Heat recovery and solar assist heating system

Claim 2

The combination with a heating device for an enclosed zone, from which exhaust gas is discharged at an elevated temperature, and a source of fluent heat transfer medium, a heat recovery unit mounted exteriorly of the enclosed zone for heating the fluent medium, comprising a reservoir tank enclosing a body of said fluent medium, an insulated housing mounted on said reservoir tank enclosing a heat exchange zone and having a radiation transmissive wall portion through which solar radiation passes, heat transfer conduit means extending through the reservoir tank and the housing for conducting the exhaust gas in sequence through said body of fluent medium and the heat exchange zone, and heat exchanger means mounted within the heat exchange zone for conducting the fluent medium between the source of the reservoir tank in heat transfer relation to the exhaust gas in the heat transfer conduit means and the air within the heat exchange zone.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 including heat radiating means within said enclosed zone through which the fluent medium is circulated for controlling the temperature within the enclosed zone, and solar energy collecting means mounted externally of the enclosed zone and connected to the heat recovery means for maintaining a predetermined transfer of heat energy to the fluent medium.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 including blower means for circulating air between the heat recovery means and the enclosed zone.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 including means for circulating coolant through the heat recovery means and the solar energy collecting means to transfer solar heat energy to the air circulated through the heat recovery means.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 3 wherein said solar energy collecting means includes heat transfer tubing mounted on said transmissive wall portion of the housing through which the coolant is conducted in heat exchange relation to the air within the heat exchange zone.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 5 wherein said solar energy collecting means further includes an auxiliary solar heat storing device through which the air and coolant are circulated by the blower means and the coolant circulating means, respectively.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 6 wherein said solar heat storing device includes a separate insulated housing having a radiation transmissive wall portion, a body of particulate heat storing medium enclosed within said separate housing, a heat conductive plate spacing the heat storing medium from the radiation transmissive wall portion to form a heat collecting air space in contact with the wall portion, and convection tubes extending through the plate between the heat collecting air space and the body of heat storing medium, said blower means being connected to the separate housing for circulating the air through the body of heat storing medium.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 7 wherein said coolant circulating means extends through the body of heat storing medium.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 5 wherein said coolant is the same composition as the fluent medium in the reservoir tank.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 9 wherein said heat transfer conduit means is a chimney flue and said heat exchanger means is a jacket enclosing the flue within the heat exchange zone, the fluent medium being circulated through the jacket in heat conductive relation to the flue.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 2 wherein said solar energy collecting means includes heat transfer tubing mounted on said transmissive wall portion.

Claim 13

In combination with a heating device for an enclosed zone from which exhaust gas is discharged at an elevated temperature, a source of fluent heat transfer medium, heat radiating means within said enclosed zone through which the fluent medium is circulated for controlling the temperature within the enclosed zone, heat recovery means mounted externally of the enclosed zone through which the fluent medium is conducted in heat transfer relation to the exhaust gas for heating the fluent medium, solar energy collecting means mounted externally of the enclosed zone and connected to the heat recovery means for maintaining a predetermined transfer of heat energy to the fluent medium, blower means for circulating air between the heat recovery means and the enclosed zone, and means for circulating coolant through the heat recovery means and the solar energy collecting means to transfer solar heat energy to the air circulated through the heat recovery means, said solar energy collecting means including an insulated housing having a radiation transmissive wall portion, a body of particulate heat storing medium enclosed within said housing, a heat conductive plate spacing the heat storing medium from the radiation transmissive wall portion to form a heat collecting air space in contact with the wall portion, and convection tubes extending through the plate between the heat collecting air space and the body of heat storing medium, said blower means being connected to the housing for circulating the air through the body of heat storing medium.

Claim 14

In combination with a heating device for an enclosed zone from which exhaust gas is discharged at an elevated temperature, a source of fluent heat transfer medium, heat radiating means within said enclosed zone through which the fluent medium is circulated for controlling the temperature within the enclosed zone, heat recovery means mounted externally of the enclosed zone through which the fluent medium is conducted in heat transfer relation to the exhaust gas for heating the fluent medium, solar energy collecting means mounted externally of the enclosed zone and connected to the heat recovery means for maintaining a predetermined transfer of heat energy to the fluent medium, blower means for circulating air between the heat recovery means and the enclosed zone, and means for circulating coolant through the heat recovery means and the solar energy collecting means to transfer solar heat energy to the air circulated through the heat recovery means, said solar energy collecting means including an insulated housing having a radiation transmissive wall portion, a body of particulate heat storing medium enclosed within said housing, a heat conductive plate spacing the heat storing medium from the radiation transmissive wall portion to form a heat collecting air space in contact with the wall portion, and convection tubes extending through the plate between the heat collecting air space and the body of heat storing medium, said blower means being connected to the housing for circulating the air through the body of heat storing medium.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 12 wherein said coolant circulating means extends through the body of heat storing medium.

Claim 16

In combination with a heating device for an enclosed zone from which exhaust gas is vented and a heat recovery unit through which heat from the exhaust gas is extracted to heat a fluent medium circulated through the enclosed zone, an auxiliary heat storing unit for augmenting the heat energy supply to the fluent medium by the heat recovery unit, comprising a insulated housing having a radiation transmissive wall portion, a body of particulate heat storing medium enclosed within said housing, a heat conductive plate spacing the heat storing medium from the radiation transmissive wall portion to form a heat collecting air space in contact with the wall portion, convection tubes extending through the plate between the heat collecting air space and the body of heat storing medium, and coil means embedded in the heat storing medium and connected to the heat recovery unit for transferring heat energy thereto.

Claim 17

In combination with a heating device for an enclosed zone from which exhaust gas is vented and a heat recovery unit through which heat from the exhaust gas is extracted to heat a fluent medium circulated through the enclosed zone, an auxiliary heat storing unit for augmenting the heat energy supply to the fluent medium by the heat recovery unit, comprising a insulated housing having a radiation transmissive wall portion, a body of particulate heat storing medium enclosed within said housing, a heat conductive plate spacing the heat storing medium from the radiation transmissive wall portion to form a heat collecting air space in contact with the wall portion, convection tubes extending through the plate between the heat collecting air space and the body of heat storing medium, and coil means embedded in the heat storing medium and connected to the heat recovery unit for transferring heat energy thereto.

Claim 18

A waste heat recovery apparatus, comprising an exhaust conduit through which combustion products are conducted, a reservoir enclosing a body of heat transfer medium, an insulated housing enclosing a heat exchange zone, means connected to said exhaust conduit for conducting the combustion products in sequence through said reservoir and the heat exchange zone, heat exchanger means mounted within the heat exchange zone for conducting the heat transfer medium to the reservoir in heat exchange relation to the combustion products and air within the heat exchange zone, and means recirculating said heat transfer medium between the reservoir and the heat exchanger means externally of the housing for delivering heat energy recovered from the combustion products, said housing including a radiation transmissive wall portion through which solar radiation passes to heat the air within the heat exchange zone.

Claim 19

A waste heat recovery apparatus, comprising an exhaust conduit through which combustion products are conducted, a reservoir enclosing a body of heat transfer medium, an insulated housing enclosing a heat exchange zone, means connected to said exhaust conduit for conducting the combustion products in sequence through said reservoir and the heat exchange zone, heat exchanger means mounted within the heat exchange zone for conducting the heat transfer medium to the reservoir in heat exchange relation to the combustion products and air within the heat exchange zone, and means recirculating said heat transfer medium between the reservoir and the heat exchanger means externally of the housing for delivering heat energy recovered from the combustion products, said housing including a radiation transmissive wall portion through which solar radiation passes to heat the air within the heat exchange zone.