The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Solar heaters are a good solution for ecologically and cost-effectively heating a fluid. However, solar heaters are generally inefficient when it comes to collecting solar radiation used to heat the fluid and holding the heat stored in the fluid when the surrounding temperature is lower, such as, for example, during the hours without light from the sun.
Solar heaters typically operate according to the principle of thermosiphoning. Thermosiphoning is a process used to exchange heat from liquids without an external source (such as, for example, a mechanical pump), thereby eliminating costs associated with using the external source and simplifying the process of transferring heat. The process of thermosiphoning usually involves the use of water and natural convection, in which fluid motion is not generated by any external source, but only by density differences in the fluid occurring due to temperature gradients. Specifically, because cold water has a higher specific density and is heavier than warm water, cold water will sink down when stored in a water storage tank, causing the warm water to rise towards the top of the water storage tank.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds