Solar panel with storage

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Drawings

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panel and which serve as a heat storage means and the

SOLARPANEL WITH STORAGE panel has no moving parts therein.

It is further an object of this invention to provide the

FIELD OF THE INVENTION panel as described above wherein insulating materials This invention relates to space heating and/or cool may be provided to and removed from the panel to ing panels using solar radiation as a source of heat en efficiently limit heat loss and/or gain as required. ergy. m . .. . It is further an object of this invention to provide a Particularly, this invention relates to vertical wall panel as described above wherein the elements of the panels of the type described above which have as a part O panel may be economically and conveniently removed, of their assembly energy storage capacity in the form of repaired, maintained and/or replaced in the event the containers of phase change material. - panel should sustain externally originating damage such Still more particularly, this invention relates to panels as that brought about by accident, projectiles, or dam as described above which have no moving parts in the age to the supporting structure'such as fire or explosion panel and which may be constructed so as to be substan 15 or severe weather damage. . . . .. . tially self-contained with regard to the means for the It is further an object of this invention to provide performing of the regulating of the receiving, storing, panels as described above wherein the panels are of and discharge of heat energy. modular construction such that a number of such panels may be employed in an array and the panels may share

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 20 temperature regulating means and insulation storage

The term "phase change. material' as used herein and transfer means so as to further, enhance the econ shall be read to mean; "a substance which has the prop omy, utility and versatility of the panel. --- erty of remaining at substantially a constant tempera Other objects will become apparent from the specifi-, ture while receiving or giving up significant amounts of cations, drawings and the appended claims. heat energy at a temperature at which the material 25 DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART undergoes a change of state'. For example; water changes state between liquid and solid at 32 degrees In the last ten years the solar heating art has grown Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). Water will remain at 32 dramatically. The functions of intercepting solar rays, degrees Fahrenheit until the change of state is complete converting these rays to heat energy, and employing and approximately 144 BTU/pound of water is ab 30 this heat energy to heat spaces is common to Virtually. sorbed or yielded up during the change of state. all prior art solar heating systems. The functions of heat . The term “thermostat' used herein shall be read to storage and insulation against heat loss and/or gain as mean "a control means which responds to temperature required are found in a large percentage of prior art to initiate, maintain or change the operating mode of a solar heating systems. Vertical wall elements which are device'. 35 solar collectors are not uncommon in the art. is Panels which collect solar energy are well known in Self contained vertical wall panel solar heating sys the art. State of the art panels often suffer from a num tems are less common in the art. The term 'self con ber of deficiencies. . . . . : - tained vertical wall panel solar heating systems' as used One such deficiency of many such panels is the need herein shall be read to mean "a wall panel which has an to provide large often expensive heat storage means and 40 outer surface exposed to solar radiation and the panel often elaborate and less than satisfactory, mechanisms: has as a part of its structure a means for receiving and for transferring heat from the panel to storage and from storing solar energy, a means for dispensing heat to a the storage means to the space to be heated. . . . . . space to be heated, and a means for insulating the sys Another deficiency of state of the art panels is the tem against heat loss and/or gain as required'. . need for reliable and efficient temperature control both 45 Still less common are self contained vertical wall. for the panel and for the space to be heated. panel solar heating systems which are fully automatic. Yet another deficiency of many such panels is that of The term "fully automatic" as used herein shall be read installation and maintenance cost and convenience. to mean "requiring no user intervention during normal Experience has shown that such panels are subjected to operation'. . w . . . a range of mechanical damage from abnormal weather 50 The patent art contains many solar heating systems and environmental conditions and activities in the vicin which teach one or more of the elements of this inven ity of the panels. Therefore, provision must be made for tion. Those panels which can be characterized as teach the maintenance and repair of even the most well con ing self contained fully automatic vertical wall panels structed and durable of so called maintenance free pan are; U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,292 which teaches such a panel els. . . m. 55 wherein a phase change material is used for heat storage Yet another deficiency of many such panels is that of but relies upon a novel heat absorber to collect heat efficiency. Undesirable heat losses and/or gains often energy and to, in part, restrict heat loss. . . . diminish the efficiency of such panels to the point they U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,809 teaches the use of a specially are not cost effective. constructed building block. This patent can be read as a 60 self contained wall panel (block). It further shares with

OBJECTS the instant invention the property of having no moving

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a parts as a part of the panel itself. self-contained, fully automatic, maintenance free, verti The devices of the above described patents are seen cal wall solar panel which is highly reliable and effi as the most relevant of the prior art patents known to cient. 65 the inventor. The instant invention performs many of It is further an object of this invention to provide a the same functions performed by the devices taught by solar panel as described above wherein containers of these patents but this invention employs distinctly dif. phase change materials are provided as a part of the ferent means to perform these functions and these 4 means interact with each other to perform their func ranged therein an array of containers of phase change tions differently than do the prior art devices. material which serve as heat storage elements. The The non patent prior art contains art of the inventor's interior wall of the panel has air passages therein knowledge which is relevant and needs be considered through which air from the space to be heated may when assessing the novelty of this invention. The Rod enter the heat storage chamber, pass over the heat stor wall panel provided by Sunwood Energy Products Inc. age elements and then be returned to the space to be of Harrisburg, Va., bears a close physical resemblance heated. The panel may be provided with thermostatically to the panel of this invention. The Rodwall panel em ploys rotating phase change rods for heat storage and controlled blowers to pass air through the heating rotating reflectors to provide a degree of insulation. In 10 chamber and thereby provide heat on demand for the counter distinction the panel of this invention has no space to be heated in much the same manner as a con moving parts in the panel as such and employs insulat ventional hot air heating system.

ing beads to provide a high degree of insulation. The insulating chamber may be provided with ports The Beadwall (TM) insulating window panel pro through which insulating material such as polystyrene vided by the ZOMEWORKS Company of Albuquer 15 beads may be introduced into and removed from the que N.M. is somewhat analogous to the insulating insulating chamber. The panel may be provided with a chamber of this invention. The Beadwall (TM) con solar sampling chamber having a thermostatic sensor struction teaches a window chamber comprising two which may interact with a thermostatic sensor in the parallel glass panels and the chamber may be filled with heat storage chamber to activate an insulating materials plastic beads to give the window high insulating proper 20 blower or vacuum means to move insulating material to ties. The instant invention employs many of the benefi and from an insulating materials bin and to and from the cial properties of the Beadwall (TM) window and the insulating chamber as required for efficient collection instant inventor makes no claim to their invention or and storage of energy in the heat storage chamber. The discovery. heat storage chamber may be provided with an over The prior art does not provide or teach the combina 25 heat thermostatic control which serves to exhaust heat tion of elements functioning as they function in this from the heat storage chamber if it should reach the invention. Without the hindsight benefits of this disclo overheat temperature.

sure it is not reasonable to see this invention as an obvi BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ous combination of the teachings of several of the prior art references. Given the vast body of prior art inven 30 FIG. 1 is a partially schematic sectioned pictorial tions and the near infinite possibilities of combinations view of the panel of this invention in its simplest form. of their elements, and the number of references which FIG. 2 is a partially schematic sectioned pictorial would have to be combined to provide the elements of view of the panel of FIG. 1 with means for providing this invention, it is highly improbable that one skilled in insulation and temperature control to the panel. the art would find it obvious to select from the art the 35 combination of the elements of this invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The inventor knows of no prior art, self contained, In the figures, like numbers refer to like objects. fully automatic vertical wall panel solar heating systems Referring now to FIG. 1. Panel 1 is in the shape of a wherein the individual functional components may be shallow rectangular box having a substantially continu readily removed, repaired, and/or replaced quickly and 40 ous frame 2, first transparent pane 3, second transparent conveniently by the user. pane 4 and opaque back panel 5. The space between At a higher level of invention, the inventor knows of panes 3 and 4 serve as an insulating chamber 6 through no prior art solar heating system which incorporates the which solar radiation may pass but heat energy from complex interactions of sophisticated functions of this heat storage chamber 7 is inhibited from flowing invention in so simple and basic a mode as to be easily 45 through chamber 6. Heat storage chamber 7 has con understood and readily and effectively used by those of tained therein an array of containers of phase change very little skill in the art. materials such as heat storage rods 8. Heat storage rods Further, the inventor knows of no prior art self con 8 may be heat storage rods provided by Dow Chemical tained fully automatic vertical wall panel solar heating Co. and containing calcium Chloride hexahydrate. This system which employs a solar sampler to optimize the 50 material undergoes phase change at approximately 80 solar energy input and to minimize the heat energy degrees Fahrenheit and is therefore capable of giving losses of the panel. up and/or receiving large quantities of heat energy while remaining at that temperature. Back panel 5 is

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION provided with air passageways 9 and 10. Heat storage The invention in its simplest form is a vertical wall 55 chamber 7 may be provided with an air mover such as panel which may be incorporated in the structure of a blower 11. Thermostat 12 may serve to actuate blower vertical wall in much the same manner as a conven 11 when the temperature of the space to be heated tional window. The panel is in the shape of a shallow reaches a preset lower temperature and also serve to rectangular box having a closed perimeter, broad exte turn off blower 11 when the temperature in the space to rior side which is exposed to solar radiation and a broad be heated reaches a preset upper temperature. Thermo interior side which may be adjacent to or a part of the static sensor 13 may serve to deactivate thermostat 12 wall of a space to be heated. The panel is divided into when the temperature in the heat storage chamber falls two substantially coextensive chambers; an exterior below a preset lower temperature. Wall panel 1 of FIG. insulating chamber which is substantially a double 1 may have thermostat 12, and blower 11 incorporated glazed window and an interior heat storage chamber. 65 in the structure of panel 1. Alternatively these functions The interior pane of the insulating chamber serves as a may be provided separate from or apart from panel 1 to divider between the insulating chamber and the heat accommodate a multiplicity of panels similar to panel 1 storage chamber. The heat storage chamber has ar arranged in a modular array. The direction of flow 5 through heat storage chamber 7 may be reversed by a self contained fully automatic solar wall panel. It will changing the positioning of blower 11 thereby further also be obvious to one skilled in the art when employing enhancing the versatility of panel 1. a number of such panels that a single storage bin, solar The panel of FIG. 1 represents the invention in its sampler, thermostatic controller and the like can be simplest form and would serve to heat and/or cool employed to serve more than one panel. It would also spaces such as garages, storage buildings and the like be obvious to one skilled in the art to provide the panel where costs may be of greater concern than more pre of this invention with the customary electrical-current cise temperature control and efficiency. overload protection, transformers, indicator lights, Double glazed insulating chambers such as chamber 6 manual override switches and the like which are ordi of FIG. 1 ordinarily have an insulating value between 10 narily incorporated in heating and cooling systems and R3 and R6. It has been found that by filling insulating not shown here. . . . . chamber 6 with insulating material such as polystyrene It should also be obvious to one skilled in the art that beads, the insulating value of chamber 6 can be in there are many variations of the preferred embodiments creased to above R10. By doing so at the appropriate of the invention disclosed above which would permit times two major deficiencies in prior art solar wall pan 15 versatility of design of the installation of these panels els are eliminated. The first is that of heat losses through without departing from the scope of this invention. the double glazed insulating chamber due to the rela It should therefore be understood that the scope of tively low R-value of the chamber. The second is that of disclosed this invention should not be limited to the embodiments herein but should only be limited by the scope overheating of the panel when solar energy is available and the heat storage is full. 20 of the appended claims and all equivalents thereto Referring now to FIG. 2. The wall panel of FIG. 1 is which would become apparent to one skilled in the art. provided with storage bin 14 for insulating particles 15 I claim: .. . . . . . . which may be polystyrene beads or the like. Insulating 1. A self contained fully automatic vertical wall panel chamber 6 is provided with bead exhaust tube 16 and solar heating system comprising;

bead input tube 17 which communicate with bin 14 by 25 (a) at least one wall panel in the shape of an enclosed way of connecting tube 18. Bin 14 is provided with rectangular box having a broad exterior side and a blower means 19 and vacuum means 20 which are pro broad interior side and a substantially enclosed vided with time delay switches 21 and 22 respectively perimeter and the panel has no moving parts, and which serve to permit blower means 19 or vacuum (b) the exterior side comprises a first pane of transpar means 20 to be actuated for a time period sufficient to 30 ent material such as glass and the like and a second fill or empty insulating chamber 6 with insulating parti pane of transparent material which is substantially cles 15 and to automatically shut off thereafter. Panel 1 coextensive with the first pane of transparent mate is further provided with solar sampler 23 which is sub rial and spaced apart from the first pane of trans stantially a small shallow box 24 having a glazed face 25 parent materialso as to form an insulating chamber and a temperature sensor 26 contained therein. Heat 35 on the exterior side of the panel, storage chamber 7 is provided with over temperature (c) a back panel which is opaque and substantially sensor 27. coextensive with the panes of transparent materials In operation insulating chamber 6 is filled with insu and spaced apart from the second pane of transpar lating particles 15 when solar energy is not available as ent materials to form a heat chamber, determined by solar sampler 23 or when heat storage 40 (d) an array of heat storage elements such as contain chamber 7 is at a preset maximum temperature as deter ers of phase change materials such as calcium chlo mined by over temperature sensor 27. When solar en ride hexahydrate, eutectic salts and the like posi ergy is available and heat storage chamber 7 is not at tioned in the heat chamber, and maximum temperature thermostatic controller 28 acti (e) an air entrance passage and an air exit passage vates time delay switch 22 which causes vacuum means 45 passing through the back panel and communicating 20 to withdraw insulating particles 15 from insulating with the heat chamber so as to permit air from the chamber 6 and thereby permits solar radiation to pass space to be heated to enter the heat chamber, pass through insulating chamber 6 and to warm heat storage over the array of heat storage elements and be rods 8 in heat storage chamber 7. heated thereby, and then to pass through the exit When solar energy becomes unavailable or heat stor 50 passage into the space to be heated, and age chamber 7 is at maximum temperature, thermostatic (f) wherein the heat chamber is provided with a tem controller 28 activates delay switch 21 which causes perature activated heat chamber switch and the blower means 19 to act to fill insulating chamber 6 with space to be heated is provided with a temperature insulating particles 15 and thereby substantially prevent actuated room temperature switch, and the heat the flow of energy into or out of heat storage chamber 55 chamber is provided with an air moving means 7 by way of insulating chamber 6. such as a fan, blower, and the like and the air mov It has been found that when insulating chamber 6 is ing means is interconnected with the heat chamber being filled because of an over temperature in heat switch and the room switch so that the air moving storage chamber 7 it is desirable to operate blower 11 means will be actuated when the heat chamber for a period of time to prevent a temperature overrun 60 temperature is above a preset temperature and the which may result in thermal degradation of the insulat room temperature is below a preset lower tempera ing particles 15 in insulating chamber 6 and adjacent to ture and operation of the air moving means will heat storage chamber 7. continue until the temperature in the vicinity of the The components of the panel of FIG. 2 are shown as room temperature switch reaches a preset upper separated and spaced apart from each other for the sake 65 temperature at which time the room temperature of illustration and communication. It can readily be switch will act to deactivate the air moving means appreciated that these elements can easily be incorpo and the air moving means serves to draw air from rated into the rectangular housing of panel 1 to provide the area to be heated into the heat chamber and 6 over the array of heat storage elements and to blow chamber reaches a preset lower temperature and the air heated thereby into the space to be heated, thereby acts to fill the insulating chamber with and insulating beads and thereby serves to prevent the (g) wherein the exterior insulating chamber is pro loss of heat from the heat storage chamber by way vided with an insulating particle input port and an of the insulating chamber. insulating particle output port and the insulating 2. The solar heating system of claim 1 wherein the partical input port and the insulating particle out heating chamber is provided with heat storage chamber put port are operably joined to a storage bin filled temperature sensing means which serves to actuate an with insulating particles such as polystyrene beads over temperature control switch which serves to elec and the like and the storage bin is provided with a 10 trically override the solar sampling switch and to acti blower means for transferring the insulating parti vate the blower of the storage bin and thereby fill the cles from the bin to the exterior insulating chamber exterior insulating chamber with insulating material and and a vacuum means for drawing beads from the thereby prevent the heat chamber from receiving solar exterior insulating chamber to the storage bin and energy at times when the heat storage chamber has the panel is further provided with a solar sampling 15 reached a preset upper temperature and the over tem chamber and the sampling chamber has contained perature sensing means further serves to actuate the therein a temperature sensing means which serves over temperature switch so as to reactivate the solar to actuate a control switch which activates the sampling switch and thereby return control of the insu vacuum means of the bead chamber when the tem lating chamber to the solar sampling means when a perature in the sampling chamber reaches a preset 20 preset lower overheat temperature is reached in the upper temperature and thereby serves to remove heat storage chamber.

insulating beads from the insulating chamber and 3. The solar heating system of claim 2 wherein the thereby permits solar energy to pass through the over temperature sensor also serves to actuate the air insulating chamber into the heat storage chamber moving means of the heat chamber for a sufficient per and impinge upon the heat storage elements therein 25 iod of time to prevent thermal overrun from raising the and the temperature sensing means in the sampling temperature of the heat storage chamber above the over chamber further serves to actuate a control switch temperature setting of the overtemperature control which serves to activate the blower means in the switch.

storage bin when the temperature in the sampling