
| US4295342A (en) | Heat exchange method using natural flow of heat exchange medium | |
| US4227515A (en) | Dual phase solar water heater | |
| Hay et al. | International aspects of air conditioning with movable insulation | |
| US4050508A (en) | Controllable heat transmission panels | |
| US3410336A (en) | Thermal conditioning system for an enclosed space | |
| US4272268A (en) | Chemical heat pump | |
| Johnson | Radiation cooling of structures with infrared transparent wind screens | |
| CA1188585A (en) | Passive solar panel and construction member | |
| CN110121623B (en) | Solar energy utilization system | |
| US4674476A (en) | Solar heating and cooling apparatus | |
| US4144999A (en) | System and structure for conditioning air | |
| US4382437A (en) | Self-contained passive solar heating system | |
| US8776467B2 (en) | Climate positive building envelope for housing | |
| US4441484A (en) | Chemical heat pump | |
| WO1987001182A1 (en) | Low energy consumption air conditioning system |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |