Solar-Powered Cooling and Heating System Using a Structured Water Wall

Abstract

A solar-powered cooling and heating system comprising one or more vertical water containers of special design as the thermal storage device (the structured water wall), a compressor driven by a DC motor powered directly by solar photovoltaic panel(s) for cooling, and a south-faced window for direct solar heating. The solar photovoltaic panel(s) is placed on an awning above the south-facing window; the said awning is designed to allow full sunlight in the winter but no direct sunlight in the summer through the window. The thermal inertia of the structured water wall allows optimum heating and cooling day and night for all seasons of a year. It allows an automatic self-adjustment utilizing the natural annual and diurnal cycles to achieve maximum comfort and efficiency.

1 . A solar-energized cooling-and-heating system for a room in a building comprising:
 a solar photovoltaic panel installed as an awning above a south-facing window for generating electric power in the summer;   a DC motor directly driven by the electricity generated by the solar photovoltaic panel;   a vapor-compression refrigeration unit driven by the DC motor;   a structured water wall placed in the room near a south-facing window cooled by a heat-exchange coil from the refrigeration unit in the summer and heated by direct sunlight through the window in the winter.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the cooling coil of a refrigeration unit is placed near the top of the structured water wall. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the structured water wall comprises a plural of component water containers connected by flanges and pumps. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each component water container is made of two identical parts preferably made of fiber-reinforced plastics. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the side of the structured water wall facing the window is colored black to maximize the absorption of sunlight for effective heating in the winter. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the window side of the structured water wall is covered by a shutter system made of insulating material to allow maximum sunlight to come in the day time and to prevent heat loss in the night. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heat generated by the compressed refrigerant is dissipated to the environment air. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heat generated by the compressed refrigerant is dissipated to a geothermal heat trap. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the electrical current from the solar panel is controlled by a switch which is turned off when the temperature of the structured water wall is lower than a predetermined value, for example, 17° C. or 63° F. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the insulating shutter is controlled by a mechanism which is closed when the temperature of the structured water wall is higher than a predetermined value, for example, 23° C. or 75° F. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a heating element is installed through a flange near the bottom of the structured water wall, to heat up the water wall with external electrical power in cold and cloudy winter time. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the structured water wall is placed at any place in the room, and the solar photovoltaic panel is placed in any external location to generate electricity, such that the system is for solar-powered cooling only.