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Solar energy capturing building construction materials, systems and methods

Solar energy capturing building construction materials, systems and methods description/claims

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 based on Chinese Patent Application No. 200710045671.X, filed Sep. 6, 2007; Chinese Patent Application No. 200710045672.4, filed Sep. 6, 2007; Chinese Patent Application No. 2007200744430, filed Sep. 6, 2007 and Chinese Patent Application No. 200720074445X, filed Sep. 6, 2007 and are incorporated herein by reference.

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to energy-saving materials, structures and construction systems and methods. In particular, this invention relates to energy-saving materials, structures and construction systems and methods which are configured for collecting solar energy, among other things.

2. Background of the Related Art

Being known as clean and inexhaustible energy, there is a huge challenge for humans to make use of solar energy as an energy source. The solar energy industry has so far largely focused on solar cells for converting solar energy to electrical energy or using solar energy as a water heater. Thus, the previous technologies have been aimed at converting solar energy to electrical energy or heating water for saving fuels.

There is no present technology which involves using entire buildings, such as the building materials, structure and/or construction, for capturing solar energy effectively. Without such applicable systems or methods, the clean energy which may be derived from the sun shining on these buildings is wasted. Furthermore, these buildings are often responsible for increasingly enormous consumption of energy. For example, most office buildings require air conditioning for cooling the room temperature during summer months, while employing a central heating system to increase room temperature during winter months. The inherent inefficiency of consuming large amounts of energy while wasting the potential of solar energy is particularly apparent during the summer months.

The invention is directed to systems and methods which, among other things, solves the aforementioned need in the art.

It is an object to overcome the above-noted disadvantages that buildings and building materials can not take any benefit from readily available solar energy. In some embodiments, the invention provides a solar heating collector which may be formed of ordinary building materials. In some embodiments, the invention is capable of controlling the temperature of buildings and produces heated fluid such as water as a byproduct through the absorption of solar energy.

In embodiment, the invention is used to convert a normal building construction material to a solar heat collecting building material, which includes the building material itself and a conduit disposed therein. The material may be formed as panels in which one surface is exposed to sunlight and acts as a solar energy absorber while the opposite surface acts as a thermal insulator and may be exposed to the interior of a building. The conduit disposed therein has an intake for receiving fluid therein and an outlet for permitting the egress of fluid thereform. Fluid within the conduit absorbs heat from the surface of the material which is exposed to the solar energy, that is, the sun's rays, and may transfer the heat by flowing through the conduit to another location. The rate of fluid flow may be adjusted based on the fluid temperature desired or opportunity for heat absorption.

The liquid conduit may include an intake and outlet for flowing liquid. The heat collecting building construction material may have only one layer or could be formed with more than one layer. The heat collecting building construction material may be composed by a single building row material or combination of over two different building raw materials. The heat collecting building construction material may be a single solar heat collecting unit or several of such materials may be used to form a solar heat collecting panel. The conduit may include one or more separate conduits or channels arranged adjacently with respect to each other.

The conduits may be arranged in one or more levels, forming outer and inner conduits. The inner conduits can be separated from the outer conduits by a thermal insulation material to prevent significant heat transfer or losses between conduits. Heated fluid may be directed to the inner conduits for affecting and controlling the temperature of rooms within a building, while the outer conduit could be used for absorbing heat and providing heated water for the inner conduit, or controlling temperature of the surface of the building.

Furthermore, the thermal insulation material could be a separate part from the surface of the buildings construction materials and removable.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a solar heating collector adapted for different buildings and be compatible with existing building constructions. The present invention is an efficient building material to control temperature by solar energy and make use of the heat from solar energy.

In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a solar heat collecting building construction material. The material is a generally elongated substrate having an inner side and an opposing outer side with a space or conduit for fluid flow between the two sides. The outer side may be a transparent, semi-transparent or opaque material. The outer side may also be configured to have properties which enable solar energy absorption or otherwise facilitate conductive heat transfer to a fluid within the conduit. The inner side may be of the same material as the outer side. The inner side may otherwise be configured to have thermally insulative properties or a separate material having thermally insulative properties may be fitted thereon. The fluid within the conduit acts as a coolant, and has the property of being able to absorb heat and provide conductive heat transfer between the outer side and the fluid. Thus, the fluid receives the heat absorbed by the outer side. The material may include an inlet connected with the conduit for fluid entry, an outlet connected with the conduit for fluid egress, and a pump for circulating fluid through the material. The inner and outer sides may be planar and elongated.

In one aspect, this material may be composed by single building construction raw material or combination of over two differing building construction raw materials. Alternatively, the solar heat collecting building construction material may be composed of elongated sections of material, which may be further configured to be interconnected or otherwise affixed at their respective end edges such that the inner and outer sides and conduits for each section are positioned in series with respect to one another.

In yet another embodiment, a solar heat collecting building construction material of the invention includes an inner side and an opposing outer side defining a conduit for fluid flow therein as described above, along with a middle layer disposed substantially parallel with respect to the inner and outer sides, wherein the middle layer divides the conduit into parallel inner and outer conduits. The middle layer may be constructed of a thermally insulative material to prevent heat transfer between fluid within the outer conduit and fluid within the inner conduit.

It should be understood that although the terms inner and outer sides are used in describing the invention and embodiments thereof, the inner and outer sides may be separate layers of material or may be one integral substrate of material in which an elongated conduit has been formed. The material properties may be adjusted in accordance with the invention by disposing the appropriate coating or by treating the material to facilitate greater solar energy absorptive, heat conductivity or thermal insulative properties on the inner and outer surfaces as desired.

In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a system for buildings using solar energy is provided which includes a heat collecting construction material such as the one described herein, having a fluid conduit disposed in the material, a storage container connected to the fluid conduit, a source provided for the liquid, and a pump moving liquid from the source to the conduit of the heat collecting building construction material.

In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a method for building using solar energy comprises steps of: manufacturing and installing solar heat collecting construction material, wherein a fluid conduit is inserted in the building material and the material is installed to a building so that one surface of the material is exposed to the outside of the building, installing a fluid circulating system for directing fluid flow through the material. The system may include pumps, valves, sensors, fluid sources, tanks and pipes for connecting the system components.

A computer system may be used to controls fluid flow through the conduit. The computer may direct heated fluid from the conduit upon a sensor indicating that the fluid has reached or risen above a preset upper temperature value. The heated fluid may be directed to a first storage tank and replaced by cooler water from a supply or other storage tank. Upon the temperature of the fluid reaching or dropping below a preset lower temperature value, the computer system may be used to direct fluid from the conduit to a second storage tank and replace the fluid in the conduit with stored heated fluid from the first storage tank. Thus, a relatively constant fluid temperature within the one or more conduits may be maintained.

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