The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Battelle Memorial Institute

George H Stickford

Sherwood G Talbert

William H Wilkinson

John M Corliss

D Karl Landstrom

Frank E Jakob

A method, apparatus and system is provided for controlling the rate of insolation transmission through the roof of a building, such as a greenhouse. The roof is provided with translucent panels through which liquid containing opaquing material passes. Control is effected by varying the amount of opaquing material passing through the panels, according to preselected optimum fulfillment of the combined heating, cooling and insolation needs of the building under varying atmospheric conditions.

Method and apparatus for controlling insolation in a building

Passive environmental heating and cooling systems are described, which utilize heat pipes to transmit heat to or from a thermal reservoir. In a solar heating system, a heat pipe is utilized to carry heat from a solar heat absorber plate that receives sunlight, through a thermal insulation barrier, to a heat storage wall, with the outer end of the pipe which is in contact with the solar absorber being lower than the inner end. The inclining of the heat pipe assures that the portion of working fluid, such as Freon, which is in a liquid phase will fall by gravity to the outer end of the pipe, thereby assuring diode action that prevents the reverse transfer of heat from the reservoir to the outside on cool nights. In a cooling system, the outer end of the pipe which connects to a heat dissipator, is higher than the inner end that is coupled to a cold reservoir, to allow heat transfer only out of the reservoir to the heat dissipator, and not in the reverse direction.

Passive environmental temperature control system

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, OH, United States of America

George H Stickford