초록 ▼

A thermal energy storage system is disclosed for heating a liquid and establishing and maintaining thermal stratification of the liquid in a storage tank. The tank, which may store hot water for domestic use, contains a vertical header assembly which functions to greatly reduce the momentum of incom

A thermal energy storage system is disclosed for heating a liquid and establishing and maintaining thermal stratification of the liquid in a storage tank. The tank, which may store hot water for domestic use, contains a vertical header assembly which functions to greatly reduce the momentum of incoming heated water and to transport the water up or down in the tank to a distribution level containing water of temperature equal to that of the incoming water. Positioned outside the tank is a heat pipe heat exchanger for heating storage liquid withdrawn from the tank. A solar-heated working fluid is circulated through one chamber of the heat exchanger to vaporize a heat pipe fluid. The heat pipe fluid in turn heats storage liquid pumped through a separate chamber of the heat exchanger from a lower part of the storage tank, after which the heated storage liquid is returned to the tank and distributed by means of the vertical header assembly.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for achieving thermal stratification of potable water comprising: a tank for storing water; means for withdrawing water from said tank; a solar heat exchange system for heating water withdrawn from said tank including a solar collector, heat exchange means for permitting heat transfer betw

Apparatus for achieving thermal stratification of potable water comprising: a tank for storing water; means for withdrawing water from said tank; a solar heat exchange system for heating water withdrawn from said tank including a solar collector, heat exchange means for permitting heat transfer between a solar fluid and water circulated therethrough and for providing double-wall-separation between said solar fluid and said water during said heat transfer, means for circulating water withdrawn from said tank through said heat exchange means, and means for circulating a solar working fluid through said solar collector and thereafter through said heat exchange means; and a header assembly for returning water from said heat exchange means to said tank at a level containing water whose temperature most nearly approximates the temperature of the returning water, said header assembly including an inlet extending through a wall of said tank, a vertical header pipe whose wall has a plurality of perforations distributed along its length and about its circumference, and wall means enclosing a portion of said header pipe intermediate between its upper and lower ends and forming a cavity for receiving returning water from said inlet.