GB2245964A

GB2245964A - A heating system

Info

Publication number: GB2245964A
Application number: GB9110879A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Kenneth Rowe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-05-30
Filing date: 1991-05-20
Publication date: 1992-01-15
Also published as: GB9020261D0; GB9012002D0; GB9110879D0

Abstract

A heating system comprises a heat absorbing panel 10 having a liquid inlet 11 and a liquid or gas outlet 12 communicating with the liquid inlet via intercommunicating pockets or cells within the panel. The heating system also comprises a plurality of discrete lenses 13, 14 for concentrating the sun's rays on the panel. As shown, the heating system forms part of a water purification plant which also includes means for supplying water to be purified to the inlet 11, a condenser 17 for condensing steam evaporated from the water in the panel, and a sloping collection box below the water inlet 11 for collecting impurities which can be removed through a drain hole closed by a valve 16. <IMAGE>

Description

A Heating System This invention relates to a heating system and also to water purification plant which incorporates such a heating system and which can be used, for example, to desalinate sea water or purify polluted river water or borehole water.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating system comprising a heat absorbing panel having a liquid inlet and a liquid or gas outlet communicating with the liquid inlet via passage means within the panel, and lens means for concentrating the sun's rays on the panel.

Preferably, the passage means comprises a plurality of intercommunicating pockets or cells within the panel and, in this case, the lens means may be arranged to concentrate the sun's rays on the pockets or cells.

Preferably, the lens means comprises a plurality of discrete lenses, typically convex lenses.

Preferably, the panel is equipped with power operated drive means so that in use it can track the sun over the sky.

Preferably, the heating system further comprises means for supporting the panel and the lens means for pivotal movement about a first vertical or substantially vertical axis and a second horizontal or substantially horizontal axis.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water purification plant comprising at least one heat absorbing panel having an inlet and an outlet communicating with the inlet via passage means within the panel, means for supplying water to be purified to the inlet, lens means for concentrating the sun's rays on the panel so that water evaporates in the panel to form steam, means for condensing the steam, and means for removing impurities from the panel.

Preferably, the panel is equipped with power operated drive means so that it can track the sun over the sky.

Preferably, the plant further comprises one or more collection pits in which impurities removed from the panel can be dried out.

If a sufficient head of steam is produced by the plant, this head of steam may be used to drive a small steam turbine to provide power to the plant.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view showing part of one embodiment of a water purification plant according to the second aspect of the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of part of the plant shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section taken through part of the heat absorbing panel and lens arrangement of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale, and Figure 4 is a schematic view of a framework structure for supporting the panel and lens arrangement.

Referring now to the drawings, the water purification plant shown therein can be used, for example, to desalinate sea water. The plant comprises a plurality of heat absorbing panels 10 (hereinafter referred to as solar panels), each having a water inlet 11 near a lower end of the panel and a steam outlet 12 near an upper end of the panel. The panels 10 are typically black in colour to absorb heat and are provided with an arrangement of lenses to concentrate the sun's rays on the panel. The arrangement of lenses for each panel comprises a plurality of relatively large convex lenses 13 arranged in spaced parallel rows and a plurality of smaller infil lenses 14. The lenses 13 and 14 need not be of high optical quality and could be rolled from a single sheet of glass.

The panels 10 may be formed from two sheets of metal, e.g. copper, pressed so as to define a plurality of intercommunicating pockets (or cells) 20 (see Figure 3) when the sheets are joined together and in this case the lenses 13 (and possibly also the lenses 14) may be arranged to concentrate the sun's rays on the pockets (or cells) 20.

Each panel 10 has a sloping collection box below its water inlet 11 for collecting impurities and a drain hole, closed by a manually or electrically operable valve 16, through which hole the impurities can be flushed out.

Water to be purified is pumped into each solar panel 10 through the water inlet 11 so as to maintain a level of water in the panel 10 somewhat below the steam outlet 12. The water in the panels is heated to boiling point by the sun's rays and evaporates to form steam which leaves the panels through the steam outlets 12.

The panels 10 may be equipped with power operated drive mechanisms so that they track the sun over the sky. In this case, each panel and its associated lenses can be mounted on a framework structure 21 (see Figure 4) which is pivotal both about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis. The framework structure can be moved about its said vertical axis by a power operated drive mechanism 22 including an electric motor so that the panel and associated lenses move from an easterly facing to a westerly facing direction during the course of the day. The speed of the motor can be adjusted according to the time of year.

Movement of the framework structure about the said horizontal axis can be effected by guide means which adjust the angle of inclination of the panel to the horizontal from a relatively steep angle at sunrise to a shallower angle when the sun is at its highest point in the sky and back to a relatively steep angle at sunset.

The aforesaid guide means could for example take the form of ground engaging elliptical wheels 23 mounted on the framework structure 21 for free rotation as the framework structure is turned about its vertical axis.

These wheels can be arranged to turn through 180 between sunrise and sunset and to have their major axes horizontal at both sunrise and sunset and their minor axes horizontal when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.

The steam which leaves the panels through the steam outlets 12 is passed through a condenser 17 and purified water is led away from the condenser to storage tanks (not shown).

Sea water to be desalinated can be passed over the condenser 17 prior to being pumped into the panels 10. This has two advantages. Firstly, it reduces the size of the condensers 17 and secondly, it preheats the water supply to the panels 10.

The impurities collected in the panels 10 are flushed out periodically and are led away along gullies 18 to shallow collection pits 19 where the impurities are dried out for subsequent refining (e.g. to produce salt) or for dumping.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, one or more of the panels 10 and associated lenses 13, 14 could be used simply to heat water or other liquid.

In this case, the sloping collection box below the water inlet 11 may not be necessary and heated liquid, not steam, would leave the panel via the outlet 12. Panels used in this way may or may not have a power operated drive system as described above.

Claims

1. A heating system comprising a heat absorbing panel having a liquid inlet and a liquid or gas outlet communicating with the liquid inlet via passage means within the panel, and lens means for concentrating the sun's rays on the panel.

2. A heating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passage means comprises a plurality of intercommunicating pockets or cells within the panel.

3. A heating system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lens means is arranged to concentrate the sun's rays on the pockets or cells.

4. A heating system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lens means comprises a plurality of discrete lenses.

5. A heating system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lenses are concave lenses.

6. A heating system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel is equipped with power operated drive means so that in use it can track the sun over the sky.

7. A heating system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising means for supporting the panel and the lens means for pivotal movement about a first vertical or substantially vertical axis and a second horizontal or substantially horizontal axis.

8. A water purification plant comprising at least one heat absorbing panel having an inlet and an outlet communicating with the inlet via passage means within the panel, means for supplying water to be purified to the inlet, lens means for concentrating the sun's rays on the panel so that water evaporates in the panel to form steam, means for condensing the steam, and means for removing impurities from the panel.

9. A water purification plant as claimed in claim 8, wherein the passage means comprises a plurality of intercommunicating pockets or cells within the panel.

10. A water purification plant as claimed in claim 9, wherein the lens means is arranged to concentrate the sun's rays on the pockets or cells.

11. A water purification plant as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the lens means comprises a plurality of discrete lenses.

12. A water purification plant as claimed in claim 11, wherein the lenses are convex lenses.

13. A water purification plant as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the panel is equipped with power operated drive means so that it can track the sun over the sky.

14. A water purification plant as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 14, further comprising one or more collection pits in which impurities removed from the panel can be dried out.

15. A water purification plant substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.