MODULE AND SYSTEM FOR SOLAR-ELECTRIC HEATING OF FLUIDS

Abstract

A water heating solar module designed for being connected to a boiler of a water heating system, the module comprises a vessel having a water inlet and a water outlet, a first heating element installed in the vessel, and a power supply for feeding the first heating element with electric power produced from solar energy. The module is arranged as follows: the vessel is positioned near the boiler, so that the vessel's bottom portion is placed not higher than the boiler's bottom portion; the water inlet is provided at the vessel's bottom portion and is adapted for receiving water from the boiler; the water outlet is provided at the vessel's top portion and is adapted for delivering water from the vessel to the boiler; the power supply is electrically connectable to a photoelectric device for receiving electric energy there-from, and to the first heating element, for heating water in the vessel. The invention also describes a system comprising the described module connected to the mentioned boiler, and a method of upgrading an existing water heating solar system by the described module.

Claims

1. A water heating system, the system comprising: a water heating solar module connected to a boiler the water heating solar module comprising: a vessel having a water inlet adapted for receiving water from the boiler, a water outlet, adapted for delivering water to the boiler, a first heating element installed in the vessel, and a power supply for feeding the first heating element with electric power produced from solar energy.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises a Maximum Power Point Tracking circuit MPPT adapted for collecting electric power from the photoelectric device, and for feeding the first heating element with the collected electric power.

5. The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the power supply is designed so as to receive DC electric power from said one or more photovoltaic cells, and to feed the first heating element with DC electric power.

6. The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the power supply is adapted to convert DC to AC so as to feed the first heating element with AC electric power.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the module is positioned so that the vessel's lower portion is not higher than the boiler's bottom portion, the boiler is equipped with a second heating element, the boiler is provided with the following four pipes: an inlet cold water pipe, an outlet hot water pipe, a cold water circulation pipe connecting a bottom portion of the boiler with the water inlet of the vessel, a hot water circulation pipe connecting the water outlet of the vessel with a top portion of the boiler.

10. The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the power supply is connected with a photoelectric device via electrical wires.

11. The water heating system of claim 1, wherein both the vessel of the module and the boiler are located within a premises, a photoelectric system is installed outside the premises and connected via electric wires to the power supply.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. A water heating system, the system comprising a solar module and an electric boiler having an outflow pipe, wherein the system circulates water between the solar module and the electric boiler when there is no water flowing out the outflow pipe.

16. The water heating system of claim 15, wherein the solar module comprises a first set of electrical circuits and the electric boiler comprises a second set of electrical circuits wherein the first set of electrical circuits and the second set of electrical circuits are different and wherein the first set of electrical circuits is off when the second set of electrical circuits is on.

17. The water heating system of claim 15, wherein the solar module comprises a first set of electrical circuits and the electric boiler comprises a second set of electrical circuits wherein the first set of electrical circuits and the second set of electrical circuits are different and wherein the first set of electrical circuits is on when the second set of electrical circuits is off.

18. The water heating system of claim 15, wherein the solar module and electric boiler are fluidly connected by at least two water circulation pipes.

19. The water heating system of claim 15, wherein the solar module further comprises a cold-water circulation pipe for connecting the water intel of the vessel with the boiler, and a hot-water circulation pipe for connecting the water outlet of the vessel with the boiler.

20. The water heating system of claim 15, wherein the solar module is configured to be heated with solar energy.

21. The water heating system of claim 15, wherein the solar module comprises a first tank and the electric boiler comprises a second tank, wherein the first tank and the second tank are configured to move cold water from the second tank to the first tank, wherein the first tank is configured to heat the water, and wherein the first tank and the second tank are configured to move heated water from the first tank to the second tank.

22. The water heating system of claim 15, wherein when water is heated in the solar module it is not heated in the electric boiler.

23. A water heating system, the system comprising a solar module comprising a first tank having a first heating element, and a hot outflow pipe connected to the second tank; and an electric boiler comprising a second tank having a second heating element, a cold outflow pipe connected to the first tank, an inlet cold water pipe, and an outlet hot water pipe.

24. The water heating system of claim 23, wherein only the second tank supplies hot water to a user.

25. The water heating system of claim 23, wherein water in the first tank is heated by circulating the water out of the second tank, into the first tank, and back into the second tank.

26. The water heating system of claim 23, wherein the solar module remains in fluid communication with the electric boiler when the solar module is inactive.

27. The water heating system of claim 23, wherein when solar radiation is insufficient for heating water, the solar module is inactive and has no effect on the system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0080] The invention will further be described with reference to the following non-limiting drawings in which:

[0081] FIG. 1 (prior art) illustrates a regular solar boiler.

[0082] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the proposed water heating solar model.

[0083] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the proposed water heating system.

[0084] FIG. 4 illustrates another arrangement of the proposed module, in more detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0085] FIG. 1 (prior art) has been described in the background section of the description.

[0086] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates one embodiment of the proposed water heating solar module (1). The module 1 may serve as a stand-alone unit. In this embodiment, the module 1 is designed to form part of a water heating system (one example will be shown in FIG. 3). In another example, module 1 may replace the solar collectors SC of FIG. 1, thereby turning the old solar system SS into an upgraded system.

[0087] The module 1 comprises its power supply unit 2 adapted to receive and then process electric energy from an external solar cell (for example a photovoltaic cell, not shown) via electric wires 9. As already mentioned, the solar cell is a device for converting solar energy into electrical energy.

[0088] Wires 9 may form a DC circuit between the power supply 2 and the solar cell. The power supply unit 2 is electrically connected to a first heating element 3 installed in a vessel 4. When in operation, the power supply 2 energizes the heating element 3 for heating water or other fluid in the vessel 4. Power supply 2 may feed the heating element with DC. Alternatively it may be capable of converting DC to AC, so as to feed the heating element 3 by AC. The first heating element 3 may be a regular heating element, but in any case it may be called a solar/photoelectric/photovoltaic heating element, since it is fed by electricity produced from solar energy.

[0089] The vessel 4 may be shaped as a tank, a pipe, a pipe assembly or have any other suitable shape. The vessel 4 has a water inlet 5 at the bottom portion 6, and a water outlet 7 at the top portion 8 of the vessel 4.

[0090] The vessel 4 is preferably designed so as to be placed close to a main water tank in a water heating system, with its bottom portion positioned not higher than the bottom portion of the main water tank (not shown here). Preferably, the vessel is designed so as to be placed under a main water tank of the water heating system. That means that the module should usually suit to crowded spaces and thus may need to have a modest volume and an arbitrary shape dictated by the available space.

[0091] Optionally, the water inlet 5 and water outlet 7 may have respective pipes 50 and 70. In a stand-alone module, the pipe 50 may be a cold water inlet pipe, and the pipe 70 —a hot water outlet pipe.

[0092] In the proposed version of the module, intended for incorporating it in a water heating system, the pipes 50, 70 will serve as water circulation pipes.

[0093] However, the module 1 may be sold without pipes 50, 70 and be provided with them at the site. For example, the pipes 50, 70 may be flexible water hoses.

[0094] FIG. 3 schematically shows one exemplary embodiment 10 of the proposed water heating system comprising two water tanks 12 and 14, which are both situated inside a building 19 (for example, under a roof, in a basement, on stares, etc.).

[0095] The main water tank (boiler) 12 is fed by cold water from a water supply net via an inlet pipe 11. The hot water ready for use is delivered from the boiler 12 via an outlet pipe 18. Water valves are not shown. The main tank (boiler) 12 is provided with a main electric heating element 16 for heating water in the boiler.

[0096] The proposed module 1′, comprising a vessel (an additional water tank) 14 to be preheated by solar energy, is positioned almost completely under the bottom line of the boiler (main water tank) 12. The module 1′ is similar to the module 1 of FIG. 2, so similar elements of the module are marked with similar numbers.

[0097] The vessel 14 of the module 1′ is in flow communication with the boiler 12 via two water circulation pipes: a cold water circulation pipe 15 and a hot water circulation pipe 17. The vessel 14 is provided with a heating element 13 which is a photoelectric heater. More specifically, the element 13 is an electric heater which is electrically connected to a power supply 22 unit. The unit 22 is fed via electric wires 23 by a photoelectric circuit (such as photovoltaic system of cells) 20 positioned outside the building 19, for example on its roof.

[0098] The photovoltaic system 20 receives solar radiation and converts it to electric energy. The obtained energy is applied, via electric wires, to the power supply 22 which processes it and feeds the heating element 13 installed in the water tank (vessel) 14.

[0099] Water level sensors, water valves and electric current switches are not shown in this drawing.

[0100] The inlet water pipe 11 keeps the tank 12 full with water. Whenever a user opens the outlet pipe 18 to use some hot water, the inlet pipe 11 fulfills the tank 12 with cold water. The water level regulation scheme is not shown. Since the tank 12 communicates with the tank 14 (vessel of the module 1′), part of the cold water from the bottom portion of tank 12 will flow to the bottom portion of the tank 14 via pipe 15 and will be heated there by the photoelectric heater 13. The heated water will go up and, from the hot upper portion of the vessel 14, will raise via pipe 17 to the upper portion of the tank 12. Tank 12 may also heat the water there-inside, using its own electric heater 16. However, when there is enough sun, power of the photoelectric heater 18 may be sufficient to heat all the water in the system. In such cases, the main electric heater 16 may be switched OFF by the user or automatically, and the water tank 12 may be heated just owing to the water circulation with the vessel 14.

[0101] In periods when there is no solar radiation, the main heating element 16 will heat the water in the main tank 12. The module 1′ will not affect operation of the system 10.

[0102] FIG. 4 shows a slightly different arrangement 100 of the proposed water heating solar module Similar elements are marked with similar numbers. In the embodiment 100, the vessel 14 is heated by the aid of the photoelectric system schematically marked 20′. The photoelectric system 20′ includes an array of photovoltaic cells 21, connected to a DC/DC MPPT controller 22 which serves as a power supply unit for the heating element 13. The controller 22 may be positioned close to the cells 21, but preferably it is remote from the cells (for example, located in the premises) and connected with the cells by electric wires 23. It goes without saying that the photovoltaic cells 21 are totally different from the solar collector SC shown in FIG. 1: each of them is designed to convert solar energy into electric energy. The electric energy produced by the cells 21 is received by the power supply 22 and fed to the heating element 13 of the module via electric contacts/wires 25.

[0103] The MPPT (Maximum power point tracking) controller of the power supply 22 reflects optimal impedance of the photovoltaic system in order to gain maximum efficiency of the power supply.

[0104] It should be noted that though the module and the system were described for heating water, they may be used for heating various fluids, including liquids and gases. Therefore the claims should be understood in the broad meaning, covering the claimed module and system for heating fluids—gases or liquids like water, oil, etc.

[0105] While the invention has been described with reference to a specific implementation, it should be appreciated that other embodiments/versions of the inventive technique may be proposed and should be considered part of the invention whenever defined by the claims which follow.