WO2009008701A1

WO2009008701A1 - Heating system and building provided with such a system

Info

Publication number: WO2009008701A1
Application number: PCT/NL2007/050333
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cornelis Groot
Original assignee: West 6 B.V.
Priority date: 2007-07-06
Filing date: 2007-07-06
Publication date: 2009-01-15

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heating system, comprising a absorption/emission device for absorbing heat and emitting heat; a wind power device for generating electricity from wind energy; an electrical heating element; and electrical wiring connecting the wind power device with the electrical heating element to supply electricity generated by the wind power device to the electrical heating element. The absorption/emission device is provided with the electrical heating element for heating the absorption/emissio n device by the electrical heating element. The wind power device comprises at least one wind turbine. The present invention further relates to a building provided with such a heating system.

Description

HEATING SYSTEM AND BUILDING PROVIDED WITH SUCH A SYSTEM.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of heating systems.

Background of the invention

Heating systems, such as baseboard heating systems, are known as such. Heating system are used to heat a room of a building. In case of a baseboard heating system, the heating system comprises heat radiating means arranged in the transition area of a wall and floor of a room, i.e. it extends along the lower edge of the wall and the outer edge of the floor. In general the heat radiating means use electrical heating elements or heated water to generate heat for heating the room. WO-02/103247 shows an example of a baseboard heating system.

Prior art heating systems, like baseboard heating systems, show several disadvantages, such as a high energy consumption, the need of supply of energy at the moment that the room requires heating, and inefficient heat transfer to the room. These disadvantages are all present in for example WO-02/103247.

The present invention has at its object to provide an improved heating system, which overcomes amongst others the above mentioned disadvantages.

Summary of the invention

The above objects are according to the invention achieved by providing a heating system, comprising

^■ an absorption/emission device for absorbing heat and emitting heat; ■ a wind power device for generating electricity from wind energy;

^■ an electrical heating element; ^■ electrical wiring connecting the wind power device with the electrical heating element to supply electricity generated by the wind power device to the electrical heating element; wherein the absorption/emission device is provided with the electrical heating element for heating the absorption/emission device by the electrical heating element.

The wind power device, which is especially arranged on the outside of the outer wall of the building to be heated by the heating system according to the invention, generates electricity. The wiring supplies this electricity, preferably directly, to the electrical heating element, which in turn transfers the electricity in heat. This heat is absorbed by the absorption/emission device, which in turn emits the absorbed heat to the area to be heated. The electric heating element can for example be an ordinary electrical heating resistance element. The absorption/emission device can for example be a radiator in the form of a metal housing comprising a liquid, like water or oil, the liquid absorbing heat from the electric heating element and the metal housing emitting heat to the area to be heated.

According to a very advantageous embodiment, the absorption/emission device is at least one element from steatite. Steatite, also known as soapstone, is a material with the capacity to absorb a large amount of heat, to distribute this heat evenly and to radiate the absorbed heat evenly over a relatively long period of time. In order to heat the steatite element, it is provided with said electrical heating element, such as a electrical heating resistance element, which are known as generating heat from electricity by means of electrical resistance. The electricity for the electrical heating resistance elements is supplied by the wind power device. As the steatite element forms a heat buffer, it is able to buffer heat generated from wind energy by means of the wind power device at the moments that wind is present and to emit this heat by radiation at other moments over a long period of time, for example when it is windless. The electricity generated by the wind power device does not need intermediate storage. As such steatite is known as a decorative material. However steatite is also known as being very soft and susceptible for scratches and other damages. By providing the steatite as a baseboard element in the transition area of the wall and floor of a room, i.e. it extends along the lower edge of the wall and the outer edge of the floor, it appears in practise that this susceptibility for damages is not a problem. According to the invention the steatite baseboard element does not need a protective cover, it can face directly into the room without a protective cover, i.e. in an exposed condition or in other words the sides of the steatite baseboard element which are facing the room can be bare.

According to a further embodiment, the wind power device is designed to generate a low voltage current, such as a low voltage direct current. A low voltage current, is a current with a voltage lower than 50 Volt. Using a low voltage current reduces the risks of fire, injury to persons etcetera. According to the invention it is in this respect of further advantage when the low voltage is between 5 and 30 Volt, especially between 10 and 25 Volt. The heating system according to the invention can for example be operated very well at 12 Volt direct current.

According to another further embodiment the wind power device comprises at least one wind turbine. In order to be able to generate sufficient electricity with relatively small wind turbines, it is according to the invention advantageous when there is provided one wind turbine for each 1.5 to 5 meter length of elongate baseboard element. For example in case of one wind turbine per 2 meter length of elongate baseboard element, one will use 4 wind turbines in case the baseboard element is 8 m long. Applicant found that using this rule of thumb, one can suffice with wind turbines having a rotor with a diameter smaller than 2.5 m, such as a diameter of 0.5 - 1.5 meter.

According to a further embodiment of the system having a wind turbine according to the invention, it is advantageous when the turbine is provided with a stepping motor for generating electricity. A stepping motor has a large number of poles enabling it to generate a relative large amount of electrical energy.

According to a another further embodiment of the system having a wind turbine according to the invention, it is advantageous when a protective cage is provided around the rotor to prevent objects from contacting the rotor, the cage being open for wind. According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a building comprising a heating system according to the invention. In case the heating system has at least one wind turbine, it is advantageous when this at least one wind turbine is provided on the outside wall of the building. By doing so the electric wiring connecting the wind power device with the electrical heating element can be kept short, reducing electrical losses and disruption of the landscape. The rotor can be placed close to the outside face of the outside wall, as long as there remains sufficient space between the rotor and the outside wall to allow the wind to flow away in order to prevent stand still of the rotor due to damming up of wind against the outside wall. It appears that it suffices when the rotor is spaced from the outside wall at a distance of 15-70 cm, especially at a distance of at least 20-40 cm.

As such it is noted that a separate, other invention is present in a building provided with a wind turbine on the outside of a outside wall of the building; wherein the wind turbine generates electricity, which is supplied by electrical wiring to a electrical device arranged inside the building, wherein the electrical wiring connects the wind turbine directly with said electrical device. In a special embodiment of this separate, other invention, said electrical device can be an electrical heating element, which according to a further embodiment can be provided on an absorption/heating device, such as a steatite element. According to this separate, other invention the electrical device can however also be another type of electrical device, like a lamp, a water boiler etc.

According to a further embodiment it is advantageous when the sides of the baseboard element facing the room to be heated are bare.

Short description of the drawings

Below, the invention will be explained further with reference to the drawing. In the drawing shows: Figure 1 , highly schematically, a perspective view into part of a room of a building provided with the invention;

Figure 2, highly schematically, a top plan view on a building according to the invention; Figure 3, highly schematically, a perspective view on an elongate baseboard element according to one embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 4, highly schematically, a perspective view on an elongate baseboard element according to another embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the drawing

Figure 2 shows a top plan view of a building 3 according to the invention. This building is shown only in part with two room 1 and 2, accessible through doors 4. Three outside walls 6, 7 and 9 are shown in Figure 2 as well as one inside wall 8 separating the rooms 1 and 2.

Figure 1 shows in perspective a view into part of the room 1 of the building 3 of Figure 2. Here 5 indicates a window.

Figure 1 shows that, in the transition area between the floor 10 of room 1 and walls 6 and 7 of room 1, there are provided elongate baseboard elements 11, 12. Those baseboard elements 11, 12 are essentially fixed to the side walls 6 and 7 along the lower edge thereof. As is shown in Figure 1, similar elongate baseboard elements 13, 14 and 15 are provided along the other walls 8 and 21 of room 1 and also similar elongate baseboard elements 16, 17, 18, 190 and 20 are provided along the walls 8, 7, 9 and 21 of the other room 2.

Figures 1 and 2 show further that the building is provided with a plurality of wind turbines 22. Each wind turbine has a rotor 23 with a diameter D of, in this example, about 1 m. Each rotor 23 drives a stepping motor 24 which converts the rotation of the rotor into a direct current of about 12 Volt. The rotor lies at a distance X of, in this example, about 25 cm from the outer surface from the outside wall 6. In order to prevent injuries of persons, the rotor 23 is arranged inside a cage 35 which is open for wind.

By means of wiring 25, 26 this electricity feeds one or more electrical heating resistance elements 27, 28 provided inside a elongate baseboard element (see Figure 3) and/or on the outside of an elongate baseboard element (see figure 4) and/or otherwise at an elongate baseboard element.

The elongate baseboard elements 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 all are made from steatite and are essentially solid.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, a elongate baseboard element 11 is provided with a bore into which a helically coiled heating resistance element 27 is inserted. In use the longitudinal face 30 of the elongate baseboard element 11 faces the adjacent wall. The opposing longitudinal face 31 of the elongate baseboard element 11 will, in use, face into the room 1. This longitudinal face 31 will preferably be bare, i.e. without any covering layer, so that it faces directly into the room 1.

In the embodiment of Figure 4, a zigzag extending heating resistance element 28 is adhered to an outside longitudinal face 32 of elongate baseboard element 12. As will be clear, the heating resistance element can also extend along another pattern than zigzag. In use the longitudinal face 32 of the elongate baseboard element 12 faces the adjacent wall so that the heat resistance element 28 is so to say sandwiched between the baseboard element 12 and the adjacent wall. The opposing longitudinal face 33 of the elongate baseboard element 12 will, in use, face into the room 1. This longitudinal face 33 will preferably be bare, i.e. without any covering layer, so that it faces directly into the room 1.

As will be clear to the one skilled in the art, wind turbines can be provided all around the building so that no matter what the wind direction is, there are always some wind turbines driven by the wind.

Further, as will be clear to one skilled in the art, further embodiments of the invention are conceivable as well. For example, one could connect the wind power device to a water heating boiler as well, in order to use electricity (for example as it is superfluous because there is no demand for heating) for the hot water system. It is conceivable to connect the baseboard heating system to the electrical mains as well so that the base board heating system can also function during long periods of no wind or in case the wind power device does not generate sufficient electricity for the demand of heat. It is also conceivable to use, in addition to the baseboard heating system according to the invention, additional other heating systems as well.

Claims

1] Heating system, comprising

^■ an absorption/emission device (11-20) for absorbing heat and emitting heat; ■ a wind power device (22) for generating electricity from wind energy;

^■ an electrical heating element (27, 28);

^■ electrical wiring (25, 26) connecting the wind power device (22) with the electrical heating element (27, 28) to supply electricity generated by the wind power device (22) to the electrical heating element (27, 28); wherein the absorption/emission device (11-20) is provided with the electrical heating element (27, 28) for heating the absorption/emission device (11-20) by the electrical heating element (27, 28).

2] Heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the absorption/emission device comprises at least one element (11-20) from steatite.

3] Heating device according to claim 2, wherein said at least one element from steatite is a baseboard element (11-20).

4] Heating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wind power device (22) is arranged to generate a low voltage current, such as a low voltage direct current.

5] Heating device according to claim 4, wherein the low voltage is between 5 and 30 Volt, especially between 10 and 25 Volt.

6] Heating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wind power device comprises at least one wind turbine (22).

7] Heating device according to claim 6 depending from claim 3, wherein there is provided one wind turbine (22) for each 2 to 5 meter length of elongate baseboard element (11-20). 8] Heating system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein each at least one wind turbine (22) is provided with a stepping motor (24) for generating electricity.

9] Heating system according to one of claims 6-8, wherein the at least one wind turbine (22) has a turbine rotor (23) with a diameter smaller than 2.5 meter, such as a diameter of 0.5 - 1.5 meter.

10] Heating system according to one of claims 6-9, wherein a protective cage (35) is provided around the rotor (23) to prevent objects from contacting the rotor (23), the cage (35) being open for wind.

11] Building (3) comprising a heating system according to one of the preceding claims.

12] Building (3) comprising a heating system according to one of the claims 6-10, wherein the at least one wind turbine (22) is provided on an outside wall (6, 7, 9) of the building (3).

13] Building (3) according to claim 12, wherein the rotor (23) is spaced from the outside wall (6, 7, 9) at a distance (X) of 15-70 cm, especially at a distance of at least 20-40 cm.

14] Building (3) according to one of the claims 11-13 depending from claim 2 or 3, wherein the sides (31, 33) of the baseboard element (11-20) facing the room (1, 2) to be heated are bare.