HEATING SYSTEM

SYSTEME DE CHAUFFAGE

English Abstract

According to the invention there is provided a heating system comprising a
building having a foundation slab, a
solar energy collector associated with the building, a heat core which stores
heat below the level of the slab, a layer of thermal in-sulation
between the slab and the heat core, transfer means for transferring heat
energy between: a. the solar energy collector on
the one hand and the slab and/or the heat core on the other hand; and b. the
slab and the heat core, the heating system also com-prising
a controller which determines the temperature of the interior of the building
and within the heat core and distributes energy
stored within the heat core to the building to regulate the temperature within
the building.

French Abstract

Linvention concerne un système de chauffage comprenant un bâtiment présentant une plaque dassise, un collecteur dénergie solaire associé au bâtiment, un noyau de chaleur qui stocke la chaleur sous le niveau de la plaque, une couche disolation thermique entre la plaque et le noyau de chaleur, un moyen de transfert destiné à transférer lénergie thermique entre : a. le collecteur dénergie solaire dune part et la plaque et/ou le noyau de chaleur dautre part; et b. la plaque et le noyau de chaleur. Le système de chauffage comprend également un dispositif de commande qui détermine la température de lintérieur du bâtiment et du noyau de chaleur et distribue lénergie stockée à lintérieur du noyau de chaleur dans le bâtiment afin de réguler la température à lintérieur du bâtiment.

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A heating system comprising a building having a foundation slab, a solar
energy collector
associated with the building, a heat core which stores heat below the level of
the slab,
a layer of thermal insulation substantially thermally isolating the slab and
surrounding
earth from the heat core, and transfer means for transferring heat energy
between:
a. the solar energy collector on the one hand and the slab and/or the heat
core on the
other hand; and
b. the slab and the heat core;
the heating system also comprising a controller which determines the
temperature of
the interior of the building and of the heat core, slab and distributes energy
stored
within the heat core to the building to regulate the temperature within the
building.
2. A heating system according to claim 1, wherein the heat core is
substantially directly
below or lateral to the slab.
3. A heating system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat core is
substantially
comprised of earthen material.
4. A heating system according to claim 3, wherein the earthen material therein
comprises
soil and/or gravel and/or rock and/or sand.
5. A heating system according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the sides
and base of the slab are thermally insulated.
6. A heating system according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the heat
core is substantially surrounded by thermal insulation.
7. A heating system according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the transfer
means for
transferring heat between the solar energy collector on the one hand and the
slab
and/or the heat core on the other hand, comprises a fluid.
8. A heating system according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the transfer
means for
transferring heat between the heat core on the one hand and the slab on the
other
hand, comprises a fluid.
7

9. A heating system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the
controller senses when the temperature within the building slab reaches a
predetermined level and consequently withdraws heat energy from the solar
panels
to heat core storage as required to maintain the temperature within the
building.
10. A heating system according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein heat is
transferred from
the heat core to the slab to warm the interior of the building when the
controller
determines that the interior of the building is at or below a predetermined
temperature
and no direct solar energy is available.
11. A heating system according to any one of claims 1-10, further comprising
thermal
sensors within the heat core, slab, and solar energy collectors, said thermal
sensors
connected to the controller to manage heat distribution and/or transfer.
8

Description

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TITLE
Heating System
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to heating system for buildings whether residential,
commercial, industrial, public or otherwise.
BACKGROUND
Many known heating systems for buildings can be expensive and inefficient to
run. It
is accordingly an object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention to
go at least
some way towards addressing this problem or to at least provide the public
with a useful
choice.
The term "comprising" and derivatives thereof, eg "comprises", if and when
used herein in
relation to a combination of features should not be taken as excluding the
possibility that the combination may have further unspecified features.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a heating system
comprising a building having a foundation slab, a solar energy collector
associated with
the building, a heat core which stores heat below the level of the slab, a
layer of thermal
insulation substantially thermally isolating the slab from the heat core,
transfer means for
transferring heat energy between:
a) the solar energy collector on the one hand and the slab and/or the heat
core
on the other hand; and
b) the slab and the heat core;
the heating system also comprising a controller which determines the
temperature of the
interior of the building, the slab, and of the heat core and distributes
energy stored within
the heat core to the building to regulate the temperature within the building.
Preferably the heat core is substantially directly below the slab.
Preferably the heat core is substantially comprised of earthen material.
Optionally the earthen material comprises soil and/or gravel and/or rock
and/or sand.

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Preferably the sides and base of the slab are thermally insulated.
Optionally the heat core is substantially surrounded by thermal insulation,
although in
some embodiments of the invention the bottom of the heat core may not be
insulated,
or may only be insulated through its top and sides.
Preferably the transfer means comprises piping carrying fluid from the solar
energy
collector to the slab and/or the heat core to transfer heat, by way of the
fluid, for
storage within the slab and/or the heat core.
Preferably the transfer means comprises piping carrying fluid between the slab
and the
heat core to transfer heat, by way of the fluid, between the slab and the heat
core.
Preferably the controller senses when the temperature within the building
reaches a
predetermined level and consequently withdraws heat energy from the slab for
storage within the heat core to reduce the temperature within the building.
Preferably heat is transferred from the heat core to the slab to warm the
interior of
the building when the controller determines that the interior of the building
is at or
below a predetermined temperature, and direct solar is unavailable.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of
example
and with reference to the accompanying drawing, of which:
Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a heating system in the context of a
residential dwelling. Commercial examples scale up.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to figure 1, the heating system comprises a well insulated
house/building 1 fitted
with a solar energy collector 2. The collector 2 collects solar energy which
is used to heat
water running through a network of pipes 3. The water may or may not contain

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an antifreeze additive. In some embodiments of the invention an alternative
fluid to
water may be selected. The house/building has a concrete foundation slab 4 set
on a body
of earthen material 5 which is, for example, made up of anyone or combination
of soil,
gravel, rock and sand. The body of earthen material directly beneath the
house/building
functions as a heat core 6, for example a kind of "thermal mass system", and
this
may for example be 1 m or more deep. The heat core 6 may be as large as the
footprint as the structure or any other suitable size. The sides and base of
the slab
have a layer of thermal insulation 7, and the sides and optionally the base of
the heat
core 6 also have a layer of thermal insulation 8. Preferably the layers of
thermal
insulation 7, 8 carry at least a Metric R3 rating. The layers of thermal
insulation 7, 8 are preferably of an ICF (insulated concrete form) type
although any
suitable type of insulation may be employed.
In some embodiments of the invention the base of the heat core may not be
insulated. This may facilitate a 'doming down' heat storage effect and enable
a
greater amount of heat to be stored than would otherwise occur. However in
cases
where the heat core 6 is in wet ground or proximate flowing water the base of
the
heat core may be lined with a water proof sheet and/or a layer of insulation.
As indicated by reference numbers 9 and 10 the network of pipes 3 extends into
the
slab 4 and heat core 6 respectively. Water within the network which has been
heated by the solar energy collector 2 is pumped into and around the internal
body of
the slab 4 and/or heat core 6 and releases its heat to these, eg by conduction
of heat
through the pipes. Because the slab 4 and heat core 6 each have a large mass,
and
because they are well insulated, the slab and heat core are able to store a
considerable amount of heat. Water circulating through the slab 4 and heat
core 6,
after releasing its heat to these, returns to the solar collector to be
reheated, and
from there it circulates back to the slab 4 and/or the heat core 6 to repeat
the process
described above. Preferably the parts of the network of pipes which are not
within
the slab or the heat core are well insulated to minimise heat loss.
Preferably the insulation at the base of the slab 4 is sufficient to thermally
isolate the
slab from the heat core 6, except of course for the network of pipes that
carries water
between the slab and the heat core. This enables the slab (and thus the
house/building) to
be held at a substantially different temperature to the heat core.

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In at least some embodiments of the invention the part of the network of pipes
which
is within the heat core 6 is situated more in the upper parts of the earthen
material
than the lower parts thereof. Further, the part of the network of pipes which
is within
the heat core may be laid in sand or similar, so as to give a measure of pipe
protection.
Over a summer period the system is able to capture a significant amount of
solar
energy and convert this to heat stored within the slab 4 and/or the heat core
6. In
some embodiments of the invention the heat core can be heated in this way to
temperatures in excess of 50 C. Because such heat is stored in the heat core
6,
which is well insulated from the slab and thus the rest of the house/building,
the temperature
of the house/building can be kept at a comfortable level regardless of the
amount of solar
energy being captured, converted, and stored at anyone time. The heat in the
heat
core 6 is transferred, via the network of pipes 3, to the slab 4 and/or
heaters inside
the structure so that it can be used to warm the house/building when ambient
temperatures
drop, for example during the night time or at colder periods of the year.
To enable the transfer of heat between the interior of the house/building, the
slab 4 and the
heat core 6 the system employs a series of temperature sensors together with a
series of control valves associated with the network of pipes. When, for
example, it
is determined that the house/building is too warm then solar energy collected
by the collector
2 is converted and sent by way of the network of pipes directly to the heat
core 6,
effectively by-passing the slab 4. Further, in order to cool the slab 4 and
thus the
interior of the house/building the series of valves operates to circulate
water via the network
of pipes to draw heat away from the slab and store it in the heat core 6.
The opening and closing of individual valves within the series of valves is
regulated
by an electronic controller 11 which, in preferred embodiments of the
invention, has a
touch sensitive key pad. The controller 11 can be used to regulate the
temperature
of the interior of the house/building, the slab 4, the heat core 6 and the
rate at which the solar
energy collector 2 collects energy. The controller 11 is able to decide by way
of
software and the temperatures of the house/building interior, the slab and the
heat core just
where to target heat generated from the solar collector 2 for efficient
heating of the
house/building and storage of energy. For example in some embodiments of the
invention
the controller may be programmed to send heat energy from the collector 2 to
the
house's/building's normal hot water supply system without storing energy in
the slab or heat
core.

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In some embodiments of the invention the controller 11 can be used to send
heat
energy directly to a hot water heating system of the structure 12. The heat
energy may
transfer to the hot water heating system 12 via the network of pipes directly
from the solar
energy collector 2 or from the slab 4 and/or the heat core 6.
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In some embodiments of the invention the house/building may have a combustion
burner, for
example a wood burning heater, and any excess heat from that may be
transferred
via a heat exchanger and the network of pipes to the slab 4 and/or to the heat
core 6.
In further embodiments of the invention the house/building may be associated
with a heat
pump and/or a source of geothermal other energy and in each case energy
therefrom may
be directed by the controller 11, via the network of pipes, to the slab 4
and/or to
the heat core 6 as desired.
Preferably the heating system incorporates means to prevent overheating of the
solar
energy collector 2, the slab 4 and the heat core 6, for example a radiator for
dumping excess
heat when need be. The series of valves may also have a pressure relief
mechanism to
prevent the build up of unsafe pressures therein.
In some embodiments of the invention the heat core 6 stores enough energy to
enable the internal temperature of the house/building to be maintained at or
above 20 C for
significant parts of the winter, that is once the heat core 6 is 'fully
charged'. The
ability of the heat core to store sufficient energy for long periods of time
will to at least
some extent depend on the prevailing climate. For example in warmer climes a
fully
charged heat core may be better able to provide warmth to a well insulated
house/building for
longer periods than in colder climes.
In some embodiments of the invention the controller is able to select which of
a
plurality of solar panels forming part of the solar energy collector 2 should
be used as
a primary source of energy. The selection will depend on which part of the
house/building the
panels are fitted to and the position of the sun at various times of the day
so as to
facilitate efficient collection of energy. The solar panels may be mixed and
grouped
to ensure adequate collection of solar energy to enable the heat core 6 to
function
effectively post winter.
In preferred embodiments of the invention pipes which carry cold water, for
example the
house/building's sewage line, are routed away from the heat core, or are well
insulated,
so that the cold water which typically runs through these does not rob heat
from the

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core. In some embodiments of the invention warm water, for example shower
runoff, may
be routed through the heat core but only in cases where the heat is at low
temperatures
otherwise that too may undesirably rob heat from the heat core.

Representative Drawing