초록 ▼

Solar heating systems are provided which utilize an integrated fixture for transferring heat from a solar collector to a lower-temperature loop, e.g. a domestic hot water system or radiant heating system. The fixture provides a heat exchanger for transferring heat from the solar collector to the low

Solar heating systems are provided which utilize an integrated fixture for transferring heat from a solar collector to a lower-temperature loop, e.g. a domestic hot water system or radiant heating system. The fixture provides a heat exchanger for transferring heat from the solar collector to the lower temperature loop. The fixture may also include a casting, in which are formed solar collector supply and return ports, lower temperature supply and return ports, a solar collector pump volute, and a lower temperature pump volute. The systems also include two pumps, and a temperature optimization control that varies the speed of at least one of the pumps depending on the temperature of the liquid in the solar collector.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of supplying heat to an end use from a solar hot water system, the system including a solar heating unit; a higher-temperature loop and a lower-temperature loop, the lower-temperature loop including a reservoir and an outlet line, and the higher-temperature loop including the solar heati

1. A method of supplying heat to an end use from a solar hot water system, the system including a solar heating unit; a higher-temperature loop and a lower-temperature loop, the lower-temperature loop including a reservoir and an outlet line, and the higher-temperature loop including the solar heating unit; the reservoir having an exit to the outlet line which allows delivery of the liquid in the reservoir to an end use, and a pumping and control system comprising (i) a higher-temperature loop pump; (ii) a lower-temperature loop pump, (iii) a heat exchanger in fluid communication with both the higher-temperature loop and the lower-temperature loop; (iv) a temperature sensor in the solar heating unit; (v) a temperature sensor in the reservoir; and (vi) a controller designed to receive data from the temperature sensors and to transmit control information to the pumps, and which is physically integrated with the pumps and heat exchanger in a single unitary fixture, and configured to control the operation of the lower-temperature loop pump and higher-temperature loop pump based upon data supplied from the temperature sensors; the method comprising: (a) heating liquid in the higher-temperature loop with the solar heating unit;(b) delivering liquid from the higher-temperature loop to the heat exchanger, so that the liquid passes through a first side of the heat exchanger,(c) delivering liquid circulating in the lower-temperature loop to the heat exchanger so that the liquid passes through a second side of the heat exchanger, receiving heat from the liquid in the higher-temperature loop,(d) delivering a portion of the liquid from the lower-temperature loop that has been heated in the heat exchanger to an end use;(e) determining the temperature differential between the temperature of the liquid exiting the solar heating unit and the temperature of the liquid in the lower-temperature loop at the exit of the reservoir, and(g) controlling the flow of liquids through the higher-temperature and lower-temperature loops to the heat exchanger based on the temperature differential, to maintain a setpoint temperature in the reservoir, by: (i) calculating the actual temperature differential between the solar heating unit and the end use;(ii) turning both pumps on when the temperature differential is greater than ΔTs and running two pumps at a speed sufficient to transfer heat from the solar heating unit to the end use;(iii) turning off one or both pumps when the temperature in the reservoir exceeds a predetermined maximum. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising turning off operation of both of the pumps when the temperature in the reservoir exceeds a predetermined maximum. 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising turning off one or both pumps when the temperature at the exit of the solar heating unit falls below a predetermined minimum. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the system includes a supplemental non-solar heat source and the method further comprising turning on the supplemental non-solar heat source to provide heat energy to the reservoir when the temperature at the exit of the solar heating unit falls below a predetermined minimum. 5. A heating system comprising: (a) a solar heat source;(b) a higher-temperature loop in fluid circulation communication with the solar heat source;(c) a storage reservoir;(d) a lower-temperature loop in fluid circulation communication with the storage reservoir and in heat exchanging relationship to the higher temperature loop;(e) a source pump configured to circulate liquid through the solar heat source and the higher-temperature loop;(f) a reservoir pump configured to circulate liquid through the lower-temperature loop and the storage reservoir;(g) a heat exchanger having two sides, one side being in fluid flow communication with the higher-temperature loop and the second side being in fluid flow communication with the lower-temperature loop, so as to place the two loops in a heat exchanging relationship to each other;(h) a tank temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of liquid in the storage reservoir;(i) a source temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of liquid in the solar heat source; and(j) a controller operatively connected to receive temperature data from the source temperature sensor and the tank sensor, and integrated with the two pumps and the heat exchanger in a single unitary fixture and configured to control the operation of the source pump and the reservoir pump in response to variations in the temperature of the liquid in the storage reservoir, thereby maintaining a setpoint temperature differential (ΔTs) between the solar heat source and the storage reservoir by: (i) calculating the actual temperature differential between the solar heat source and the storage reservoir; and(ii) turning both pumps on when the temperature differential is greater than ΔTs and running the pumps at a speed sufficient to transfer heat from the solar heat source to the storage reservoir; or(iii) turning off one or both pumps when the temperature in the lower-temperature loop after it has exited the heat exchanger exceeds a predetermined maximum; or(iv) turning off one or both pumps when the temperature in the solar heat source falls below a predetermined minimum. 6. The heating system of claim 5 wherein the tank sensor is located so as to measure the temperature of liquid exiting the storage reservoir. 7. The heating system of claim 6 wherein the source sensor is located so as to measure the temperature of liquid at the exit of the solar heat source. 8. The heating system of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to calculate the temperature differential between the temperature measured by the tank sensor and the temperature measured by the collector sensor. 9. The heating system of claim 5 further comprising a supplemental heat source, and a supplemental pump configured to deliver heated liquid from the supplemental heat source to the storage reservoir. 10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a source flow meter configured to measure the flow of liquid through the higher-temperature loop, and a source return temperature sensor, located at the entrance back to the solar heat source and configured to measure the temperature of liquid returning to the solar heat source; the source flow meter and the source return temperature sensor being in communication connection with the controller, wherein the controller is also configured to calculate thermal energy supplied by the solar heat source and to control operation of the supplemental pump, so as to turn on the supplemental pump when the energy being supplied by the solar collector falls below a predetermined minimum. 11. The heating system of claim 5 further comprising a supplemental heater for supplying heat directly to the liquid in the reservoir, the supplemental heater being in controlled relationship to the controller so that when the temperature of the liquid in the reservoir falls below the predetermined minimum temperature the supplemental heater is turned on. 12. The heating system of claim 11 wherein the supplemental heater is a direct-fired water heater. 13. The heating system of claim 11 wherein the controller is integrated with the pumps and heat exchanger in a single unitary fixture. 14. The system of claim 5, further comprising a supplemental heat dump, and a supplemental pump configured to deliver heated liquid from the solar heat source to the supplemental heat dump when the temperature in the solar heating unit increases to above a predetermined maximum. 15. A heating system comprising: (a) a solar heat source;(b) a higher-temperature loop in fluid communication with the solar heat source;(c) a storage reservoir;(d) a lower-temperature loop in fluid communication with the storage reservoir;(e) a source pump configured to circulate liquid through the higher-temperature loop and the solar heat source;(f) a reservoir pump configured to circulate liquid through the lower-temperature loop and the storage reservoir;(g) a heat exchanger having two sides, one side being in fluid flow communication with the higher-temperature loop and the second side being in fluid flow communication with the lower-temperature loop;(h) a tank temperature sensor so located and configured to measure the temperature of liquid in the storage reservoir;(i) source temperature sensors including (1) an exit temperature sensor so located and configured to measure the temperature of liquid exiting the solar heat source, and(2) a return temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of liquid returning to the solar heat source;(j) a supplemental heat source configured to heat the liquid in the storage reservoir;(k) a source flow meter configured to measure the flow of liquid through the higher-temperature loop;(l) a controller operatively connected to receive temperature data from the tank temperature sensor, the source exit temperature sensor and the source return temperature sensor and to receive flow data from the source flow meter, and configured to control the operation of the source pump and the reservoir pump in response to variations in the temperature of the liquid in the storage reservoir, thereby maintaining a setpoint temperature in the storage reservoir, by: (i) calculating the actual temperature differential between the liquid exiting and returning to the solar heat source and measuring the energy transferred ;(ii) turning on the supplemental pump when the temperature in the reservoir falls below the desired setpoint and the energy transferred is not sufficient to raise the reservoir temperature to the desired setpoint, and running the pumps at a speed sufficient to transfer heat from the supplemental heat source to the storage reservoir in an amount to raise the reservoir temperature to the desired value; and(iv) turning off the supplemental pump when the heat energy transferred in the heat exchanger is sufficient to heat the reservoir.