FR2516120A1 - House construction with integral solar energy supply - has upper room acting as gas filled accumulator for thermal energy with transparent outer wall - Google Patents

Abstract

The building (1) has a number of rooms one of which (8) forms a closed autonomous volume that can allow thermal energy transfer towards the outside or the inside of the building. The closed room has a transparent outside wall (17) and two walls (15,16) common with the building, and has a large enough volume to allow the gas to form a thermal energy accumulator. Within the room are thermal absorbers and stores such as concrete walls covered with an absorbent dressing and ventilators to provoke gas displacement.

Description

The present invention relates to a construction, such as a dwelling house, provided with a device for supplying solar energy.

Already known constructions in which the energy required for heating for example, is provided by solar energy collectors.

Solar collectors of known type are made of an absorbent and energy-storing material, and are generally coated for this purpose with a black coating. This black coating is not always of a very appreciated aesthetic effect and limits the possibilities of integration of the construction in its environment.

Another major drawback of this type of known sensor devices is that they do not allow light to pass through.

This total opacity must be compensated for by the creation of window openings in the facades or the roof of the dwelling, thus causing either a reduction in the useful surface of said devices, or difficulties in the possible architectural choices for designing said dwelling. .

Furthermore, these known sensors heat a fluid (gas or liquid) which passes through them continuously and they cannot serve as an accumulator of thermal energy. It is necessary to provide a complex annex installation for storing the energy taken up by the fluid when passing through said sensors.

The present invention overcomes these drawbacks and relates to a construction provided with an autonomous solar energy supply device and preferably arranged on the roof in order to free up the living space on the ground or upstairs. The autonomous device according to the invention is capable of integrating into all architectural styles and is further capable of storing heat by the volume of gas it contains.

 It can also, if desirable, allow the light to pass into the interior of the building.

To this end, according to the invention, construction such as a dwelling house comprising a plurality of premises and provided with a device allowing a supply of thermal energy of solar origin inside said construction, this device comprising controlled communication means capable of transferring thermal energy from said device to the outside or inside of the construction, is characterized in that the device consists of one of said premises delimiting an autonomous closed volume, comprising at least one partition wall with the outside formed of a material capable of allowing free passage to light, said room containing at least one gaseous fluid and being of a volume such that said gaseous fluid contained can constitute an accumulator of thermal energy.

We see that the solar energy supply device is part of the construction, its design allowing it, on the one hand to easily integrate into the architectural style of each dwelling, and on the other hand to accumulate and / or to transfer the necessary thermal energy inside the latter.

In order to increase the storage capacity of the thermal energy of the autonomous premises, and to modulate it as required, the latter includes means for absorbing and storing the thermal energy contained in its internal volume.

Preferably, said means of absorption and storage consist of one of the walls of said space, for example of concrete covered with an absorbent coating.

In order to obtain an independent, large room that is perfectly integrated into the construction, the roof of the latter is formed by the walls separating the independent room from the outside.

According to an exemplary embodiment of this mode, the common parts of the construction and of the autonomous room form the base of the roof of the construction, said common walls being made of a material capable of absorbing and storing thermal energy.

This design makes it possible to obtain maximum heating of the independent room due to its position on the roof, and to store energy to restore it later.

According to a variant, the common walls of the construction and of the independent room form the base of the roof of the latter, and are made of a transparent or translucent material so as to allow light to penetrate into said construction.

In order to further lower the cost price of the constructions according to the invention, the autonomous room is made up of prefabricated elements capable of forming, by assembly, modular autonomous rooms.

Also with the aim of reducing the costs and the difficulty of assembly, the autonomous room is made up of rigid elements each capable of constituting in the structure of the construction a self-supporting structure.

According to an economically advantageous embodiment, the means of communication of the autonomous room consist of inlets and outlets of the gaseous fluid, associated with conduits communicating with the interior of the construction and the interior and closable in a removable manner by organs of closing controlled by the regulating means according to the thermal energy needs of the construction.

The invention will be clearly understood in the light of the appended figures.

Figures 1 to 7 show in section examples of embodiments of constructions according to the invention provided with an autonomous enclosed space.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of an autonomous room.

Figure 9 shows in perspective an example of construction with modular self-contained and self-supporting premises.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an example of application of a construction comprising a patio covered by an independent room according to the invention.

Figure 11 shows in section and perspective an embodiment of a dwelling house provided with a self-contained room according to the invention constituted by the attic.

Figure 12 shows in section a construction provided with a closed gable room.

 The constructions according to the invention such as residential houses or industrial premises, bear the references 1 to 7 respectively in FIGS. 1 to 7, and each consist of a plurality of premises.

The solar thermal energy supply device is constituted according to the invention by one of said building premises, said room being closed and autonomous.

Referring to Figure 1, the autonomous room 8 has two walls 15,16 common with the construction 1, and a wall, in this case curved, of separation 17 with the outside. The space 8 is filled with air at ambient pressure, heated by the greenhouse effect obtained by the partition wall 17 made of translucent or transparent material.

It can be seen that the same is true of each autonomous room 9 to 14 with which the constructions 2 to 7 are provided, shown in FIGS. 2 to 7.

Figure 8 shows schematically in perspective an autonomous room 9 as icelui of Figure 2 having two vertical common walls 19 and horizontal 20 with a construction. The oblique wall 21 is made of transparent material, as are the side walls. In order to transfer the thermal energy accumulated in said room 9 to the rooms adjacent to the common walls 19 and 20, the latter have respective orifices 22 and 23 associated with conduits 24 and 25, the assembly forming the means of communication making it possible to transfer thermal energy
The oblique wall 21 for separation with the outside is also provided with an air outlet or air inlet.

These different orifices 22, 23 and 26 are temporarily closable by respective movable valves 27,28,29.

Regulation means, such as thermostats associated with drive motors, are capable of controlling the opening or closing of the movable valves 27, 28 as a function of the heat requirements of the premises connected by the pipes 24 and 25 to the premises. autonomous 9. These means of regulation, as well as the ventilation devices, can be placed inside the autonomous closed room; the wall 21 is for example translucent so that these members are not visible from the outside. This solution makes it possible to resolve the difficulties linked to the size of said ventilation members.

Of course, this operation of the valves can also be carried out manually, by means of known linkages, by the user.

The opening 26 makes it possible either to let hot air escape from the autonomous room 9 in the case where it cannot be stored or used, or to renew the air occupying the volume of said room 9.

It is possible to optionally add ventilation members (not shown) such as fans, to accelerate the transfer of the gaseous fluid from the autonomous room to the interior of the construction.

Advantageously, the common walls of the autonomous room with the construction, such as the walls 15 and 16 (FIG. 1), the wall 18 (FIG. 6) 19 and 20 (FIG. 8) are formed of a translucent or transparent material, in order to allow light to enter the adjoining accommodation spaces of the building.

This gives a combination of the heating and lighting advantages of the interior of the building.

The common walls may also be made of an opaque material, in the case where other openings intended for lighting are provided in the living quarters.

We see in Figures 1 to 7 that the autonomous room according to the invention is capable of taking all possible configurations in order to adapt to different styles of architecture.

Indeed, according to Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, the autonomous premises shown 8 to 14 have various shapes: pyramidal, quarter-circle, polygonal, trapezoidal. The autonomous room can be placed anywhere on the roof: between two buildings, at the corner formed by two rooms arranged orthogonally, etc.

The autonomous premises according to the invention are preferably arranged on the roof in order to increase the greenhouse effect making it possible to heat the air contained in the volume defined by said premises. However, they can of course be placed on the facade with their walls made of transparent or translucent materials in order to allow light to enter the premises adjacent to this facade.

It is noted that the room according to the invention is autonomous, that is to say that it operates alone, without user intervention with the aid of regulation means while being integrated into the construction.

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the independent room 30 is produced in the form of a pyramidal dome surmounting the cubic patio of the construction 31. The four faces of the pyramid and its base are made of transparent (or translucent) material ) in order to light up the part and the parts opening into it. The greenhouse effect obtained is used to heat in the manner described above the air of the autonomous room which is then distributed in the rooms of the house 31. The volume of said autonomous room is such as gas, in this case l the air which it contains is capable of constituting an accumulator of thermal energy.

In order to protect from the rigor of zenithal radiation the room or rooms located at a lower level compared to the autonomous closed room, the gas contained in the latter advantageously has diffraction and ref lexi <properties of the thermal radiation coming from the sun in particular from zenithal direction. This arrangement makes it possible to avoid having recourse to known mechanical obscuring members, such as blinds, curtains or the like.

The autonomous room according to the invention advantageously comprises means capable of absorbing the thermal energy of the gaseous fluid contained in the volume of the room and capable of storing this energy. The storage of heat makes it possible to modulate the needs according to each moment of the day. In summer, the heat, which needs are minimal, is stored during the day and then returned during the night thanks to the means of communication already mentioned and controlled by the regulation means. The stored energy can be simply returned by an appropriate system of natural or forced ventilation.

The means for absorbing and storing thermal energy from the heated air occupying the volume of the autonomous room are for example made up of a certain volume of absorbent material such as water or a mineral material.

In the case of a thermal tank containing water, this is then caused to circulate in pipes appropriately arranged in the different rooms of the house to be heated.

The autonomous room is then completely closed, and the gas occupying the internal volume, which can be air or any gas, is only used as a vehicle for thermal energy from solar radiation.

It is also possible to conceive the storage means in the form of blocks of stones, an air circulation, heated by passage over the latter making it possible to supply hot air, through pipes, to the rooms of the dwelling.

The thermal energy storage means can also be constituted by one of the walls of the autonomous room.

FIG. 11 shows such an exemplary embodiment in which the independent room 32 is constituted by the attic space 33. The walls 34 and 35 made of transparent or translucent material constitute the roof, while the horizontal wall 34 is made of concrete covered with 'an absorbent coating 35 and constitutes the thermal reservoir of the room 32. The walls 34 and 35 are formed by glass panels supported by a reinforcement in metal profiles of known type or also by known small farms. The gables of the roof can be glass panels.

The horizontal wall 34 is thermally insulated from the rest of the house 33 by insulating materials 35, making it possible to avoid heat transfer not desired by the user; in hot summer, for example. The wall 34 is provided with orifices 37 allowing the access of the hot air contained in the volume of the room 32 to the various rooms. These orifices 37 are removably closed by valves 38 or the like which can be controlled mechanically and manually by the user, or automatically by regulating means such as thermostats.

The embodiment shown in Figure 1 is particularly advantageous since in general the attic of many current single-family homes are not habitable, and therefore constitute a volume lost for habitation. Such attics generally include wooden, so-called American, farmhouses; according to the invention the roof supported by these small farms consists of glass panels, so as to constitute the autonomous enclosed space. Preferably, said glass panels are translucent to hide the interior of said enclosed space.

In order to let part of the light penetrate into the dwelling, openings 39 provided with glass pass through the wall 34, the insulating layer 36 and the ceiling 40 of the dwelling 33. These openings 39 are regularly spaced and allow lighting a room such as a corridor 41.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment in which the autonomous premises 42, 43 and 44 of the construction 45 consist of self-supporting pyramidal elements forming an integral part of the roof 46. The oblique walls of each of these autonomous premises are made of material transparent (or translucent); it can be the same for the basic horizontal wall, in order to let the light pass into the interior of the room. The autonomous premises 42, 43 and 44 are formed from metal profiles assembled according to known techniques to form a rigid self-supporting structure capable of receiving glass panels, at least on its oblique walls. The ventilation members can be arranged at the ends of these structures, thus making it possible to obtain a perfectly autonomous system. The assembly is thus easy to transport and compact.

The cost price of such self-contained premises is particularly low and does not significantly increase the total cost of construction.

The autonomous room according to the invention advantageously includes a hatch to allow temporary access during the cleaning or maintenance visit.

FIG. 12 shows a construction comprising several floors and provided with an autonomous closed room 47 of frustoconical shape with triangular section, arranged on the front.

Said room 47 consists of a self-supporting structure provided with translucent or transparent panels and secured to the facade 48 by means known per se.

In this case, the autonomous closed room 47 is added to an already existing construction.

Pipes 49.50 connect the interior of the building 51 to said room 47 so as to introduce air heated by solar radiation coming from room 47. This arrangement is advantageous insofar as it allows energy to be used solar thermal in case the building to be heated is not exposed to solar radiation continuously. This is the case when, for example, the building to be heated 51 is turned towards the inside of a courtyard bordered by constructions of relatively large height which then mask the sun.

Claims (9)

1.-Construction such as a dwelling house comprising a plurality of premises and provided with a device allowing a supply of thermal energy of solar origin inside said construction, this device comprising controlled communication means able to transfer thermal energy from said device to the outside or inside of the building, characterized in that the device consists of one of said premises delimiting an autonomous closed volume, comprising at least one partition wall ( 21) with the outside formed of a material capable of allowing free passage to light, said room (9) containing at least one gaseous fluid and being of a volume such that said gaseous fluid contained can constitute an energy accumulator thermal. 2.- Construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the autonomous room (32) comprises means (34,35) of absorption and storage of the thermal energy contained in its internal volume, and suitable ventilation means to cause the displacement of the gaseous fluid carrying said energy. 3.- Construction according to claim 2, characterized in that said absorption and storage means are constituted by one of the walls (34) of said space for example of concrete covered with an absorbent coating (35). 4.- Construction according to any one of claims 1 3, characterized in that at least a part of the roof is constituted by the partition walls (34,35) of the autonomous room (32) with the outside. 5. Construction according to claim 4, characterized in that its common walls with the autonomous room form the base of the roof, the construction of said common walls being made of a material capable of absorbing and storing thermal energy. 6.- Construction according to claim 4, characterized in that in addition, its common walls with the independent room form the base of the roof of the latter, and are made of a transparent and translucent material so as to allow the light to enter said construction. 7.- Construction according to one of claims 1 to 6, 'characterized in that the autonomous local consists of prefabricated elements capable of forming, by assembly, modular autonomous premises (42,43,44). 8. Construction according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the independent room consists of rigid elements capable of constituting with the structure of the construction a self-supporting structure. 9.- Construction according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the means of communication of the autonomous room (9) consist of inputs and outputs (22,23,26) of the gaseous fluid, associated with conduits (24,25), communicating with the interior of the construction and the exterior and can be closed in a removable manner by closing members (26,27,28) controlled by the regulating means according to the thermal energy requirements of the construction, ventilation means, such as fans, being provided in order to propel the gaseous fluid heated by said pipes towards the interior of said construction.