Abstract: A structure and method for utilizing solar energy for heating including a unitary, preferably modular, unit adapted to form an outer surface of a building, and having therein a reservoir suitable for storing fluid heat storage medium. The structure includes an outer glazing, an energy absorbing surface spaced inwardly from the glazing, and a divider forming an absorber channel adjacent the back side of the absorber. Preferably, the storage reservoir is separated from the back side of the absorber by an insulating divider defining the absorber channel. The structure is preferably self-supporting with a stressed storage reservoir and may be incorporated in a structure as a unitary module supporting at least its own weight and often forming a structural, stressed portion of the building.

Abstract: A forced air furnace includes a conventional fuel fired, primary heat exchanger and a secondary heat exchanger associated with the stack. The secondary exchanger includes a phase change material having a transition temperature within the range of the stack temperature, and which is disposed in heat exchange relation with the flue gases flowing through the stack. The secondary exchanger also includes duct means for conveying the circulated air in heat exchange relation with the phase change material; and the flow path through the secondary exchanger is an alternative path controlled by a damper. When the primary exchanger is turned on, the phase change material in the secondary exchanger is charged from the flue gases of the primary exchanger. When the phase change material is in condition to release stored heat, a temperature responsive control shuts off the primary exchanger and diverts the circulated air through the secondary exchanger.

Abstract: A heat exchanger and process having multiple fluidized beds for heat exchange between two gas streams of different temperatures. The apparatus and process provides a compact high efficiency warm air furnace especially adapted for energy conservation for the heating of modern highly insulated residential buildings by gas fired furnaces of relatively low rated gas input.

Abstract: A solar collector is formed by a stack of vehicular tires for absorbing solar radiant energy. A series of conduits intercepting the upper and lower sidewall of each tire at locations spaced about 180 degrees apart couple together the hollow interiors of the tires in an air path passing angularly through each tire in two paths of about 180 degrees in length and serially from tire to tire for heat exchange purposes. A thermal energy storage medium is provided in the center of the stack which medium may be porous and switchable dampers are provided to selectively set up either a recirculating air path through the tires and the medium to transfer heat from the tires to the medium or a recirculating air path between the medium and a living space to be heated.

Abstract: A combined solar heating apparatus for heating air or water or both air and water comprising a corrugated collector plate with S-shaped tubing traversing the enclosure beneath the plate. The rear of the corrugated plate is enclosed so as to allow filling of the air space with an aggregate material to provide increasing temperature and heat storage characteristics. A continuous tubing with a liquid source is formed with a plurality of S-shaped loops passing through the rear of the collector plate and through the aggregate. A rear wall member is attached to the back of the corrugated collector to form an air enclosure. A transparent plate sealingly encloses the top of the collector, providing an air space between the collector plate and the transparent cover.

Abstract: There is disclosed the manner in which a reflector for a solar energy collector is designed. The absorber is a right circular cylinder and is contained in an evacuated glass shroud. The glass shroud prevents the use of the reflector design technique of the prior art, and instead calculations are performed as if an absorber having a smaller diameter were to be used.

Abstract: A device making use of the gravity generated imbalance within a portion of the system confined upward and downward flowing liquid. A condensed gas of lower boiling point is induced to the portion of the upward flowing heated liquid of higher boiling point. The formation of gas bubbles upon evaporation of the condensed gas within the upward flowing heated liquid, causing fluid displacement thereof, thereby causing a imbalance between the upward flowing liquid and gas mixture, and the downward flowing solid liquid after being separated from the gas. Thus, gravity causing the continuous pumping action of the liquid throughout the system.

Abstract: An improved energy storage superheater assembly for storing heat energy rlting from solar or other types of energy. An enclosed housing includes a heat transfer means in the bottom or top which is heated by SO.sub.2 +O.sub.2 due to solar chemical reaction or any other suitable means. The heat transfer means heats wet steam in a superheater piping that passes through the heat transfer means to produce superheated steam. A plurality of vertical, potassium-containing steel wall heat pipes extends from the heat transfer means and distributes heat over the large area of the housing. Vertical containers which contain a salt are assembled among the vertical pipes and are heated by the heat radiated and convected from the vertical pipes in order to store heat in the salt-containers by "heat of fusion". During heat withdrawal, heat is radiated and convected from the salt-containers to the vertical steel pipes. Heat is carried to the heat transfer means by the steel pipes which in turn heats the superheater tubes.

Abstract: The concentration of the solute in solution in a saturated non-convecting solar pond is greatest at a lower hotter level decreases continuously toward a higher cooler level and is saturated at all levels, thus preventing solute diffusion. In the customary operation of such saturated non-convecting solar ponds, the heat generated by incident radiation is absorbed in a bottom or lower layer. Because of the continuously decreasing density of solute which is near saturation from the lower to the upper layers, there is little salt convection and the pool tends to be further stabilized. Further, by heating due to absorption of the radiation largely at the lower level, a temperature gradient is maintained in which the upper layers remain cool, evaporation and consequent loss of heat is inhibited and the efficiency of the solar pond is improved. It has been discovered that a brine consisting essentially of an appropriate mixture of sodium carbonate (Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO.sub.

Abstract: An improved combustion chamber comprises a shell having a circular array of integral teeth formed at one end thereof. Shrunkfit onto said shell end at or near the roots of the teeth is a ring. The toothed end of the shell is received in an opening in a sheet header so that the ring engages against the header sheet and a continuous weld bead is formed between the ring and the header sheet all around the shell. The shell teeth are bent radially outward and engage the header sheet on the opposite side thereof from the ring so as to be in intimate thermal heat exchange contact with the sheet and these teeth are also welded to the header sheet. The aforesaid engagement between the chamber and rear head minimizes stresses on hot end of the chamber and prolong its useful life. Means engaged around the opposite end of the shell supports, and yet permits lengthwise movement of, that end of the shell.

Abstract: A device for improving the radiant solar energy collection efficiency of a helix shaped solar collector-concentrator by concentrating the sun's rays on a plurality of specifically positioned energy absorber collecting cores as the sun moves through its solar day without the use of active tracking devices, is provided. By using a helix shaped semi-tubular parabolic collector-concentrator with multiple specifically positioned collecting cores crossing and intersecting the shifting sharp focal axis of the reflective surfaces of the helix shape at a slight angle to the focal axis, rather than being exactly on the focal axis, at least one or more of the collecting core surfaces is in sharp focus at all times, thus optimizing the sun's radiant solar energy collection capacity of said device. Further increased primary direct and non-reflective incident solar energy is collected on a plurality of collecting cores providing additional collection efficiencies.

Abstract: The present invention relates to solar energy collection and distribution systems and more particularly to such systems wherein the solar energy collecting elements, arrays or sections are disposed over or floated on a body of water while having associated control, distribution and auxilliary means largely disposed or contained on a land mass adjacent or nearby the body of water. The collecting elements or sections may also be supported on frames, structures or platforms slightly above the surface of the body of water to clear wave or tidal action and the like.The invention also relates to associated means and apparatus for energy collection, conversion, conservation and distribution with which to economically and efficiently implement the purposes of the invention and extend its utility over a broad area.

Abstract: The suspended, hot box solar collector is designed to provide approximately double area solar insolation on to a closed, truncated triangular structure which is double-glazed and insulated to collect and store solar heat energy for hot air space heating.Direct solar radiation is collected through sloped front, bottom and top double-glazed windows, with reflected solar rays received through the same windows by means of fixed, highly reflective surfaces of about the same corresponding total surface area.Solar radiation collection in three planes, both direct and reflected will produce very high temperatures with the storage of a portion of this heat energy within thermal storage compartments within the unit.The suspended, hot box unit is designed for both winter time space heating and summer-time photovoltaic/electric power generation, for both back yard and flat roof top installations.

Abstract: A wood burning furnace includes a combustion enclosure made up of a lower closed generally rectilinear fire box which is defined at an upper portion thereof by a semicylindrical roof dome and a top cylindrical-shape smoke chamber supported on a rearward upright cylindrical smoke conduit and a forward upright smoke conduit, these conduits being supported on the fire box roof dome and open between the smoke chamber and fire box. The combustion enclosure is supported inside of a furnace shell above a fan compartment in that shell. The furnace shell and heating air baffles fastened to it are so constructed as to provide a heating air passage between the combustion enclosure and shell, and a blower in the fan compartment forces air from outside of the shell over the surfaces of the combustion enclosure and out the top of the shell to a location for use of heated air.

Abstract: An interface circuit for adding a solar heat system to a building having a building heating and cooling system and having a building thermostat system, the interface circuit being especially wired to be compatibly interposed between the building thermostat system and the building heating and cooling system without rewiring the latter and being also connected to the solar heat system, the interface circuit thereby adding the solar system as a heat source, and the interface circuit automatically substituting the solar source for the building heating system when heat is called for at a level within the capability of the solar system to supply.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a variable speed traction drive employing combinations of the following shapes; cones, internally tapered sleeves, dual faced internally tapered sleeves, and a combination of a dual faced internal wheel with a dual faced external shape.The primary purpose of the shapes and the manner in which they engage in traction is to achieve a matched geometry between the contacted rolling components, to increase the contacting surface areas, to engage each other in a point to point relationship, and to maintain a narrow or small difference between the largest diameter of any of the rolling components of the drive and the smallest diameter of any of the rolling components of the drive. For example, a velocity difference occurs when a cylinder is driven by traction by a cone roller, or when two cones whose angles are not alike are driven one to the other by traction.

Abstract: A solar energy collector is provided with a transparent, corrugated cover. An internal system of curved mirrors concentrates the radiant energy toward a thermally insulated chamber which houses either a set of heat exchanger tubes with a heat exchange fluid flowing through them or a photovoltaic device for converting thermal energy to electricity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a solar tracking device which tracks the position of the sun using paired, partially-shaded photocells. Auxiliary photocells are used for initial acquisition of the sun and for the suppression of false tracking when the sun is obscured by clouds.

Abstract: Individual collector cells are fitted together in series along a heat transfer medium tube. The cells have a cylindrical housing with mating interconnecting flanges at the ends, through which the tube also passes. The flanges may have sealing gaskets. The housing has a transparent front side and a reflective back side. The cross-sectional configuration of the front is arcuate, while that of the back is parabolic. The cells are fixed with respect to the tube axis, but can rotate about it to follow the sun. Parallel cell rows can be interconnected to rotate together. Interconnected, articulated cell rows are disclosed as a removable cover for a swimming pool.

Abstract: A furnace is provided which is capable of heating a circulating current of air by heat produced from the combustion of either solid or fluid fuel. The furnace is constructed with two separate combustion compartments and a surrounding chamber for circulation of the air to be heated. By means of temperature sensor and control means, the fluid fuel supply is stopped when adequate heat is being produced from the solid fuel. The furnace is adapted to heat remotely located rooms by means of conduits which transport air heated within said chamber. The room in which the furnace is located is heated by the front of said furnace by radiation and convectively heated contiguous air. The compartment which combusts solid fuel is provided with a door on the rear of said furnace, thereby permitting wood to be entered into said compartment from outside the room or building in which said furnace is situated.