Grid Independent Heating System and Method for Buildings that uses Collector Accumulator and Transformer (CAT)

Abstract

The system and method to maintain the temperature inside a building or house within comfort levels independently of the Grid. The system has a collector; an accumulator; and a transformer, which is the building or house. The method consists of transforming energy from solar radiation into thermal energy, accumulating that energy into an accumulator, and using that accumulated thermal energy to warm the internal environment of buildings or houses. One of its loops functions between dawn and sunset and includes only the collector and the accumulator; its second loop includes only the accumulator and the transformer and operates primarily between sunset and dawn. The collector uses a blackened surface to transform sun's radiation into thermal energy to warm air that is used to conduct the thermal energy throughout the system. The system can be built with inexpensive material; utilized in significantly isolated areas; and constructed and assembled on site.

Claims

1. A method usable with a house or building, comprising: Deploying a plurality of solar radiation transforming devices (the collectors (C)) that transform solar radiation into thermal energy in the vicinity of the house or building (the Transformer T) (the transformer); deploying a plurality of thermal energy accumulating devices—the accumulators— in the vicinity of the house or building (the Transformer T)—the transformer; connecting the plurality of solar radiation transforming devices (the collectors (C)), the thermal energy accumulating devices (the accumulator), and the house or building (the transformer T); and using the set of these connected components to provide the house or building (the Transformer T) with thermal energy to warm the interior environment of the house or building (the Transformer T) to levels that are comfortable for living creatures (people or animals); and based on the required thermal energy necessary to maintain thermal comfort inside the house or building (the Transformer T), selectively choose the number of collectors (C) and accumulators to cause the internal temperature of the house or building (the Transformer T) reach desired levels of comfort as the temperature outside the house or building (the Transformer T) changes depending on the weather and locale where the system is placed.

2. A system usable with a house or building (the Transformer T), comprising: A collector (C) that transforms solar radiation into thermal energy that is transferred into air that carries the thermal energy into an Accumulator (A) between dawn and sunset; a Transformer (C) that can be a house or building (the Transformer T) that uses between sunset and dawn the thermal energy stored in the air to warm the interior of the Transformer (C); a relative small solar panel (SP) with a battery (BT) and supporting electronic control board (EB) that powers a blower (BW), and an electric switch (SW); and a blower (BW).

3. A system of claim 2, further comprising: Solar radiation transforming devices—the collectors (C)—that convert the solar radiation into thermal energy by means of a blackened plate placed in parallel and behind at a short distance from a transparent plate that is exposed to the solar light and transfer that thermal energy into the air running in a section of the solar radiation transforming device that is behind the blackened plate of the solar radiation transforming devices.

4. A system of claim 2, further comprising: Thermal energy accumulating devices—the accumulator (A) devices—that, between dawn and sunset, store the solar the thermal energy carried by the air that has been heated in the collector in a storing thermal energy material as the air traverses the storing thermal energy material; and, during the night, heats the air that is transferred from the house or building (the Transformer T into the energy accumulating devices as the air traverses the energy accumulating device, and sends it back to the house or building—the transformer T.

5. A system of claim 2, further comprising: Choosing and fixing the angle that the solar radiation transforming devices—the collectors (C)— make with the horizontal plane depending on the longitude and latitude of the area where the house or building (the Transformer T) is located and orienting the longitudinal axis of the solar radiation transforming devices—the collectors (C)—with the North-South line of planet earth to optimize the efficiency of transformation from solar radiation into thermal energy.

6. A system of claim 2, further comprising: Between dawn and sunset, connecting the collectors (C) and the accumulator (A) in a close loop, and storing in the accumulator (A) the thermal energy collected at the collector by means of conducting air that is warmed in the collector to the accumulator (A); as the warm air from the collector traverses the material in the accumulator (A) from top to bottom, it warms it, after which, it goes to the collector to be warmed again.

7. A system of claim 2, further comprising: Between sunset and dawn, connecting the accumulator (A) and the house or building (the Transformer T)in a close loop, and using the thermal energy stored in the accumulator (A) to warm the air inside the house or building (the Transformer T)by means of conducting air that is inside the house or building (the Transformer T) into the accumulator (A). As the cold air from the house or building (the Transformer T) traverses the material in the accumulator (A) along its vertical direction, it gets warmed, after which, it goes to the house; the loop is kept until temperature inside the house or building (the Transformer T) reaches the comfort temperature, and it is restarted when the temperature inside the house or building (the Transformer T) goes down.

8. A system of claim 2, further comprising: Between sunset and dawn, a blower (BW) that blows air only in the space between the middle plate and the bottom plate of the accumulator (A) that then reaches the accumulator (A) and comes back to the collector where the blower (BW) increases again the air pressure; and the same blower (BW) that between dawn and sunset by means of an actuated valve (V) can blow air only between the house or building (the Transformer T) and the accumulator (A) though the connecting conduits between them to allow the system to warm the air inside the house or building (the Transformer T).

9. A system of claim 2, further comprising: Between sunset and dawn, a relative small solar panel (SP), a battery (BT) connected to it, and an electronic control board (EB) that in conjunction allow to transform solar energy into electric energy and accumulates it in a battery (BT) that powers the blower (BW) that blows air through between the collector (C) and accumulator (A) between dawn and sunset and between the accumulator (A) and the house or building (the Transformer T) between sunset and dawn, and a switch (SW) that allows to turn on the flow of air between the house or building (the Transformer T) and the accumulator (A), which happens through conduits (CD).

Description

DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION

[0011] FIG. 1A System diagram of main embodiment showing the three main modules: Collector (C), Accumulator (A) and Transformer (T).

[0012] FIG. 1B Main modules Collector (C), Accumulator (A), and Transformer (T) in an exploded view.

[0013] FIG. 2 Collector diagram showing the three layers of its main embodiment: top layer, transparent plate; middle layer, black metal sheet, and bottom layer with their key dimensions

[0014] FIG. 3 System with its modules and some of the temperature deltas than could be achieved with the system

[0015] FIG. 4A Schematics of one of the two loops of the main embodiment; namely, Collector and accumulator (from dawn to sunset) in solid line.

[0016] FIG. 4B Schematics of one of the two loops of the main embodiment; namely, Accumulator and Transformer (from sunset to dawn)

[0017] FIG. 5 Supporting components in exploded view of one embodiment of the system with the supporting components: blower (BW), switch (SW), electronic control board (EB), solar panel (SP), Battery (BT), valves (V) and conduits (CD) that connect the main; besides, the electronic control board (EB) and the switch (SW) are also shown. The electronic control board (EB) and the switch (SW) are shown in dashed lines to express that they are inside the house or building.