Roof panel suitable for heat-exchanging applications, and heat-exchanging roof assembly incorporating the same

Abstract

A roof panel for a heat-exchanging roof assembly includes a hollow panel body that is made from a heat conducting material, that confines a coolant space, and that includes an upper wall part and a lower wall part disposed below the upper wall part. The panel body is formed with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet that are in fluid communication with the coolant space and that permit flow of a liquid coolant into and out of the coolant space. At least one of the upper and lower wall parts has an inner wall surface that confronts the coolant space and that is formed with a guide channel. The guide channel extends from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet, and is in fluid communication with the coolant space so as to guide liquid coolant flow from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.

1 . A roof panel comprising: 
 a hollow panel body that is made from a heat conducting material, that confines a coolant space, and that includes an upper wall part and a lower wall part disposed below said upper wall part, said panel body being formed with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet that are in fluid communication with said coolant space and that permit flow of a liquid coolant into and out of said coolant space;    at least one of said upper and lower wall parts having an inner wall surface that confronts said coolant space and that is formed with a guide channel, said guide channel extending from said coolant inlet to said coolant outlet and being in fluid communication with said coolant space so as to guide liquid coolant flow from said coolant inlet to said coolant outlet.    
   
   
       2 . The roof panel as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said upper and lower wall parts have opposite ends, and said panel body further includes first and second end walls that interconnect said upper and lower wall parts at said opposite ends, respectively, 
 each of said coolant inlet and said coolant outlet being formed in a respective one of said first and second end walls.    
   
   
       3 . The roof panel as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said upper and lower wall parts further have opposite lateral edges, and said panel body further includes first and second lateral walls that interconnect said upper and lower wall parts at said opposite lateral edges, respectively.  
   
   
       4 . The roof panel as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein at least one of said first and second lateral walls is provided with a wing extension that extends therefrom and that is disposed outwardly of said coolant space.  
   
   
       5 . The roof panel as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said panel body is a rectangular panel body.  
   
   
       6 . The roof panel as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said guide channel is formed in said upper wall part.  
   
   
       7 . The roof panel as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said upper and lower wall parts is formed with a plurality of bumps that project into said coolant space toward the other one of said upper and lower wall parts.  
   
   
       8 . The roof panel as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said bumps abut against and are welded to the other one of said upper and lower wall parts.  
   
   
       9 . The roof panel as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said at least one of said upper and lower wall parts has an outer wall surface and is pressed from said outer wall surface to result in said bumps that project into said coolant space.  
   
   
       10 . A heat-exchanging roof assembly comprising: 
 an array of roof panels, each of said roof panels including a hollow panel body that is made from a heat conducting material, that confines a coolant space, and that includes an upper wall part and a lower wall part disposed below said upper wall part, said panel body being formed with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet that are in fluid communication with said coolant space and that permit flow of a liquid coolant into and out of said coolant space, 
 at least one of said upper and lower wall parts having an inner wall surface that confronts said coolant space and that is formed with a guide channel, said guide channel extending from said coolant inlet to said coolant outlet and being in fluid communication with said coolant space so as to guide liquid coolant flow from said coolant inlet to said coolant outlet,  
 said array including a first endmost row and a second endmost row of said roof panels, said coolant inlets of said roof panels in said second endmost row being in fluid communication with said coolant outlets of said roof panels in said first endmost row;  
   a first piping network connected to said coolant inlets of said roof panels in said first endmost row for supplying the liquid coolant thereto; and    a second piping network connected to said coolant outlets of said roof panels in said second endmost row for collecting the liquid coolant flowing out of said second endmost row.    
   
   
       11 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said array further includes an intermediate set of said roof panels disposed between said first and second endmost rows, said coolant outlets of said roof panels in said first endmost row being connected to said coolant inlets of said roof panels in said intermediate set, said coolant inlets of said roof panels in said second endmost row being connected to said coolant outlets of said roof panels in said intermediate set.  
   
   
       12 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of edge fastening units, each of which fastens together an adjacent pair of said roof panels in a same row of said array.  
   
   
       13 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein 
 said upper and lower wall parts of each of said roof panels have opposite ends, and said panel body of each of said roof panels further includes first and second end walls that interconnect said upper and lower wall parts at said opposite ends, respectively,    each of said coolant inlet and said coolant outlet being formed in a respective one of said first and second end walls.    
   
   
       14 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said upper and lower wall parts of each of said roof panels further have opposite lateral edges, and said panel body of each of said roof panels further includes first and second lateral walls that interconnect said upper and lower wall parts at said opposite lateral edges, respectively.  
   
   
       15 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in claim  14 , wherein each of said edge fastening units includes a pair of wing extensions that extend respectively from said first and second lateral walls of the adjacent pair of said roof panels and that are disposed outwardly of said coolant spaces of the adjacent pair of said roof panels, and a fastener for fastening together said wing extensions.  
   
   
       16 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said wing extensions are stacked one on top of the other, and said fastener includes a screw fastener that fastens together said wing extensions.  
   
   
       17 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said panel body of each of said roof panels is a rectangular panel body.  
   
   
       18 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said guide channel of each of said roof panels is formed in said upper wall part.  
   
   
       19 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said upper and lower wall parts of each of said roof panels is formed with a plurality of bumps that project into said coolant space toward the other one of said upper and lower wall parts.  
   
   
       20 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein said bumps abut against and are welded to the other one of said upper and lower wall parts.  
   
   
       21 . The heat-exchanging roof assembly as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein said at least one of said upper and lower wall parts of each of said roof panels has an outer wall surface and is pressed from said outer wall surface to result in said bumps that project into said coolant space.