Solar heater

Claim 1

A solar heater for use in a solar heating system comprising: (a) a collector having a plurality of laterally spaced apart fluid passage means for a fluid to be heated therein by solar energy; (b) a heat exchanger having an elongate chamber therein extending in a direction across said passage means closely adjacent one end thereof, said fluid passage means each being individually directly connected to said heat exchanger chamber for direct fluid communication therewith; (c) conduit means disposed in said chamber and having an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom disposed exteriorly of the chamber for connection to a fluid flow circuit of a heating system; (d) a fluid return passage means interconnecting said heat exchanger chamber and plurality of fluid passage means and all together defining a hermetically sealed closed loop path for circulation of fluid heated by solar energy; said solar heater, when installed in an operative position, having said fluid passage means inclined upwardly toward the heat exchanger and communicating with the chamber thereof at an elevation higher than the position at which the fluid return passage communicates with the heat exchanger, and the at rest liquid level in the fluid passage means; and (e) means directing fluid flowing from respective ones of said plurality of passage means into said chamber directly onto the outer surface of said conduit means, the arrangement being such that boiling of liquid in the passages, resulting from solar heating, causes pumping of the fluid around the closed loop path and wherein the fluid pumped into said heat exchanger is a two phase mixture of liquid and vapour.

Claim 12

A method of heating a fluid using solar energy comprising: (a) providing a plurality of fluid flow passages that each have a flow path inclined upwardly from a lower position to a higher position; (b) providing a heat exchanger having a chamber therein disposed closely adjacent but at an elevation lower than said higher position; (c) providing a fluid flow return path from a lower portion of the heat exchanger chamber to the lower position of the plurality of fluid flow passages; (d) heating a liquid in said plurality of fluid flow passages by solar energy causing such liquid to boil and thereby effect a pumping action; (e) directing liquid and vapour from respective ones of the passages as it is being pumped directly onto conduit means located in the heat exchange chamber ; and (f) circulating a fluid to be heated through said conduit means in the chamber.

Claim 13

A method of heating a fluid using solar energy comprising: (a) providing a plurality of fluid flow passages that each have a flow path inclined upwardly from a lower position to a higher position; (b) providing a heat exchanger having a chamber therein disposed closely adjacent but at an elevation lower than said higher position; (c) providing a fluid flow return path from a lower portion of the heat exchanger chamber to the lower position of the plurality of fluid flow passages; (d) heating a liquid in said plurality of fluid flow passages by solar energy causing such liquid to boil and thereby effect a pumping action; (e) directing liquid and vapour from respective ones of the passages as it is being pumped directly onto conduit means located in the heat exchange chamber ; and (f) circulating a fluid to be heated through said conduit means in the chamber.