FR2464442A1 - HEAT EXCHANGER SOLAR HEATING APPARATUS - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A SOLAR HEATING APPARATUS. IT RELATES TO AN APPARATUS IN WHICH A FAN 11 CIRCULATES HEATED AIR IN A COLLECTOR PANEL 1. THE AIR CIRCULATES IN A CAVITY 8 FORMED AROUND A WATER TANK 4, INSIDE A INSULATING BOX 7. PARTITIONS ENSURE THE CIRCULATION OF AIR OVER THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE WATER TANK. APPLICATION TO SOLAR WATER HEATERS.

Description

The present invention relates to apparatus

solar heating.

  More specifically, it relates to solar heating appliances of the type which comprises at least one solar energy collector panel, having an internal air circulation duct and inlet and outlet pipes communicating with this duct, a reservoir

  of water, a device for introducing water into a

  lower part of the tank and withdrawal of water from an upper zone of the tank, a heat exchanger

  heat associated with the tank and connected to the

  entrance and exit of the collector panel, the

  heat exchanger for heating the water in the tank with the aid of heat

  supplied to the air in the collector panel, and a

  electric tilator ensuring a forced circulation of

  air in the inner duct of the collector panel.

  The invention relates to an improved solar heating apparatus of the aforementioned type whose construction

is simple and inexpensive.

  More specifically, the invention relates to a solar heater of the type which comprises at least one solar energy collector panel having an internal air circulation duct and pipes

  air inlet and outlet communicating with this

  duit, a water tank, an introductory device

  of water in a lower area of the tank and

  water line of an upper zone of the reservoir, a heat exchanger associated with the reservoir and connected

  the inlet and outlet piping of the panel

  the heat exchanger is intended for heating

  iron the water in the tank using heat supplied to the air in the collector panel

  solar system, and an electric fan providing a

  forced culation of air in the inner duct of the collector panel; according to the invention, the heat exchanger comprises an insulating casing which surrounds the water reservoir and which is separated from the surface of the latter by a cavity formed around the reservoir and

  communicating with the inlet piping and the pipe-

  outlet, and partitions placed in the cavity and delimiting a predetermined flow path of air in the cavity between the outlet pipe and

the inlet piping.

  Thus, the invention relates to a device

  of heat exchange with the water tank,

simple and inexpensive truction.

  The reservoir is preferably under pressure and can be in many ways similar to a

  normal domestic electric water heater.

  In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the partitions are arranged in such a way that the air coming from the solar collector panel and

  which enters the cavity first flows over the

  face of one half of the tank then on the surface of the other half. When the water tank and the insulating casing are in the form of coaxial cylindrical bodies, the partitions may comprise two radial walls which are connected to the outer wall of the tank and to the inner wall of the casing, these partition walls being arranged in a common diametrical plane containing

the axis of the water tank.

  Preferably, temperature sensors are respectively associated with the solar energy collecting panel and the tank respectively, these sensors being connected to a differential thermostat for controlling the operation of the fan.

  when the difference between the temperatures detected

  the sensors exceed a predetermined value.

  born. The water tank may further comprise a heating device in the form of a submerged electrical resistance, operating when available solar energy is not sufficient for adequate heating

  water in the tank.

  In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the inlet piping and the outlet pipe of the collector panel are connected to the cavity surrounding the tank via a distributor device having a main inlet and

  a main air outlet, this distribution device

  being intended to connect the inlet piping and the outlet piping respectively to the cavity

  and at the main entrance and exit respectively

  so that the heated air in the panel collects

  reader can be used directly or indirectly

  directly for the heating of the water which is in

The reservoir.

  Other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood when reading the

  following description of examples of realization

  and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which - Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a heater of a first embodiment of the invention; - Figure 2 is a section along the line II-II of Figure i; FIG. 3 is a schematic section of a

  second embodiment of the invention.

  The identical references are used in the various figures for the designation of corresponding elements.

  Reference 1 denotes a collector panel

  known type of solar energy, having an internal forced circulation duct of air, the panel having

  inlet pipework and pipework

  which communicate with the internal duct.

  A water tank 4 resistant to pressure, which can be similar in all respects to a water heater

  normal domestic electric, has a 5

  tion for transmitting water to the lower part of the tank and a pipe 6 for removing water from the upper part of the tank. A housing

  7 of a thermal insulation material surrounds the tank

  see 4, coaxially, and is separated from the latter by a cavity 8 (Figure 2) which communicates through an inlet channel 9 and an outlet channel 10 formed at the bottom of the insulating casing 7, with the pipe 3

  air outlet and the air intake pipe 2

  tively. A suction fan 11, driven by an electric motor 12, is placed in the piping

  3 outlet and is intended to extract the air from the panel 1.

  Two radial walls 13 which are connected to the outer wall of the tank 4 and to the inner wall of the insulating casing 7 are formed in the cavity 8. These radial walls 13 are arranged in a diametrical plane.

  common containing the longitudinal axis of the tank 4.

  The cavity 8 is in fact a heat exchanger which transmits the heat of the air heated by the solar energy and removed from the

Panel 1 to the water tank 4.

  - A differential thermostat 14 which is connected to the

  power supply network has a sensor

  company 16 placed near the air outlet of the collector panel 1 and a temperature sensor 17

  placed in the lower part of the tank.

  differential mostat 14 is electrically connected to the

  electric motor 12 so that it controls it when

  that the difference between the weather detected by

  both sensors 16 and 17 exceed a predetermined value.

undermined.

  A heating device 18 comprising a

  immersed electrical resistance is placed in the

  see 4 and is connected to the power grid by

  through a manual switch 19. The provision of

  Heating system 18 is powered by closing the switch 19 when the available solar energy is not sufficient to properly heat the water contained

in the tank 4.

  Switching device operation

  18 electric heating can be ordered automatically

  only by the differential thermostat 14.

  The solar heater shown in Fig. 1 operates as follows. When the difference between the temperatures detected by the

  16, 17 exceeds the predetermined value indicated

  the differential thermostat 14 controls the function

  motor 23 of the fan so that the fan 11 ensures the forced circulation of air

  in the collector panel 1. The air heated by the energy

  The solar panel, in panel 1, enters the cavity 8 via the outlet piping 3 and the inlet channel 9. The air rises in the cavity 8,

  longitudinally, on the surface of half of the

  4. At the upper end of this tank, the air passes to the upper part of the cavity 8 between the upper end face of the tank 4 and the

  box 7, then down longitudinally in the box

  8, in the other direction, on the surface of the other half of the tank 4. The air escapes from the cavity through the outlet channel 10 and enters again into the

  the collector panel 1 by the inlet pipework 2.

  The embodiment of Figure 3 differs from that of Figures 1 and 2 only in that the inlet pipe 2 and the outlet pipe 3 of the collector panel 1 communicate with the panels 10 and 9 respectively through a device

  distributor 20. The latter is of the type described and

  presented in the French patent application No. 79.15 697 filed June 19, 1979. The dispensing device 20 has a main air inlet 21 and

  a main air outlet 22 and is intended to connect

  the pipes 2 and 3 at the inlet 21 and the outlet 22 respectively and the channels 10 and 9. Thus, the air leaving the collector panel 1 by the outlet pipe 3 can be directed in whole or in part , depending on the setting of the dispensing device 20, to the main outlet 22 so that at least a portion of the heated air in the collector panel 1 can be used directly. When part or all of the air flow circulates in the outlet 22,

  a corresponding amount of air enters the disc

  positive distributor 20 through the main entrance 21 and

  circulates in the inlet pipework 2 of the panel col-

reader.

  The dispensing device 20 allows the use

  indirectly the air heated by the panel

  reader 1 for heating the water of the tank 4 and at the same time allows the direct use of a

  set amount of this heated air.

  Of course, various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the devices that come

  to be described only as a non-limita-

  tif without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (6)

  1. Solar heating appliance, of the type that   takes at least one solar energy collector panel having an internal airflow duct and inlet and outlet air ducts that communicate   with the duct, a water reservoir, a device for   troduction of water in a lower zone of the reservoir and withdrawal of water from an upper zone of the reservoir, a heat exchanger associated with the reservoir and connected   the inlet and outlet piping of the panel   the heat exchanger is intended for heating   iron the water present in the tank by use   heat supplied to the air in the panel collec-   electric fan to circulate   forced air in the inner duct of the panel   solar energy collector, said heating apparatus   solar fog characterized in that the heat exchanger comprises an insulating casing (7) which surrounds the water reservoir (4) and which is separated from the surface   of the latter by a cavity (8) formed around the   (4) and communicating with the inlet piping (2) and with the outlet piping (3), and bulkheads   (13) formed in the cavity (8), delimiting   both a predetermined air flow path in the cavity (8) between the outlet pipe (3) and the inlet piping (2).   2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized   in that the water reservoir (4) is a reservoir capable of to withstand pressure.   3. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 and   2, characterized in that the partition walls (13) are arranged in such a way that the flow of air from the collector panel (1) penetrates into the cavity   (8) circulates first on the surface of one half of the   (4) then on the surface of the other half of the tank M).   Apparatus according to claim 3, of the type in which the water tank and the insulating casing are   in the form of coaxial cylindrical bodies, the said   characterized in that the partition walls   paration comprise two radial walls (13) which are connected to the outer wall of the tank (4) and to the inner wall of the casing (7), these radial walls (13) being arranged in a common diametral plane containing the axis of the water tank (4).   5. Apparatus according to any of the claims   cations 1 to 4, characterized in that sensors of   temperature (16, 17) are associated with the collector panel   (1) and to the water tank (4) respectively, these   sensors <16, 17) being connected to a different thermostat.   (14) for controlling the operation of the fan (11) when the difference between the temperatures detected by the sensors (16, 17) exceeds a predetermined value.   Apparatus according to any of the claims   previous arrangements, characterized in that a submerged electrical resistance heating device (18) is associated with the water tank (4) and is intended to be powered when the available solar energy is not sufficient for heating the water contained in the tank (4) suitably.   Apparatus according to any of the claims   cations, characterized in that the piping   inlet (2) and the outlet pipe (3) are connected   corded to the cavity (8) surrounding the reservoir (4) via a dispensing device (20)   having a main entrance (21) and a main exit   air (22), the dispensing device (20) being   intended to connect the inlet pipework (2) and the pipe   outlet stack (3) at the cavity (8) and at the entrance   (21) and at the main exit (22) respec-   so that the heated air in the collector panel (1) can be used directly or the heated air can be used indirectly for   heating the water contained in the tank (4).