US4040566A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pollution-free heating system
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1975-09-15
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Granted: 1977-08-09
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Expires: 1995-09-15
Abstract
Abstract What follows is a description of a system for heating a building by solar energy, and providing heated water for domestic use. A roof-mounted solar heating panel, which includes a clear specially shaped covering panel to intensify the solar energy striking the elements of the heating panel, heats a circulating liquid, which in turn heats air circulated within the building. Surplus heat is stored for a limited time by heating additional quantities of liquid. Also, solar heat is stored for an indefinite time by using a roof-mounted solar battery to power an electrolytic cell used to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water. The hydrogen and oxygen is stored and used as fuel in a furnace which heats the heat transfer liquid in the system as required.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl Chiarelli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 14:39
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24D; F24D11/00; F24D11/002; F24D11/003; C; C25; C25B; C25B1/00; C25B1/50; C25B1/55; F24S; F24S10/00; F24S10/70; F24S10/75; F24S23/00; F24S23/30; F24V; F24V99/00; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B10/00; Y02B10/20; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/44; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/36; Y02P; Y02P20/00; Y02P20/10; Y02P20/133
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
342 words
A system for heating a building and providing it with heated water for domestic use comprising in combination: a. solar heating means, which includes a heating panel comprising a plurality of parallel pipes through which a liquid for transferring heat is circulated; and means mounted for exposure to sunlight, for intensifying the sunlight at said plurality of parallel pipes to thereby raise the temperature of the liquid circulated therein; b. means mounting said solar heating means to the roof of the building; c. heat exchange means to heat air circulated within the building from said liquid; d. a liquid circulating means, which includes a circulating pump for said liquid, connecting means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said circulating pump to an inlet of said heating panel, connecting means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said heating panel to an inlet of said heat exchange means, and means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said heat exchange means to an inlet of said circulating pump; e. means for reducing heat loss from said heating panel during periods of little or no sunshine; f. means for heating potable water for domestic use from said liquid; g. a plurality of insulated liquid storage tanks, each having an inlet and an outlet; h. inlet connecting means which connect said inlets of said storage tanks to said outlet of said liquid circulating pump; i. outlet connecting means which connect said outlets of said storage tanks to said inlet of said heat exchange means; j. valve means for each liquid storage tank, disposed in said inlet and outlet connecting means, whereby said liquid storage tanks can be successively connected to said circulating means; and k. liquid temperature sensing means disposed within said heat exchange means, which successively opens said valve means for each liquid storage tank at a different predetermined high temperature for each liquid storage tank, and closes all valve means for each liquid storage tank at a single predetermined low temperature of said liquid in said heat exchange means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
342 words
A system for heating a building and providing it with heated water for domestic use comprising in combination: a. solar heating means, which includes a heating panel comprising a plurality of parallel pipes through which a liquid for transferring heat is circulated; and means mounted for exposure to sunlight, for intensifying the sunlight at said plurality of parallel pipes to thereby raise the temperature of the liquid circulated therein; b. means mounting said solar heating means to the roof of the building; c. heat exchange means to heat air circulated within the building from said liquid; d. a liquid circulating means, which includes a circulating pump for said liquid, connecting means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said circulating pump to an inlet of said heating panel, connecting means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said heating panel to an inlet of said heat exchange means, and means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said heat exchange means to an inlet of said circulating pump; e. means for reducing heat loss from said heating panel during periods of little or no sunshine; f. means for heating potable water for domestic use from said liquid; g. a plurality of insulated liquid storage tanks, each having an inlet and an outlet; h. inlet connecting means which connect said inlets of said storage tanks to said outlet of said liquid circulating pump; i. outlet connecting means which connect said outlets of said storage tanks to said inlet of said heat exchange means; j. valve means for each liquid storage tank, disposed in said inlet and outlet connecting means, whereby said liquid storage tanks can be successively connected to said circulating means; and k. liquid temperature sensing means disposed within said heat exchange means, which successively opens said valve means for each liquid storage tank at a different predetermined high temperature for each liquid storage tank, and closes all valve means for each liquid storage tank at a single predetermined low temperature of said liquid in said heat exchange means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
146 words
The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for reducing heat loss from said heating panel during periods of little or no sunshine, comprises: a. inlet valve means disposed in said connecting means between said heating panel inlet and said circulating pump outlet; b. outlet valve means disposed in said connecting means between said heating panel outlet and said heat exchange means inlet; and C. a differential temperature sensing means which senses the temperature of liquid entering said heating panel and the temperature of liquid leaving said heating panel, which said temperature sensing means closes said inlet and outlet valve means at a predetermined minimum temperature difference between the temperature of liquid leaving, and the temperature of liquid entering said heating panel, and opens said inlet and outlet valve means at a predetermined high temperature of liquid at said outlet of said heating panel.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
378 words
A system for heating a building and providing it with heated water for domestic use comprising in combination: a. solar heating means, which includes a heating panel comprising a plurality of parallel pipes through which a liquid for transferring heat is circulated; and means mounted for exposure to sunlight, for intensifying the sunlight at said plurality of parallel pipes to thereby raise the temperature of the liquid circulated therein; b. means mounting said solar heating means to the roof of the building; c. heat exchange means to heat air circulated within the building from said liquid; d. a liquid circulating means, which includes a circulating pump for said liquid; connecting means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said circulating pump to an inlet of said heating panel, connecting means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said heating panel to an inlet of said heat exchange means, and means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said heat exchange means to an inlet of said circulating pump; e. means for reducing heat loss from said heating panel during periods of little or no sunshine; f. means for storing, for a limited time before utilization, heat transferred from said solar heating panel to said liquid in excess of the heat required to heat the building at the time of transfer; g. means for heating potable water for domestic use from said liquid; and h. means for converting and storing solar energy for an indefinite time, in the form of gaseous fuel, wherein said means for converting and storing solar energy for an indefinite time, in the form of gaseous fuel comprises a water reservoir, an electrolytic cell to break down water into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen, solar battery means which convert solar energy to electrical energy, means for mounting said solar battery means to the roof of the building, means for transmitting the electrical energy generated by said solar battery means to said electrolytic cell, means for delivering water as required from said reservoir to said electrolytic cell, hydrogen storage means, means for delivering hydrogen produced in said electrolytic cell to said hydrogen storage means, oxygen storage means, and means for delivering oxygen produced in said electrolytic cell to said oxygen storage means.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
378 words
A system for heating a building and providing it with heated water for domestic use comprising in combination: a. solar heating means, which includes a heating panel comprising a plurality of parallel pipes through which a liquid for transferring heat is circulated; and means mounted for exposure to sunlight, for intensifying the sunlight at said plurality of parallel pipes to thereby raise the temperature of the liquid circulated therein; b. means mounting said solar heating means to the roof of the building; c. heat exchange means to heat air circulated within the building from said liquid; d. a liquid circulating means, which includes a circulating pump for said liquid; connecting means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said circulating pump to an inlet of said heating panel, connecting means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said heating panel to an inlet of said heat exchange means, and means to deliver said liquid from an outlet of said heat exchange means to an inlet of said circulating pump; e. means for reducing heat loss from said heating panel during periods of little or no sunshine; f. means for storing, for a limited time before utilization, heat transferred from said solar heating panel to said liquid in excess of the heat required to heat the building at the time of transfer; g. means for heating potable water for domestic use from said liquid; and h. means for converting and storing solar energy for an indefinite time, in the form of gaseous fuel, wherein said means for converting and storing solar energy for an indefinite time, in the form of gaseous fuel comprises a water reservoir, an electrolytic cell to break down water into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen, solar battery means which convert solar energy to electrical energy, means for mounting said solar battery means to the roof of the building, means for transmitting the electrical energy generated by said solar battery means to said electrolytic cell, means for delivering water as required from said reservoir to said electrolytic cell, hydrogen storage means, means for delivering hydrogen produced in said electrolytic cell to said hydrogen storage means, oxygen storage means, and means for delivering oxygen produced in said electrolytic cell to said oxygen storage means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
245 words
The system as defined in claim 3, further comprising means for utilizing said gaseous fuel for heating the building, wherein said means for utilizing said gaseous fuel for heating a building comprises: a. a combustion chamber means; b. means for delivering hydrogen from said hydrogen storage means to said combustion chamber means; c. means for delivering oxygen from said oxygen storage means to said combustion chamber means; d. means for metering the hydrogen and oxygen as it is delivered to said combustion chamber for combustion and heat generation within said combustion chamber means; e. heated chamber means, having a liquid inlet and outlet, for receiving the heat of combustion and transferring the heat to said liquid passed through said heated chamber for delivery to said heat exchange means; f. inlet means connecting said inlet of said heated chamber means to said outlet of said circulating pump; g. outlet means connecting said outlet of said heated chamber means to said inlet of said heat exchange means; h. valve means disposed in said inlet and outlet connecting means; i. a liquid temperature sensing means disposed within said heat exchange means which opens said valve means at a predetermined low temperature of said liquid in said heat exchange means, and closes said valve means at a predetermined high temperature of said liquid in said heat exchange means; and j. means for recovering water produced in said combustion chamber as a product of the combustion of hydrogen and oxygen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system as defined in claim 4, wherein said combustion chamber means is contained within said heated chamber means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The water fueled furnace as defined in claim 3, wherein the building has an alternating current supply, and wherein said electrical power source comprises the electrical power supplied to said building, means for rectifying the alternating current supply to a direct current supply and means for transmitting the direct current to said electrolytic cell.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-08-08 | 1981-02-07 | 1981-08-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-08-08 | 1985-02-07 | 1985-08-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-08-08 | 1989-02-07 | 1989-08-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |