Solar heating system

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back into calcium oxide where it is placed back into the

SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM calcium oxide storage container. Motor driven augers BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION are used to transfer material and thermostats may be utilized to actuate the apparatus.

The present invention relates to solar heating systems 5 A method is provided including the steps of transfer and means of storing heat for use at a later time. ring the calcium oxide into water held in a tank and In the past there have been a great many solar heat removing the heat generated in the water therefrom. ing systems including the utilization of lens or parabolic Removing the calcium hydroxide from the water and dishes for directing solar energy against a heat-absorb 10 converting it to calcium oxide, including heating with a ing surface which is used to heat water or other materi solar heater and transferring the calcium oxide to a als for transfer to a building to be heated. storage container, completes the method. Solar heating is also accomplished by placing thin BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING rectangular or square containers having copper water pipe passing in a serpentine fashion over the bottom Other objects, features and advantages of this inven thereof on the roof of a building. The bottom of the 15 tion will be apparent from a study of the written de containers can be painted black and a glass cover can scription and the drawing, in which the FIGURE is a be placed over the tubes and the container filled with sectional and diagramatic view of a system in accor water, if desired, so that the sunlight hitting the roof dance with the present invention. will pass through the glass and be impinged upon the 20 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED black surface which absorbs the heat and heats the water. The copper pipe acts as a heat exchanger for the EMBODIMENTS system to transfer back into a building for heating the Referring now to the FIGURE, a solar heating para building or the hot water used in the building. Similar bolic mirror 10 is illustrated reflecting sunlight 11 onto systems have also been utilized for heating swimming a center mirror 12 which directs the sunlight into a light pools to increase the temperature of the water in the 25 tunnel 13 off of a reflecting surface 14 onto a reflecting pool. A major problem with solar heaters has been the surface 15 and against a black surface 16 where the storage of the energy or use at a later time. The system energy is absorbed into the solar heating chamber 17. may be very effective during sunlight, but loses its ef The light channel 13 has a rotatable ring connection 20 fectiveness on cloudy or rainy days and during the night 30 and 21 to provide for dual rotation of the parabolic time. In order to store the heat for evening use it has mirror 10 to direct the parabolic mirror towards the been suggested to place large tanks in the ground and sun at different times of the day and year. It should of have the heated water from the solar heater fed into the course be clear that other types of solar heaters can be tanks to heat the water in the tanks underground which used equally as well, including various types of lens and is stored and utilized to heat the house in the evenings. 35 reflecting surfaces for generating the heat in the solar Similar storage systems have utilized earth which has heating chamber 17. A chamber 22 is partly filled with been wet, as well as sand, stones, bricks, and the like, water 23 and has walls 24 with a heat exchanger 25 which are heated by the solar heating system. A heat passing through the walls 24 to the exterior thercof so exchanger removes the heat from the stored heat in the that heat in the water 23 can be transferred from the heated rocks, gravel, or the like, for transfer into the 40 chamber 22 through the heat exchanger 25 to heat a building in the evenings. These systems lose their desir building. Chamber 22 has angled bottom surfaces 25 ability because of their short term storage and because and an angled chute 26 for feeding material from a they have little effect during any lengthy period of chamber 27 thereinto. Chamber 27 is filled with a cloudy or rainy weather. This is especially true of those chemical 28 which may be calcium oxide in the pre areas which have a considerable number of cloudy, 45 ferred embodiment. Chamber 27 has walls 30 and an rainy days during the year, especially during the winter angled bottom 31 so that the calcium oxide 28 can be time when the heat is most desirable, but when the fed through an auger 32 driven by a motor 33 up onto daytime hours are shortest. the chute 26 where it is dumped into the water 23 in The present invention overcomes some of the disad chamber 22. The calcium oxide 28 is converted to vantages of the prior art by providing for long term 50 calcium hydroxide in the water 22 releasing heat in the storage of the solar energy which can then be utilized at following equation:

any time desired. CaO + HO - Ca(OH), + 488 BTU's/lb. of CaO SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION CaO is commonly referred to as quicklime and is a The present invention relates to a solar heating sys relatively inexpensive substance which produces heat tem in which a liquid storage chamber stores water and 55 energy by the formation of the hydrate and can be a dry chemical storage container stores calcium oxide reconverted to calcium oxide by removing the water in (CaO). Calcium oxide which is in powdered or granu the reversible equation. If the hydrated lime is heated lar form, is transferred by an auger conveyor, or the to redness, the CaO will be regenerated to reverse the like, into the liquid container upon actuation of the 60 reaction. One pound of water combines wih approxi conveyor. The calcium oxide is converted to calcium mately 3 1/9 pounds of calcium oxide to give calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) when it is dropped into the liquid, hydroxide plus 1618 BTU's of energy. To reverse the releasing heat and heating the water in the liquid con equation requires the same amount of energy. The tainer. The heat exchanger placed in the liquid con calcium hydroxide in chamber 22 settled to the bottom tainer is utilized to transfer the heat from the liquid 65 where the angled surface 25 directs it into an auger 34 container to a building, or the like. The calcium hy driven by electric motor 35 which raises it to a droxide is converted to calcium oxide by straining the screened container 36 which allows excess water to water out and feeding it through a solar heater which drain from the slurry as the material is fed up the auger removes the water and converts the calcium hydroxide 34. The auger 34 then feeds the slurry into a preheating

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chamber 37 where it is preheated prior to being fed means to transfer said dry chemical from said dry into the solar heating chamber 17. The solar heating chemical storage chamber into said liquid storage chamber 17 concentrates energy from the sun along chamber when actuated;

the surface 16 which gets very hot driving the moisture d. heat exchange means located in said liquid storage from the calcium hydroxide and reversing the equation chamber and operatively connected to transfer by converting the calcium hydroxide to calcium oxide. heat from said liquid in said chamber to the exte The excess steam and water driven off is fed first to a rior of said liquid storage chamber; heater/cooler 40, where the calcium oxide is being fed e. means for removing dry chemical transferred to from the solar heater 17 by means of an auger 41 back 10 said liquid storage chamber into the container 27. The calcium oxide is cooled but f. solar heating means for drying said chemical being the steam and water are further heated in after heater/- removed from said liquid storage chamber with a cooler 40, with the steam passing into the preheater 37 solar heater; and where the stcam is converted to heated water which is g. means for transferring said dry chemical back into fed as shown by line 42 back into the container 122. 5 said dry chemical storage chamber whereby a heat Auger 41 is driven by a motor 43. It will of course be ing system may have prolonged storage of heat. clear that while augers or screws have been used as a 2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which convenient method for transferring the material, other said conveyor means connecting said dry chemical conveyor systems could be used without departing storage to said liquid storage chamber is an auger feed from the spirit and scope of the invention. ing dry chemicals to an angled chute directing dry Motor 35 is connected by electrical conductor 45 to 20 chemicals into liquid storage chamber. motor 43 inasmuch as when motor 35 is operated, 3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which motor 43 would also be operated to provide continuous said dry chemical is calcium oxide and said liquid movement of the material to the solar heater and from stored in said liquid storage chamber is water. the solar heater into the container 27. Motor 33 is 4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which shown connected by line 46 to a thermostat 47 and by 25 said means for removing dry chemical from said liquid line 48 to a switch. Thus, the motors 33 and 43 would storage chamber includes at least one auger and a be actuated only when heat was required in the water screened chamber for draining excess water from said 23 in chamber 22 and could be manually operated by a dry chemical.

switch at the end of line 48 or actuated in accordance 5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which with a thermostat as desired. Similarly, a thermostat 30 said solar heater contains means for concentrating and located in a building could actuate the system to heat directing sunlight against a heating surface for heating the building by moving fluid through the heat ex a solar heating chamber.

changer 25 to transfer heat. A delay to allow the heat to 6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which . build up in the container 22 could be controlled by 35 said liquid storage chamber has a thermostat extending thermostat 47 indicating that the water 23 contained thereinto for measuring the temperature of the water sufficient heat for operation prior to pumping fluid therein and actuating a switch if the temperature in said through the heat exchanger 25. water is below a predetermined level. The method of operation provides for transferring 7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which calcium oxide (CaO) 28 from container 27 onto the said liquid storage chamber and said dry chemical stor chute 26 and into the container 22 water 23 where the 40 age chamber each have angled bottom surfaces for water is heated. Heat is transferred from the water 23 directing material to said augers. through the heat exchanger 25 and out of the system. 8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which Calcium hydroxide formed from the calcium oxide in a preheater preheats said dry chemical and liquid being water is fed by an auger 34 where it has water drained 45 fed from said liquid storage chamber to said solar therefrom in the screened chamber and is fed into a heatcr, said preheater being operatively connected to solar heated chamber 17. The calcium hydroxide is said solar heater for receiving steam generated by said heated in the solar heated chamber by solar energy to solar heater.

convert the calcium hydroxide into calcium oxide and 9. A solar heating method comprising the steps of to transfer or direct the calcium oxide back into the a. transferring calcium oxide into a tank of water to storage container. 50 convert said calcium oxide to calcium hydroxide It should of course be clear at this point that a solar thereby releasing heat;

heating system and heat storage system for use in a b. removing heat from said water tank; solar heating system has been provided. However, c. converting calcium hydroxide to calcium oxide other suitable storage chemicals could be utilized and 55 including the step of removing excess moisture the heat generated can also be used in an absorption air from the calcium hydroxide and heating said cal conditioning system without departing from the spirit cium hydroxide in a solar heating chamber; and and scope of the invention. Accordingly, this invention d. transferring said calcium oxide to a storage cham is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms ber whereby solar energy may be stored for ex disclosed herein since these arc to be regarded as illus 60 tended periods of time.

trative rather than restrictive. 10. The method in accordance with claim 9 including I claim: the step of preheating said calcium hydroxide following 1. A heating apparatus comprising in combination: the removing of excess moisture therefrom. a. liquid storage chamber for storage of a liquid; 11. The method in accordance with claim 10 includ b. dry chemical storage chamber for storage of a 65 ing the step of cooling the calcium oxide which has chemical which generates heat when mixed with been converted from calcium hydroxide following the said liquid in said liquid storage chamber; heating of the calcium hydroxide with solar heat with c. conveyor means connecting said dry chemical the steam generatedk in ::the*ksolar sk. heater.

storage to said liquid storage chamber including