Energy recovery and storage system

Claim 2

An energy conservation and storage system comprising a heat pipe and fluid circulating means including fluid pipes interconnecting a fluid jacket and a fluid storage tank, means positioning the heat pipe to enable one end to extend into a space through which energy in the form of heat is available and the other end to extend outside the said space in contact with fluid in the fluid jacket, circulating means for circulating fluid through said fluid jacket and said fluid pipes, said circulating fluid transferring heat from the fluid jacket to the storage tank, first temperature sensitive control means positioned in said space and responsive to a first signal and to a range of temperature in said space to control said circulating means and thereby regulate the circulation of fluid through said fluid jacket and the transfer of heat to the storage tank and second temperature sensitive control means coupled to said storage tank responsive to a range of temperatures in said tank to provide said first signal, thereby to place a demand that said circulating means supply hot fluid to said tank.

Claim 3

The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which the circulating means includes a pump, said pump enabling the transfer of hot fluid from said fluid jacket to said storage tank and the transmission of cold fluid from the storage tank to said fluid jacket.

Claim 4

An energy conservation and storage system comprising a heat pipe, hot water circulating means, said hot water circulating means including water pipes interconnecting a water jacket and a storage tank, means positioning the heat pipe to enable one end to extend into a flue-stack and the other end to extend outside the flue-stack, the one end of the heat pipe contacting flue gases and the other end contacting water in the water jacket, said heat pipe enabling the transfer of heat from gases in the flue-stack to water in the water jacket, circulating means for circulating water through said water jacket and said water pipes, said circulating water enabling the transfer of heat from the end of the heat pipe in the water jacket to the storage tank, first temperature sensitive control means positioned in said flue-stack responsive to a first signal and to a range of temperatures in said flue-stack to provide control signals to said circulating means and thereby regulate the circulation of water through said water jacket and the transfer of heat to the storage tank; wherein the circulating means includes a pump, said pump enabling the transfer of hot water from said water jacket to said storage tank and the transmission of cold water from the storage tank to said water jacket, and second temperature sensitive control means coupled to said storage tank and responsive to a range of temperatures in said tank to provide said first signal thereby to place a demand that said pump supply hot water to said tank.

Claim 5

An energy conservation and storage system comprising a heat pipe, hot water circulating means, said hot water circulating means including water pipes interconnecting a water jacket and a storage tank, means positioning the heat pipe to enable one end to extend into a flue-stack and the other end to extend outside the flue-stack, the one end of the heat pipe contacting flue gases and the other end contacting water in the water jacket, said heat pipe enabling the transfer of heat from gases in the flue-stack to water in the water jacket, circulating means for circulating water through said water jacket and said water pipes, said circulating water enabling the transfer of heat from the end of the heat pipe in the water jacket to the storage tank, first temperature sensitive control means positioned in said flue-stack responsive to a first signal and to a range of temperatures in said flue-stack to provide control signals to said circulating means and thereby regulate the circulation of water through said water jacket and the transfer of heat to the storage tank; wherein the circulating means includes a pump, said pump enabling the transfer of hot water from said water jacket to said storage tank and the transmission of cold water from the storage tank to said water jacket, and second temperature sensitive control means coupled to said storage tank and responsive to a range of temperatures in said tank to provide said first signal thereby to place a demand that said pump supply hot water to said tank.

Claim 6

An energy conservation and storage system comprising a heat pipe and hot water circulating means including water pipes interconnecting a water jacket and a storage tank, means positioning the heat pipe to enable one end to extend into a flue-stack in contact with flue gases and the other end to extend outside the flue-stack in contact with water in the water jacket, said heat pipe transferring heat in the flue-stack to water in the water jacket, circulating means for circulating water through said water jacket and said water pipes, said circulating water transferring heat from the water jacket to the storage tank, first temperature sensitive control means positioned in said flue stack responsive to a first control signal and to a range of temperatures in said flue-stack to control said circulating means and thereby regulate the circulation of water through said water jacket and the transfer of heat to the storage tank; and second temperature sensitive control means coupled to said storage tank and responsive to a range of temperatures to provide said first control signal thereby to place a demand signal that said circulating means supply hot fluid to said storage tank.

Claim 7

An energy conservation and storage system comprising a heat pipe and hot water circulating means including water pipes interconnecting a water jacket and a storage tank, means positioning the heat pipe to enable one end to extend into a flue-stack in contact with flue gases and the other end to extend outside the flue-stack in contact with water in the water jacket, said heat pipe transferring heat in the flue-stack to water in the water jacket, circulating means for circulating water through said water jacket and said water pipes, said circulating water transferring heat from the water jacket to the storage tank, first temperature sensitive control means positioned in said flue stack responsive to a first control signal and to a range of temperatures in said flue-stack to control said circulating means and thereby regulate the circulation of water through said water jacket and the transfer of heat to the storage tank; and second temperature sensitive control means coupled to said storage tank and responsive to a range of temperatures to provide said first control signal thereby to place a demand signal that said circulating means supply hot fluid to said storage tank.

Claim 8

An energy conservation and storage system comprising heat transfer means capable of receiving energy in the form of heat and transferring the heat to a fluid for storage in storage means, means for positioning said heat transfer means to enable a first portion to extend into a flue-stack for contact with flue gases and a second portion to extend outside the flue-stack for contact with fluid in a fluid holding jacket, circulating means for circulating fluid through said fluid holding jacket to remove heat supplied by the heat transfer means and to transfer the fluid to the storage means, a first temperature sensitive control means positioned in said flue-stack and responsive to a first control signal and to a range of temperatures in said flue-stack to control said circulating means and thereby control circulation of fluid through said fluid holding jacket and second temperature sensitive control means coupled to said storage means and responsive to the temperature of the fluid therein to provide said first control signal when the temperature of the fluid in said storage means is less than a predetermined value, thereby to activate said circulating means.

Claim 9

An energy conservation and storage system comprising heat transfer means capable of receiving energy in the form of heat and transferring the heat to a fluid for storage in storage means, means for positioning said heat transfer means to enable a first portion to extend into a flue-stack for contact with flue gases and a second portion to extend outside the flue-stack for contact with fluid in a fluid holding jacket, circulating means for circulating fluid through said fluid holding jacket to remove heat supplied by the heat transfer means and to transfer the fluid to the storage means, a first temperature sensitive control means positioned in said flue-stack and responsive to a first control signal and to a range of temperatures in said flue-stack to control said circulating means and thereby control circulation of fluid through said fluid holding jacket and second temperature sensitive control means coupled to said storage means and responsive to the temperature of the fluid therein to provide said first control signal when the temperature of the fluid in said storage means is less than a predetermined value, thereby to activate said circulating means.

Claim 10

The invention as claimed in claim 5, in which the heat transfer means includes a heat pipe selected to operate over the temperature ranges of gases in a flue-stack and fluid in a selected circulating means.

Claim 11

The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which the circulating means includes a plurality of pipes and a circulating pump.

Claim 12

The invention as claimed in claim 7, in which the storage means includes a tank.

Claim 13

The invention as claimed in claim 5, in which the heat transfer means includes a heat pipe selected to operate over a temperature range determined by the temperature of gases in a flue-stack and the temperature of fluids in the fluid holding jacket.