Heat storage vessels for use with heat pumps and solar panels

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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HEAT STORAGE WESSELS FOR USE WITH FIG. 4 shows similar underground tire array vessels with HEAT PUMPS AND SOLARPANELS heat eXchangers positioned therein shown oriented in both horizontal and Vertical array positions and

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the exterior of a APPLICATION Storage tank employing the principles of the present inven This application is a non-provisional application claiming tion enclosed in a Spray-on foamed-in-place jacket, with priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of a previously filed Suitable plumbing pipe connections shown at the upper end and co-pending provisional application Ser. No. 60/039,008 of the vessel, ready for underground installation and backfill. of Lawrence M. Tracy, filed Feb. 25, 1997. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE

INVENTION

FIELD OF INVENTION

The liquid reservoir Storage tanks 16 are Similar to the

This invention relates to liquid filled Storage vessels for tank 16 shown in FIG. 2 of my U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,287, in underground or above ground use, providing Substantially that they are formed by a column of Stacked used vehicle Sealed enclosures for heat transfer liquid heated by water or 15 tires 22, with both ends of the stack being closed by metal other fluid circulating from Solar panels exposed to Solar plates 28 to complete the enclosure formed by tank 16 and radiation, and connected to form heat Storage reservoirs for provide a Substantially leakproof liquid reservoir for under delivery of Stored heat to provide home heating, hot water or ground Storage of a heat eXchange liquid. The Stack of tires to promote air conditioner operation. 22 and the end plates 28 may be joined together by metal

RELATED ART

fastenings or by resilient elastomer Seals or adhesives.

Alternatively, as indicated in FIG. 5, the tank 16 may be

The present inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,287 discloses enclosed in a foamed-in-place jacket of polystyrene or other Stacked arrays of Surplus vehicle tires with their Sidewalls polymer foam, forming a Substantially unitary and leakproof clipped together, provided with end plates and thus produc 25 tank for underground use. Foam jacket 29 has an additional ing an enclosed underground chamber, as illustrated in FIG. advantage in providing insulation tending to maintain the 2 of that patent. That chamber was Suggested for use as a temperature of the liquid contents in the tank 16 constant, Septic tank, and variations of it in different orientations were and to avoid the loSS of heat from the tank. The heat Storage disclosed for use as drainage field galleries for diffusion of medium to be contained in the tank 16 is preferably a liquid, the waste water into larger bodies of earth and thus into the and both water and ethylene glycol have been used for this SubSoil and the Surrounding ground. purpose with maximum effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION HEAT EXCHANGE COILS

Some of the same principles are applied in the chambers Various heat exchangers are indicated as coils of tubing in of the present invention to provide Sealed chambers which 35 the various drawings, immersed in the fluid contents of tank can be used as heat reservoirs with heat pump and Solar handling 16 and connected by Suitable conduits to external heat heating Systems, to contain Significant large Volumes of units Such as Solar panels, heat pumps, or hot water heaters. Shown water or ethylene glycol or other liquids, which are heated 2, 3 and 4 are heat in the lower portion of tank 16 in FIGS. 1, by Solar energy received in Solar panels and delivered by to introduce hot liquid delivery heat eXchangers 31, positioned circulating fluid Systems connected to heat eXchange deliv 40 circulating from Such heating means ery coils positioned at the lower end of these chambers. Heat as the Solar panel 32 shown in FIG. 1. eXchange withdrawal coils positioned at higher levels in the The radiation from the Sun, heating panel 32, heats the chambers are connected by Suitable fluid conduits to heat circulating liquid traveling through the panel in contact with pumps, hot water Supply tanks, hot water baseboard the Solar receptors and is then delivered by conduit 33 to coil radiators, and the like in a nearby home or a similar building. 45 31 at the bottom of the tank 16. Thus a principal object of the invention is to provide Convection currents in the liquid 34 enclosed in tank 16 inexpensive Sealed tank vessels for permanent Storage of are caused to flow vertically upward by the heat introduced heat eXchange liquids either above ground or in colder from coil 31, and the warm liquid directly above coil 31 climates installed underground adjacent to homes, offices, or tends to rise toward the top of tank 16, displacing cooler other living Space to be heated or cooled. 50 liquid from the upper end of tank 16 for downward flow in Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and the normal convection return currents around the periphery of tank.

will in part appear hereinafter. An extraction heat eXchanger 36 positioned near the top THE DRAWINGS of tank 16 is also shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, and is 55 connected by a heat extraction conduit 37 to such heat

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the receiving units as the heat pump 38 or the hot water tank 39 invention, reference should be made to the following shown in FIG.1. The return conduit 41 is provided for return detailed description taken in connection with the accompa flow of the heat exchange fluid from these units back to the nying drawings, in which: extraction heat eXchanger 36.

FIG. 1 is a Schematic elevational diagram showing an 60 In addition to heat exchangers 31 and 36, an additional underground tank formed of Surplus vehicle tires, and heat eXchanger 42 connected to a moderate heat Source Such employed in a System of the present invention with a Solar as heat pump 38 by Suitable conduits or to other Sources may panel installation, and a heat pump and hot water tank in the be positioned in tank 16 at an intermediate level, as shown adjacent building. in FIG. 3. If a hot heat exchanger 43 connected to a different FIGS. 2 and 3 are similar enlarged fragmentary Schematic 65 Source of greater heat Such as heat pump 38 is employed, it diagrams showing the underground tank in croSS Section may be positioned at the bottom of tank 16 as shown in FIG. with heat eXchange coils installed at different levels. 1 close to the hot heat exchanger 31 from Solar panel 32.

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When tank 16 is buried below the ground surface 44 as What is claimed is:

indicated in FIGS. 1-3, it may be enclosed in a substantial 1. A Solar heat Storage System comprising in combination: coating of Vermiculite for heat insulation before earth back an externally-insulated heat Storage vessel containing and fill 47 is positioned around the tank 16. Foam jacket 29 Substantially filled by a liquid heat Storage medium, performs the same function as Vermiculite for heat insulation, isolating tank 16 from the Surrounding earth, and a first heat eXchanger deeply immersed in Said Storage when foam jacket 29 is employed the Vermiculite coating vessel, may be eliminated if desired. In temperate climates where Solar panel means, having an upper end and a lower end, very cold weather is not expected, the tank 16 particularly in operatively connected by a pair of delivery and return its foam jacketed mode of FIG. 5 may be positioned above 1O conduits to Said first heat eXchanger for delivery of ground and connected to the other components of the System Solar-heated liquid from the upper end of Said Solar shown in the underground installation in FIG. 1, Solar heat panel means to Said deeply immersed first heat panels 32, heat pump 38, and hot water tank 39. eXchanger, and return of the liquid to the lower end of If desired, other heat Storage materials may be included in Said panel means, the liquid filled tank 16, Such as chopped used tires or other 15 a Second heat eXchanger shallowly immersed in Said recycled materials. Such as broken glass, plastic and the like, which can usefully be placed on the peripheral shelves 48 vessel,

(FIG. 2), but the normal convection currents rising and and a heat pump operatively connected by a pair of descending in the fluid enclosed in tank 16 should not be conduits to Said Second shallowly immersed heat unduly impeded by the incorporation of such additional filler eXchanger for pumped circulating delivery of heat materials. Storage liquid to Said heat pump for use in both heating The geothermal underground cisterns of this invention and cooling operation, comprise heat Storage containment vessels 16 made of the heat Storage vessel being Surrounded externally by a discarded tires 22, have indefinite lifespans, and provide 25 heat-insulating layer, and formed by a plurality of environmentally valuable uses for waste tires. These con discarded imperforate and liquid-impervious vehicle tainment vessels assist and Supplement conventional heat tires of Substantially the same size adjacently arrayed pumpS 38, enabling them to run at peak efficiency for leSS parallel to each other with their adjacent beads firmly operating time, Supplying pre-heated liquid or pre-cooled anchored together, and with the Outermost tire at each liquid, minimizing cost of oil, gas or electricity for air end of the arrayed plurality of tires having its exposed conditioning or heating of living Space or hot water. Par bead Substantially Sealed by a metal plate clamped ticularly in desert climates with hot days and cool nights, as thereto, whereby the heat Storage vessel is formed as an in Arizona and New Mexico, daytime Solar heating of the externally-insulated, Substantially sealed, leak-proof containment vessel, while the heat pump 38 draws cold container for the liquid heat Storage medium. temperatures for air conditioning, leaves the vessel 16 filled 2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the heat with hot liquid Suitable for providing heat and hot water, 35 Storage vessel is Surrounded by an insulating layer of during the evening, thereby leaving the vessel 16 filled with Vermiculite.

cool liquid for air conditioning the following day. 3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the heat It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and Storage vessel is Surrounded by an insulating layer of those made apparent from the preceding description, are 40 polymer foam.

efficiently attained and, Since certain changes may be made 4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the heat in the above construction without departing from the Scope Storage vessel is buried underground.

of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the 5. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein at least one above description or shown in the accompanying drawings additional heat eXchanger is immersed in the heat Storage shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting Sense. 45 vessel.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are 6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein each heat intended to cover all of the generic and Specific features of eXchanger is immersed at a different level in Said heat the invention herein described, and all Statements of the Storage vessel.

Scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION

PATENT NO. : 5,941,238 Page 1 of 1

INVENTOR(S) : Lawrence M. Tracy it is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3

Line 3, after "vermiculite', -- 46 -- should be inserted.

Signed and Sealed this

Twenty-eighth Day of May, 2002

Attest:

JAMES E ROGAN

Attesting Officer Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office