JP2013122370A - Solar water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solar water heater that has superior heat exchange efficiency, and reduces fluctuation in the temperature of supplied hot water and prevents a latent heat storage material from being excessively heated.SOLUTION: The solar water heater includes a solar heat collector 10, a heat accumulator 20 for storing the heat collected by the solar heat collector 10, and a heat exchanger 30 for heating water using the heat stored in the heat accumulator 20, which are all housed in a case 3. The heat accumulator 20 is divided into a plurality of heat storage units 21, 21... provided with the latent heat storage material. The solar water heater is provided with a heat pump 40 thermally connected with a plurality of heat storage units 21. An end 40A of the heat pump 40 is disposed outside the case 3.

Description

  The present invention relates to a solar water heater that receives solar heat and heats water using the amount of heat of the received solar heat.

In recent years, the need for energy conservation has increased due to the rise in crude oil prices, and solar water heaters that generate hot water using solar heat, which is a renewable energy, have attracted more and more attention. This type of solar water heater uses a solar heat collector that collects solar heat, a heat accumulator that stores the collected heat, and a heat exchanger that heats the water with the accumulated heat. A hot water supply system has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).
In this hot water supply system using solar heat, the heat accumulator is formed in a box shape with a bottom plate, a side plate, and a translucent plate that are heat-insulated. A heat storage unit is installed on the top and bottom of the pipe, and water is heated by solar heat collected by the heat collector, and heat is exchanged with the heat storage unit to heat the heat storage unit. Since it stores, there exists an advantage that the tank for storing warm water becomes unnecessary.

JP 2003-83608 A

  However, the solar heat collector described above has a configuration in which a latent heat storage unit having a latent heat storage material is disposed vertically inside a box body in which the heat storage unit is thermally insulated, with a water flow pipe interposed therebetween. Since the heat storage unit has a low thermal conductivity, there is a problem that it is difficult to quickly store heat or release heat. Further, in the conventional configuration, since heat is exchanged between the latent heat storage unit and the water flowing through the water passage pipe, the temperature of the latent heat storage unit is divided between a portion close to the water passage pipe and a portion away from the water passage pipe. There is a problem that the hot water temperature is likely to fluctuate. Moreover, since the latent heat storage material has an upper limit on the usable temperature, there is a problem that the reliability of the latent heat storage unit cannot be ensured when the latent heat storage material is overheated to the upper limit temperature or more by solar heat.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a solar water heater that has excellent heat exchange efficiency, can suppress fluctuations in the supplied hot water temperature, and can prevent overheating of the latent heat storage material. .

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a solar heat collector, a heat accumulator that stores heat collected by the solar heat collector, and a heat exchanger that heats water with heat stored in the heat accumulator. A solar water heater equipped in the heat storage unit, wherein the heat storage unit is divided into a plurality of heat storage units each including a latent heat storage material, and includes a heat pipe thermally connected to the plurality of heat storage units. One end is arranged outside the case.
According to this configuration, since the heat accumulator is configured by being divided into a plurality of heat accumulating units including the latent heat accumulating material, the heat transfer area of the entire heat accumulator can be increased by subdividing the heat accumulator or heat dissipation. The heat exchange efficiency at the time can be improved. In addition, since a heat pipe is provided that is thermally connected between the plurality of heat storage units, heat can be evenly extracted from the plurality of heat storage units that are soaked by the heat pipe, and the supplied hot water temperature Can be suppressed. Furthermore, because one end of the heat pipe is located outside the case, when the heat storage unit is overheated, this heat can be released to the outside of the case body through the heat pipe, preventing overheating of the heat storage unit. Is done.

  In this configuration, the solar heat collector, the heat accumulator, and the heat exchanger may be stacked. The heat accumulator may be thermally connected to the heat collector and the heat exchanger, and the heat collector and the heat exchanger may be thermally connected.

  Moreover, the said heat storage and the said heat exchanger are arrange | positioned in piles, the said heat storage and a heat exchanger, the side, and the said solar heat collector are arrange | positioned, and the said solar heat collector and the said heat storage are by the said heat pipe. It may be thermally connected. Further, the heat accumulator and the heat exchanger are arranged to overlap each other, the heat accumulator and the heat exchanger, the side and the solar heat collector are arranged, and the solar heat collector and the heat accumulator are thermally connected. And a second heat pipe thermally connected to the plurality of heat storage units, and one end of the second heat pipe may be disposed outside the case.

  In addition, a part or all of the heat pipe may be a variable conductance heat pipe. Moreover, you may provide the fin for heat radiation in the end of the said heat pipe arrange | positioned outside the said case. Further, the plurality of heat storage units may be arranged in the heat exchanger, heat transfer columns may be interposed between the heat storage units, and the heat equalizing member may be thermally connected to the heat transfer columns.

According to the present invention, the heat accumulator is configured by being divided into a plurality of heat accumulating units each including a latent heat accumulating material, so that the heat transfer area of the entire heat accumulator can be increased by subdividing the heat accumulator or heat dissipation. The heat exchange efficiency at the time can be improved. In addition, since a heat equalizing member that equalizes the temperature between the plurality of heat storage units is provided, the heat can be evenly taken out from the plurality of heat storage units that are temperature-uniformed by the heat equalization member, and the supplied hot water Temperature fluctuation can be suppressed.
Further, since one end of the heat pipe is arranged outside the case body, when the heat storage unit is overheated, this heat can be released to the outside of the case body through the heat pipe, and the heat storage unit is overheated. Is prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the solar water heater based on 1st Embodiment of this invention, A is a side view of a solar water heater, B is BB sectional drawing of A. It is a top view of the solar-heat utilization water heater of the state which removed the heat collecting plate. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating a heat pipe. It is a figure which shows the solar water heater based on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, A is a side view of a solar water heater, and B is BB sectional drawing of A. It is a top view of the solar-heat utilization water heater of the state which removed the heat collecting plate. It is a figure which shows the solar water heater based on 3rd Embodiment of this invention, A is a side view of a solar water heater, and B is BB sectional drawing of A. It is a top view of the solar-heat utilization water heater of the state which removed the heat collecting plate.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<First Embodiment>
Drawing 1 is a figure showing solar water heater 1 concerning a 1st embodiment, A is a side view of solar water heater 1, B is a BB sectional view of A, and Drawing 2 is a heat collecting board. It is a top view of the solar-heat utilization water heater 1 of the removed state.
The solar water heater 1 is arranged in a place (for example, a roof) where it is easy to receive solar solar radiation, and as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a solar thermal collector that collects solar heat by receiving solar radiation. 10, a heat accumulator 20 that receives and stores solar heat emitted from the solar heat collector 10, and receives heat released from the heat accumulator 20 or the solar heat collector 10 to externally (in this embodiment, tap water) The solar heat collector 10, the heat accumulator 20, and the heat exchanger 30 are stacked in the height (thickness) direction. In the first embodiment, the heat accumulator 20 is disposed on the heat exchanger 30, and the solar heat collector 10 is disposed on the heat accumulator 20. For this reason, the installation area of the solar water heater 1 can be reduced, and the solar water heater 1 can be downsized.
The solar water heater 1 includes a case body (case) 3 that is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape and accommodates the solar heat collector 10, the heat accumulator 20, and the heat exchanger 30. In this case body 3, the bottom surface 3A and the four side surfaces 3B to 3E are formed of a highly heat-insulating material, and the top surface 3F facing the solar heat collector 10 is formed of a light-transmitting member such as glass. ing. In this embodiment, since the upper surface 3F facing the solar heat collector 10 is formed of a light-transmitting member such as glass, the case body 3 reliably receives solar radiation from the sun with the solar heat collector 10. be able to.
Furthermore, since the bottom surface 3A and the four side surfaces 3B to 3E are formed of a highly heat-insulating material, the case body 3 is prevented from releasing heat stored in the heat accumulator 20 to the outside air through the case body 3. Effective use of heat can be achieved.

  The heat exchanger 30 includes a base plate 31 formed in a plate shape and a plurality of thin plate-like fins (heat transfer columns) 32, 32,. The base plate 31 and the fins 32 are formed of, for example, a metal having excellent thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum or an alloy made of the above metal, and the fins 32 are screwed at a predetermined interval on the base plate 31. It is fixed by a stop. Note that the base plate 31 and the fins 32 may be integrally formed. These fins 32 are formed at substantially the same height, and the solar heat collector 10 is fixed to the upper end portion of the fins 32.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger 30 includes a plurality of inlet headers 33 and outlet headers 34 arranged in the direction in which the fins 32 extend, and a plurality of inlet headers 33 and outlet headers 34. It is provided with connecting pipes 35, 35. Each of the connecting pipes 35 is formed of, for example, a metal having excellent thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum or an alloy made of the above metal, and is fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 31.

  The inlet header 33 is connected to a water supply pipe as a water supply source, and the outlet header 34 is connected to a hot water supply pipe connected to a hot water supply port. In addition, in order to adjust the hot water heated excessively to an appropriate temperature, a mixing pipe branched from a water supply as a water supply source may be connected to the hot water supply pipe. The hot water can be adjusted to an appropriate temperature by mixing the hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe with the clean water through the mixing pipe.

The solar heat collector 10 includes a heat collecting plate 11 that is formed in a plate shape that is substantially the same size as the base plate 31 and that has been subjected to a surface treatment that increases the light absorption rate. It is fixed on the fin 32. The heat collecting plate 11 is formed of a metal material having excellent heat conductivity like the base plate 31, the fins 32 and the connecting pipe 35 of the heat exchanger 30 described above, and the solar heat collected by the heat collecting plate 11 is The heat is transmitted to the base plate 31 of the heat exchanger 30 through the plurality of fins 32.
In the present embodiment, the fins 32 are erected on the base plate 31, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the fins 32 are fixed to the lower surface of the heat collecting plate 11 by screwing or the like at a predetermined interval. It is good also as a structure. Of course, the heat collecting plate 11 and the fins 32 may be integrally formed.

  The heat accumulator 20 collects solar heat collected by the solar heat collector 10 and transmitted to the heat exchanger 30. The heat storage device 20 includes heat storage units 21, 21... Divided into a plurality of parts, and these heat storage units 21 are arranged side by side between adjacent fins 32 and 32. Each heat storage unit 21 is formed by packing a latent heat storage material with a bag-like laminate material, and as shown in FIG. 1A, the upper surface 21A and the lower surface 21B of the heat storage unit 21 are respectively connected to the heat collecting plate 11 and It is formed at a height that contacts the base plate 31. Further, the heat collecting plate 11 and the base plate 31 are each provided with a plurality of protrusions (not shown) for holding the heat storage unit 21, and the heat storage unit 21 is disposed between the heat collecting plate 11 and the base plate 31. And heat transfer characteristics between the heat collecting plate 11 and the base plate 31 and the heat storage unit 21 can be improved. Therefore, the solar heat transmitted from the heat collecting plate 11 and the base plate 31 can be efficiently stored in the latent heat storage material in the heat storage unit 21.

  The latent heat storage material has a property of storing or radiating heat using latent heat at the time of melting or solidification. In this embodiment, sodium acetate trihydrate is used as the latent heat storage material, but is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-described properties. For example, magnesium chloride hexahydrate, barium hydroxide, Octahydrate, sodium thiosulfate · pentahydrate, magnesium nitrate · hexahydrate, paraffin, xylitol, etc., and mixtures thereof can be used.

  When the latent heat storage material is used, the heat storage density becomes larger than the method using sensible heat such as water, so that the heat storage device 20 can be downsized. Further, since the heat storage units 21 divided by packing the latent heat storage material with a laminate material are arranged side by side on the base plate 31, the height (thickness) of the heat storage device 20 can be kept low, and as a result The use water heater 1 can be downsized.

  When the latent heat storage material is cooled after storing solar heat, the latent heat storage material is in a so-called supercooled state and does not solidify even when cooled to a temperature below the freezing point and does not start to release heat. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the heat accumulator 20 is provided with a heat generation trigger mechanism (not shown) that stimulates the heat storage units 21 to induce heat generation. The heat generation trigger mechanism is disposed independently of each other in each heat storage unit, and includes an energization line that contacts the latent heat storage material in the heat storage unit 21 and an operation switch for applying a voltage to the latent heat storage material through the energization line. Prepare. When the solar water heater 1 is used, by operating this operation switch to stimulate the latent heat storage material, the supercooled state of the latent heat storage material in the heat storage unit 21 is released, and heat is stored in the latent heat storage material. Heat is discharged from the latent heat storage material to the base plate 31 of the heat exchanger 30. The means for applying a stimulus to the heat storage unit 21 is not limited to one that applies a voltage. For example, a mechanism that applies a shear stress to the heat storage unit 21 or a mechanism that makes the seed crystal contact the latent heat storage material in a liquid state. You may have.

  The laminate material is a bag-like container made of a thin film-like member, and is made of a resin such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). By packing the latent heat storage material with a film-like laminate material, the heat storage unit 21 has excellent contact with the heat collection plate 11 and the base plate 31, and the heat collection plate 11 and the base plate 31 and the latent heat. Corrosion of the heat collecting plate 11 and the base plate 31 can be prevented by direct contact with the heat storage material. Furthermore, since the heat storage unit 21 is subdivided by packing the latent heat storage material with a bag-like laminate material, it is possible to easily handle the latent heat storage material that liquefies during heat storage, and can be easily placed on the base plate 31. While the heat storage unit 21 can be arranged, a large heat transfer area of the heat storage unit 21 can be secured, and heat transfer efficiency can be improved to quickly extract heat.

By the way, when heat is transmitted from the plurality of heat storage units 21 to the heat exchanger 30 and water is heated by the heat exchanger 30, it is difficult to extract heat from each heat storage unit 21 evenly, and the amount of heat recovered over time. The problem of decrease is expected.
In addition, since the latent heat storage material has a property of vaporizing at about 120 ° C., for example, it is necessary to use a temperature lower than the vaporizing temperature (boiling point) as the upper limit temperature (for example, 80 ° C.). On the other hand, according to experiments conducted by the inventors, it has been found that the temperature of the latent heat storage material in the heat storage unit 21 may reach a temperature higher than the boiling point (about 160 ° C.) at the peak of solar radiation. When the latent heat storage material is overheated to the upper limit temperature or more by solar heat, the latent heat storage material is vaporized, so that it expands in the laminate material and damages the laminate material, and the reliability of the heat storage unit 21 cannot be ensured. A problem is assumed.
For this reason, in this embodiment, the solar water heater 1 includes a variable conductance heat pipe (hereinafter simply referred to as a heat pipe) 40 disposed between the heat storage units 21 and 21, as shown in FIG. The heat pipe 40 has a soaking action for soaking the heat between the heat storage units 21 and 21 and heat stored in the heat storage unit 21 when the heat storage unit 21 is overheated exceeding a predetermined upper limit temperature. And a heat dissipation function for releasing the case body 3 to the outside.
These heat pipes 40 are arranged substantially parallel to the extending direction of the connecting pipe 35 of the heat exchanger 30, and are arranged through the through holes 32 </ b> A formed in the plurality of fins 32. Thereby, the heat pipe 40 is thermally connected to the heat storage units 21 and 21 through the fins 32 and the base plate 31. Further, one end portion 40A of the heat pipe 40 passes through one side surface 3E of the case body 3 and extends to the outside of the case body 3, and the one end portion 40A is connected to the one end portion 40A for heat dissipation. Fins 41 are provided.
The heat pipe 40 may be disposed so as to be thermally connected to the fins 32. For example, a notch is formed in the upper end portion of each fin 32, and the heat pipe is disposed in the notch. good.

Next, the heat pipe 40 will be described. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a heat pipe. The heat pipe 40 includes a sealed container 4 made of a metal having excellent thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum or an alloy made of the above metal, for example. The container 4 is formed in a flat plate shape in order to suppress the height (thickness) and secure a large contact area. The shape of the container 4 is not limited to a flat plate shape, and may be formed in a cylindrical shape, for example.
One end of the container 4 is exposed to the outside of the case body 3 and the above-described heat radiation fin 41 is attached. A predetermined amount of hydraulic fluid and non-condensable gas are accommodated in the container 4, and the container 4 is disposed in the case body 3 so as to equalize the heat between the heat storage units 21 and 21. 5, a heat dissipating part 7 exposed to the outside of the case body 3, and a heat insulating part 6 provided between the heat equalizing part 5 and the heat dissipating part 7. The container 4 is provided with a gas reservoir 8 that communicates with the heat radiating unit 7. The gas reservoir 8 is a part that stores non-condensable gas, and has a volume that can store all of the non-condensable gas stored in the container 4.

  A wick capable of exerting capillary force is disposed in close contact with the inner wall inside the container, and a space serving as a flow path for the working fluid is provided. The hydraulic fluid accommodated in this space undergoes a phase change of evaporation / condensation and moves inside the container 4 of the heat pipe 40, whereby heat transport is performed. That is, when there is a temperature difference between the fins 32 through which the container 4 penetrates, the liquid transferred on the heat absorption side of the soaking part 5 due to the heat transferred from the high-temperature fins 32 to the soaking part 5 of the container 4. The working fluid in the phase state evaporates and changes in phase to the gas phase state, and the vapor generated by the evaporation of the working fluid moves from the heat absorption side of the heat equalizing section 5 to the fin 32 on the low temperature side that is the heat radiation side. On the heat dissipation side, the evaporated liquid is cooled, so that the working fluid returns from the gas phase state to the liquid phase state. The hydraulic fluid that has returned to the liquid phase moves (refluxs) from the heat dissipation side to the heat absorption side again. As described above, in the solar water heater 1, the heat pipe 40 is disposed so as to penetrate the plurality of fins 32 of the heat exchanger 30, so that heat is transferred between the plurality of fins 32 through the heat pipe 40. The soaking of the fins 32 is performed. For this reason, the base plate 31 of the heat exchanger 30 provided with the plurality of fins 32 is soaked, and as a result, the heat storage units 21 arranged on the base plate 31 are soaked. Figured.

Under normal use conditions of the heat pipe 40 (that is, the temperature of the heat storage unit 21 is equal to or lower than a predetermined upper limit use temperature), the vapor of the hydraulic fluid cannot reach the heat radiating unit 7 due to the noncondensable gas, The vapor of the hydraulic fluid is not radiated (cooled) by the heat radiating section 7.
On the other hand, when the heat storage unit 21 is overheated and the temperature of the heat storage unit 21 exceeds the upper limit use temperature, the vapor pressure of the hydraulic fluid rises due to the heat absorbed by the soaking part 5. For this reason, when the non-condensable gas is pushed into the gas reservoir 8 by the vapor of the hydraulic fluid, the vapor of the hydraulic fluid reaches the heat radiating portion 7 and is radiated by the heat radiating portion 7. Therefore, since the heat storage unit 21 is cooled below the upper limit use temperature, damage to the laminate material of the heat storage unit 21 can be prevented, heat can be repeatedly stored in the heat storage unit 21, and the reliability of the heat storage unit can be ensured. .

  According to the first embodiment, the heat pipe 40 is disposed through the through holes 32A provided in the plurality of fins 32 erected on the base plate 31 of the heat exchanger 30. The heat equalization of the heat exchanger 30 is achieved by 40. Thereby, the some heat storage unit 21 arrange | positioned on the base plate 31 of the heat exchanger 30 is temperature-equalized, and heat can be equally distributed to the said some heat storage unit 21, and can be stored. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the temperature of some of the heat storage units 21 from rising excessively, causing deterioration and causing unevenness in the heat storage capacity of the heat storage device 20. Furthermore, when transferring the heat stored through the heat exchanger 30 to the water, since the plurality of heat storage units 21 are soaked by the heat pipe 40, heat can be evenly extracted from the plurality of heat storage units 21. It becomes possible. As a result, it is possible to prevent a part of the heat storage units 21 from ending the heat release first and stop the supply of the heat to the hot water in the middle, thereby supplying the heat through the heat exchanger 30. The temporal fluctuation of the hot water temperature can be suppressed.

  Moreover, according to 1st Embodiment, since the one end part 40A of the heat pipe 40 is arrange | positioned outside the case body 3, even if it is a case where the thermal storage unit 21 is overheated, this heat is passed through the heat pipe 40. It can be discharged to the outside of the case body 3. For this reason, by preventing overheating of the heat storage unit 21, damage to the laminate material of the heat storage unit 21 can be prevented, heat can be repeatedly stored in the heat storage unit 21, and the reliability of the heat storage unit 21 can be ensured. .

  Further, since the heat pipes 40 are arranged along the plurality of connecting pipes 35, the flow direction of the water flowing through the connecting pipes 35 and the heat moving direction of the heat pipe 40 are substantially parallel. According to this, when extracting heat from the heat storage unit 21, heat can be evenly applied to the water in the connecting pipe 35 through the heat pipe 40, and the temporal variation of the supplied hot water temperature is further suppressed. be able to.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 4 is a view showing a solar water heater 80 according to the second embodiment, where A is a side view of the solar water heater 80, B is a cross-sectional view taken along BB of A, and FIG. 5 is a solar water heater. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the solar heat utilization water heater 80 includes a solar heat collector 10, a heat accumulator 90 that receives and stores solar heat emitted from the solar heat collector 10, and the heat accumulator 90. A heat exchanger 100 that receives the released heat and transmits it to the outside (tap water in the present embodiment), and a heat accumulator 90 is stacked on the heat exchanger 100 and the heat The solar heat collector 10 is arranged side by side with respect to the exchanger 100 and the heat accumulator 90. The solar heat collector 10 and the heat exchanger 100 are thermally connected by a transfer heat pipe (first heat pipe) 110. Moreover, the solar water heater 80 includes a case body 3 that houses the heat exchanger 100, the heat accumulator 90, and the solar heat collector 10.

The heat exchanger 100 includes a base plate 101 formed in a plate shape, and a plurality of fins (heat transfer columns) 102, 102... Standing on the base plate 101. The base plate 101 and the fins 102 are formed of, for example, a metal having excellent thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum, or an alloy made of the above metal, and the fins 102 are screwed at a predetermined interval on the base plate 101. It is fixed by a stop. Note that the base plate 101 and the fins 102 may be integrally formed.
As shown in FIG. 5, the heat exchanger 100 includes a plurality of inlet headers 103 and outlet headers 104 arranged along the direction in which the fins 102 extend, and a plurality of inlet headers 103 and outlet headers 104. The connecting pipes 105 are provided. Each of these connecting pipes 105 is formed of, for example, a metal having excellent thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum or an alloy made of the above metal, and is fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 101. The inlet header 103 is connected to a water supply pipe, which is a water supply source, and the outlet header 104 is connected to a hot water supply pipe connected to a hot water supply port. In addition, in order to adjust the hot water heated excessively to an appropriate temperature, a mixing pipe branched from a water supply as a water supply source may be connected to the hot water supply pipe. The hot water can be adjusted to an appropriate temperature by mixing the hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe with the clean water through the mixing pipe.

  The heat accumulator 90 collects the solar heat collected by the solar heat collector 10 and transmitted to the heat exchanger 100 through the transfer heat pipe 110. The heat accumulator 90 includes a plurality of heat storage units 91 divided into a plurality of portions, and these heat storage units 91 are sandwiched between adjacent fins 102 and 102. As in the above-described embodiment, the heat storage unit 91 is formed by packing a latent heat storage material with a bag-like laminate material, and as shown in FIG. 4A, the flat heat storage unit 91 is placed upright and adjacent fins 102 and 102. Arranged between.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the heat storage unit 91 is formed to have a thickness such that one surface 91A and the other surface 91B of the heat storage unit 91 are in contact with the adjacent fins 102 and 102, respectively. Further, each fin 102 is provided with a plurality of protrusions (not shown) for holding the heat storage unit 91, and fixes the heat storage unit 91 between the adjacent fins 102, 102, The heat transfer characteristic with the heat storage unit 91 can be improved. Therefore, the solar heat transmitted from the fins 102 can be efficiently stored in the latent heat storage material in the heat storage unit 91.

Moreover, in this 2nd Embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the solar water utilization water heater 80 is the heat pipe for transfer (1st heat pipe) which connects the solar heat collector 10 and the heat exchanger 100 thermally. 110 and a heat pipe (second heat pipe) 120 provided in parallel with the transfer heat pipe 110. Each of the transfer heat pipe 110 and the heat pipe 120 is formed of the above-described variable conductance heat pipe.
Similarly to the heat pipe 40 described above, the heat pipe 120 is disposed through the through hole 102 </ b> A formed in the fin 102 of the heat exchanger 100, and the heat exchanger 100 and the fins 102, 102 of the heat exchanger 100 are arranged. Heat equalization of the plurality of heat storage units 91 respectively disposed between them, and heat stored in the heat storage unit 91 when the heat storage unit 91 exceeds the predetermined upper limit temperature Is intended to be released into In the second embodiment, the heat pipe 120 is formed in a columnar shape and is disposed through the through hole 102A formed in the fin 102. However, the heat pipe is formed in a flat plate shape, The heat exchanger 100 may be disposed on the lower surface of the base plate 101.

On the other hand, the transfer heat pipe 110 is for transferring the solar heat collected by the solar heat collector 10 to the heat accumulator 90, and the heat pipe for heat equalization formed in a columnar shape (heat equalizing section). ) 120 and a transfer part 110A connected to the heat pipe 120, the transfer part 110A is fixed to the heat collecting plate 11 of the solar heat collector 10, and the heat pipe 120 is a plurality of fins 102 of the heat exchanger 100. Fixed through.
One end portions 120A of these heat pipes 120 extend through the one side surface 3E of the case body 3 to the outside of the case body 3, and the gas reservoir portions 8 are provided in the respective one end portions 120A. Further, a heat radiation fin 41 is provided at one end 120A of the heat pipe 120 so as to connect the one end 120A. About the structure of the heat pipe 120, since it is the same structure as the said heat pipe 40, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same structure and description is abbreviate | omitted. Although FIG. 5 shows an example in which only one transfer heat pipe 110 is provided, there may naturally be a plurality of transfer heat pipes 110.

In this second embodiment, the solar water heater 80 is placed in a place (for example, a roof) where it is easy to receive solar solar radiation so that the heat exchanger 100 is higher in height than the solar heat collector 10. It is desirable to arrange it diagonally. According to this configuration, in the transfer heat pipe 110, the heat pipe 120 is positioned above the transfer unit 110A, so that the return of the working fluid from the transfer unit 110A to the heat pipe 120 is suppressed against gravity. Therefore, even if the heat collecting plate 11 of the solar heat collector 10 is cooled at night or the like, the backflow of heat from the heat accumulator 90 to the solar heat collector 10 can be suppressed.
In addition, as a structure for suppressing the return of the working fluid from the transfer part of the transfer heat pipe to the heat pipe, a mechanism for generating a capillary force such as a wick is provided inside the container of the heat pipe, whereas the transfer part It is good also as a structure which does not provide the mechanism which generate | occur | produces the said capillary force inside. In this configuration, since the return of the working fluid from the transfer unit to the heat pipe is suppressed without arranging the heat exchanger above the solar heat collector, for example, the solar water use hot water is placed on a flat roof. A water heater can be installed, and a variety of installation modes of the solar water heater can be realized.

  In this configuration, the solar heat collector 10 and the side heat exchanger 90 and the heat exchanger 100 are stacked one above the other, and the solar heat collector 10 and the heat accumulator 90 are thermally transferred by the transfer heat pipe 110. Since it is connected, heat transport from the solar heat collector 10 to the heat accumulator 90 can be efficiently performed. Furthermore, by arranging the heat storage unit 91 in an upright manner between the fins 102 and 102 of the heat exchanger 100, an increase in the installation area of the heat exchanger 100 can be suppressed, side by side with the solar heat collector 10, and the heat accumulator. Even if it is the case where it is the case where it is the structure where 90 and the heat exchanger 100 are laminated | stacked up and down, the size reduction of the solar water utilization water heater 80 can be achieved.

Further, since the heat pipes 120 are disposed through the through holes 102A provided in the plurality of fins 102 erected on the base plate 101 of the heat exchanger 100, the heat pipes 120 are used to arrange the heat pipes 100A. Soaking is achieved. Thereby, the several heat storage unit 91 arrange | positioned between the fins 102 and 102 of the heat exchanger 100 is temperature-equalized, and heat can be equally distributed to the said several heat storage unit 91, and can be stored. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the temperature of some of the heat storage units 91 from excessively rising, causing deterioration and causing unevenness in the heat storage capacity of the heat storage device 90. Furthermore, when transferring the heat stored through the heat exchanger 100 to the water, since the plurality of heat storage units 91 are soaked by the heat pipe 120, heat can be evenly extracted from the plurality of heat storage units 91. It becomes possible. As a result, it is possible to prevent a part of the heat storage units 91 from ending the heat release first, and the supply of heat to the hot water from being stopped halfway, thereby being supplied through the heat exchanger 100. The temporal fluctuation of the hot water temperature can be suppressed.
Furthermore, since the one end 120A of the heat pipe 120 is disposed outside the case body 3, even when the heat storage unit 91 is overheated, this heat is released to the outside of the case body 3 through the heat pipe 120. be able to. For this reason, by preventing overheating of the heat storage unit 91, damage to the laminate material of the heat storage unit 91 can be prevented, heat can be repeatedly stored in the heat storage unit 91, and reliability of the heat storage unit 91 can be ensured. .

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a view showing a solar water heater 50 according to the third embodiment, in which A is a side view of the solar water heater 50, B is a BB cross-sectional view of A, and FIG. 7 is a heat collecting plate. It is a top view of the solar-heat utilization water heater 50 of the removed state.
As shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the solar water heater 50 is a mode in which the heat pipe 40 is thermally connected to the heat exchanger 30. The heat storage unit 61 is formed integrally with the fins 32 in substantially half the length, and the side surface 61C of each heat storage unit 61 is a heat pipe. 40 is different from the solar water heater 1 according to the first embodiment in that it is arranged so as to abut against the solar battery 40.
Moreover, in the solar-heated water heater 50, as shown to FIG. 6B, the heat collecting plate 11 is formed smaller than the base plate 31, and a pair of heat pipes 40 and 40 are exposed by planar view. As a result, heat transfer from the heat collecting plate 11 directly to the heat pipes 40, 40 is prevented.
The same components as those of the solar water heater 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the third embodiment, the heat pipe 40 is attached to the notches formed at both ends of the fins 32 in the longitudinal direction, so that the upper surface side of the base plate 31 has its top side compared to the first embodiment described above. A lot of space is created. For this reason, between the fins 32 and 32, the heat storage unit 61 formed in the shape of a flat plate having a length approximately half the length of the fin 32 is arranged in the longitudinal direction. The heat storage unit 61 is formed at substantially the same height as the fins 32, and the upper surface 61A and the lower surface 61B of the heat storage unit 61 are in contact with the heat collecting plate 11 and the base plate 31, respectively.

  For this reason, compared with 1st Embodiment, the quantity of the latent-heat heat storage material arrange | positioned on the base board 31 can be increased, without enlarging in a height (thickness) direction, and it heats for a long time. Temporal fluctuations in the temperature of the hot water supplied through the exchanger 30 can be suppressed. In addition, although the heat storage unit 61 is different in size from the heat storage unit 21 according to the first embodiment, the other configurations are the same.

  According to the third embodiment, since the heat pipes 40 are disposed at both ends of the fins 32 in the longitudinal direction, the heat exchanger 30 is soaked by the heat pipes 40. Thus, the plurality of heat storage units 61 arranged on the base plate 31 of the heat exchanger 30 are always soaked with each other even in the process of receiving heat from the heat collecting plate 11 and storing the heat. For this reason, since it becomes possible to accumulate | store heat equally in each heat storage unit 61, the temperature of one part heat storage unit 61 rises excessively, deterioration progresses and unevenness arises in the heat storage capability of the heat storage 60. Can be prevented. Furthermore, when transferring the heat stored through the heat exchanger 30 to the water, the heat storage unit 61 is soaked by the heat pipe 40, so that heat can be evenly extracted from the plurality of heat storage units 61. It becomes possible. As a result, it is possible to prevent a part of the heat storage units 61 from releasing the heat first and stop the supply of the heat to the hot water in the middle, thereby supplying the heat through the heat exchanger 30. The temporal fluctuation of the hot water temperature can be suppressed.

  Also in the third embodiment, the one end portion 40A of the heat pipe 40 extends through the one side surface 3E of the case body 3 to the outside of the case body 3, and the one end portion 40A has a gas reservoir. A part 8 is provided. Further, a heat radiating fin 41 is provided at one end 40A of the heat pipe 40 so as to connect the one end 40A. Thereby, even if the heat storage unit 21 is overheated, this heat can be released to the outside of the case body 3 through the heat pipe 40. For this reason, by preventing overheating of the heat storage unit 21, damage to the laminate material of the heat storage unit 21 can be prevented, heat can be repeatedly stored in the heat storage unit 21, and the reliability of the heat storage unit 21 can be ensured. .

By the way, in the variable conductance heat pipe, the amount of hydraulic fluid and non-condensable gas contained in the container and the pressure are adjusted so that the hydraulic fluid reaches the heat radiating portion at a desired temperature.
In the first to third embodiments described above, when the heat storage units 21 and 61 exceed the upper limit use temperature, the hydraulic fluid reaches the heat radiating unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the heat pipe 40 It may be adjusted so that the temperature of the soaking part is always lower than the melting point of the latent heat storage material.
According to this configuration, since the heat pipe 40 is always maintained at a temperature lower than the freezing point of the latent heat storage material, a crystal (seed crystal) of the latent heat storage material is formed on the side surface portion of the heat storage unit 21 in contact with the heat pipe 40. ) Remains without melting. For this reason, when the heat storage unit 21 is cooled below the freezing point, the heat storage unit 21 generates heat by starting solidification using the seed crystal as a trigger. Therefore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to provide a heat generation trigger mechanism for each heat storage unit, and the configuration of the heat storage unit can be simplified.

In the first embodiment and the third embodiment described above, the solar water heaters 1 and 50 are configured such that the solar heat collector 10, the heat accumulators 20 and 60, and the heat exchanger 30 are stacked in the vertical direction. However, the solar heat collector 10, the heat accumulators 20, 60, and the heat exchanger 30 may be arranged so as to overlap in the horizontal direction, for example.
In the first to third embodiments described above, the heat pipes 40 and 120 are all described as variable conductance heat pipes. However, the heat pipes 40 and 120 are not limited to this, and normal heat equalization accompanying heat transfer is realized. A heat pipe may be used.

1, 50, 80 Solar water heater 3 Case body (case)
5 Heat equalizing portion 7 Heat radiating portion 8 Gas reservoir portion 10 Solar heat collector 11 Heat collecting plate 20, 60, 90 Heat accumulator 21, 61, 91 Heat accumulating unit 30, 100 Heat exchanger 31, 101 Base plate 32, 102 Fin ( Heat transfer support)
32A, 102A Through-hole 33, 103 Inlet header 34, 104 Outlet header 35, 105 Connecting pipe 40, 120 Heat pipe (heat equalizing member, heat equalizing part, second heat pipe)
40A, 120A One end (one end)
41 Heat Dissipation Fin 110 Transfer Heat Pipe (Heat Transfer Member, First Heat Pipe)
110A transfer section

Claims (8)

A solar collector,
A heat accumulator for storing heat collected by the solar heat collector;
A solar water heater with a heat exchanger that heats water with heat stored in the heat accumulator,
The heat accumulator is divided into a plurality of heat storage units including a latent heat storage material,
A solar water heater comprising a heat pipe thermally connected to a plurality of heat storage units, wherein one end of the heat pipe is disposed outside the case.   The solar water heater according to claim 1, wherein the solar heat collector, the heat accumulator, and the heat exchanger are arranged so as to overlap each other.   The heat storage device is thermally connected to the solar heat collector and the heat exchanger, and the solar heat collector and the heat exchanger are thermally connected. Solar water heater. The heat accumulator and the heat exchanger are arranged to overlap,
The solar heat collector is disposed side by side with the heat storage and heat exchanger,
The solar water heater according to claim 1, wherein the solar heat collector and the heat accumulator are thermally connected by the heat pipe. The heat accumulator and the heat exchanger are arranged to overlap,
The solar heat collector is disposed side by side with the heat storage and heat exchanger,
A first heat pipe that thermally connects the solar heat collector and the regenerator;
A second heat pipe thermally connected to the plurality of heat storage units;
The solar water heater according to claim 1, wherein one end of the second heat pipe is disposed outside the case.   6. The solar water heater according to claim 1, wherein a part or all of the heat pipe is configured by a variable conductance heat pipe.   The solar water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a heat radiating fin is provided at one end of the heat pipe disposed outside the case. The plurality of heat storage units are arranged in the heat exchanger,
A heat transfer column is interposed between each heat storage unit,
The solar water heater according to claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is thermally connected to the heat transfer column.

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