GB2049158A

GB2049158A - Solar collector

Info

Publication number: GB2049158A
Application number: GB8014342A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-05-15
Filing date: 1980-04-30
Publication date: 1980-12-17
Also published as: FR2456916B3; FR2456916A1

Abstract

Solar collector 1 for the heating of rooms comprises a system of interconnected modular enclosures each constituted by a glass plate cooperating with a plate made from a tinted or untinted plastics material for defining a tightly sealed air circulation enclosure heated by solar radiation. The mass of air is circulated by fan 6 towards a heat exchanger 2 and when the temperature becomes inadequate a heat pump 3 is used. The invention is applicable to the heating of rooms and the lighting in panel form of roofs, verandas or blind windows. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Solar collector The invention relates to solar radiation collectors for the heating of rooms.

Numerous solar collectors are known which use water as the heat transfer fluid.

The collector according to the invention uses air as the heat transfer fluid and also permits the passage of part of the radiation for lighting the rooms which it is required to heat.

According to the invention the air is mechanically circulated in a section of interconnected tightly sealed enclosures, where it is heated by the greenhouse effect. It then passes into a water or air heat exchanger and gives off the collected heat. It finally returns to the modular enclosures of the collector.

According to a first embodiment of the invention the tightly sealed enclosure is constructed by means of a glass plate positioned towards the outside and which cooperates with a thermally shaped plastics material plate for forming a case which defines the enclosure. The collector has a succession of modular enclosures which are interconnected by appropriate piping. The fresh air enters in the lower part and exits from the upper part after heating to the exchanger.

According to a second embodiment of the invention the enclosure comprises at least two planar plates of identical dimensions, one made from glass and the other from a plastics material, or both made from plastics material, whereby one is transparent and the other translucid and coloured in the mass to bring about a greater recovery of heat, whilst permitting the passage of sufficient light for lighting the room. The two plates are sealing fixed to a shaped section which is appropriate for this purpose.

The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to non-limitative embodiments and the attached drawings, wherein show: Figure 1 the diagram of a heating installation.

Figure 2 in longitudinal section a diagram of the collector placed in a roof.

Figure 3 in cross section the assembly of two contiguous enclosures.

Figure 4 a variation in the configuration of the main shaped member for assembling the two glass and/or plastics plates of equal dimensions.

Figure 5 a plan view of the assembly method of the main shaped section in four directions with double 45 sections.

Figure 6 an angular assembly method for the main shaped section.

Figure 7 a plan view of a collector.

Figure 8 a example for fixing two separate rows of modular enclosures.

As shown in Fig. 1 the heating installation diagram according to the invention comprises collector 1, the air/air or air/water heat exchanger 2, the heat pump 3, the 3-way valve 4, a valve 5 which separates the air circuit from the collector on starting up the heat pump 3 and a pump or fan 6 ensuring the forced circulation of air. Arrows 7 and 8 indicate the air circulation direction. The starting up of the heat pump is electrically controlled by thermostatic probes which also control the valves when the room temperature becomes inadequate. The invention only relates to the collector and the per se known regulation system is not described.

Fig. 2 shows in longitudinal section a diagram of a collector placed in a roof. It comprises rows of modular enclosures 9, 10 fixed to structural beams 11, 12, 1 3 for forming, for example, a veranda supported on wall 14.

Information on the fixtures will be given in Fig. 8.

Fig. 3 shows in cross section the assembly of two contiguous enclosures. They comprise glass plate 17, 1 8 and thermally shaped plastics material plates 19, 20 forming a case.

The circulation of air between the-enclosures is by means of a pipe 21 cooperating with nozzles 22, 23, which are stuck or welded to the cases 19, 20. Sealing is ensured by means of O-rings 24, 25.

Plates 17, 1 8 and 19, 20 are assembled by means of the main shaped section 26 which cooperates with identical U-shaped gaskets 27, 28, 29, 30 located on the periphery of the plates 19, 20 and with the clipped section 31, 32, which will be described hereinafter.

The main and substantially cross-shaped section is symmetrical in the vertical axis XX'.

It has a vertical web 33 of considerable thickness in which are provided the upper slot 34 and lower slot 35, within their parallel faces the clipping grooves 36, 37 and 38, 39. Two flanges 40, 41 extend in perpendicular manner on a same plane and on either side of the web, each of the said flanges being terminated by a spanner end-like portion 40a, 41 a for fixing together pieces of sections in order to form the fixing frames of the plates as will be seen in connection with Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The portions 40a 41a are positioned beyond the fold 42 of the cases 19, 20.

Gaskets 27, 28, 29, 30 rest on the faces of flanges 40, 41 and are gripped and held in place by shaped section 31, 32. The later are preferably made in the same way as the main shaped section from light alloy such as aluminium.

The shape of the shaped section serves to cover the top of the main shape section 26 and grips the gaskets by identical bosses 43, 44. It is clipped onto shaped section 26 by two parallel flanges 45, 46 terminated by the clipping bosses 47, 48 which are provided in order to engage in grooves 36, 37, 38, 39.

Shaped section 31 covers the entire height of the main shaped section, whereas the lower section 32, which is identical to section 31, is arranged at intervals in portions of limited lengths to permit an easy disassembly to enable the periodic cleaning of the air circulation enclosure. Obviously the shaped sections 31, 32 could be clipped in different ways without changing their gripping function. In the same way they could be fixed by selftapping screws screwed into the grooves 34, 35.

In exemplified manner Fig. 4 shows a variant of the shape of main section 49 making it possible to form the enclosure 50, 51, without it being necessary to thermally shape the lower plate. This more robust section 49 permits larger bearing surfaces and therefore larger dimensions of the modular enclosures.

The fixing of glass plates 17, 1 8 and plastics material plates 52, 53 is the same as that in Fig. 3 except that the clipping sections 54, 55 are less high. Shaped section 49 also has four flanges 57, 58, 59, 60, which are shorter than those of shaped section 26 of Fig. 3, but which are also terminated by a spanner end-like portion which is directed towards the inside and faces that of the facing flange. The portion of web 61 located between the flanges is thinner in order to reduce the weight and is perforated by holes 62 ensuring communication between the enclosures for the circulation of air. In both the upper and lower portions it has one or two holes. At one end of the enclosure there is an air intake nozzle in the lower part and an air discharge nozzles in the upper part.The glass plate 17, 1 8 could be replaced by transparent plastics material plate, e.g. made from methacrylate. The lower plate is preferably opal and tinted in the mass so as to trap more heat from the solar radiation.

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of an assembly method with double 45 sections in the case of a frame with two continuous rows of enclosures, as shown in Fig. 7. Fixing is by means of self-tapping screws 63, which pass into a hole 64 made in the web and screwed into the corresponding spanner end-like portions.

Screwing takes place at one level for shaped section 26 and at two levels for shaped section 49.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of an end assembly method with a straight cut by milling or sawing part of a flange in such a way that the end of the shaped section comes into contact with the web of the other shaped section.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of an example of the installation of the collector frame. The left part of the drawing shows two separate rows of enclosures and the right part shows the frame in one piece. It comprises longitudinal crossmembers 65, 66, 67, 68 and internal straight section cross-member 69 or such members 70 having a straight cut on one side and a double 45 section on the other and members 71 having a double 45 section at either end.

Fig. 8 shows detailsiof the fixing of two separate rows of enclosures as a example of the installation. Obviously the wooden beams could be replaced by a metal structure. In their lower part the flanges bear on a beam 72 to which they are fixed by screws 73, 74.

Sealing is ensured by fitting a small interpolated plate 75, which is made from glass or plastic and disposed in gaskets as in Fig. 3. In the lower part the clipping section 76, 77 are cut on one side to permit the passage of the beam and so that they can easily be unclipped for maintainance purposes.

For the circulation of air between the modules the nozzles are stuck perpendicular to the face 42 of the thermally shaped case and are joined by a flexible tube provided with 0rings.

Fixing from the side of the wall is made by bearing on a beam 81 to which the flange is screwed by means of screws 82. Sealing is provided, for example, by a bent zinc sheet 83 introduced into gasket 28 and sealing fixed to wall 84 at the other end. The clipping section 76 is cut for the passage of the beam.

On the gutter side, flange 40 bears against beam 85, which is disengaged for this purpose and is fixed by screws 82. Sealing is ensured by a zinc plate 86 which is supported on and fixed to the beam 85 by screws 87. It is then bent and engaged in the gasket 27 on one side and terminated by a gutter 88 at the other end.

The invention applies to the heating of rooms and the lighting in panel forms of roofs, verandas, loggias or blind windows.

Claims

1. A solar collector for the heating of rooms, wherein it is constituted by a system of interconnected modular enclosures contained a mass of air heated by the solar radiation, each enclosure being made from at least one glass plate cooperating with a thermally shaped plastics material plate to form a case and with tight assembly means, forced circulation of the air towards a relayed heat exchanger being brought about by a fan and when the temperature becomes inadequate by a heat pump.

2. A collector according to claim 1, wherein the enclosures are assembled together in modular manner by means of a corrosion-proof, main metallic shaped section which has a vertical web, lightened at the top and bottom by slots, the parallel faces of the lower part having clipping means, as does the upper part of the web and wherein two flanges extend in perpendicular manner and in a same plane on either side of the web, each terminated by a spanner end-like portion in order to ensure the fixing together of the shaped section in straight section or double 45 section-like manner to form the frame receiving the glass and plastics materials panels.

3. A collector according to claim 1 and 2, wherein flanges, which are perpendicular to the web are provided for receiving in each case, with upper support, a glass plate peripherally covered by a U-shaped gasket and in lower support the edge of the plastics material plate also peripherally provided with a gasket, the assembly being maintained in place and fixed by clipping section.

4. A collector according to claim 1, wherein the main shaped section has a vertical web and, in the vicinity of its ends, two pairs of flanges extending perpendicularly in the same plane and on either side of the web, the ends being provided with clipping means to receive an assembly section equipped with complementary clipping means, whereby between two pairs of flanges the web is perforated by two air passage holes and receives for the end section an air intake nozzle and an air discharge nozzles, the flanges being terminated in each case by a spanner end-like portion for straight section or double 45 section fixing.

5. A collector according to claims 1 and 4, wherein the assembly sections are designed to secure the glass or plastics materials plates and their gaskets to the corresponding flange of the main shaped section and wherein the means for securing the assembly section is constituted by self-tapping screws screwed into the corresponding slots of the main section.

7. A collector according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the main section and securing section are assembled with a straight section and a double 45 section.

8. A collector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main shaped section is assembled by its two ends by double 45 section by means of spanner endlike portions cooperating with the self-tapping screws.

9. A collector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly of two separate of modules is effected by means of an intermediate plate, the flanges bearing on a metal or wooden beam to which they are fixed by screws and wherein the clipping sections are cut on one side for the assembly of the lower plates.

1 0. A collector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plates defining the air circulation enclosure are both made from plastics material and of the same size in the case of the variant of the main shaped section, the upper plate being transparent and the lower plate tinted in the mass to increase its absorbing power.