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Solar wall heaterWill Firstbrook WCB of BC wfirstbr at msmail.wcb.bc.caTue May 13 12:54:00 CDT 1997
Hi John, Your post gave me a bunch of additional ideas! The heated air could: * power a sterling engine to power a fan to: * cool the house or * distribute the heated air or * venting the house / roof or * to integrate into the solar cooker for more convection cooking, * perhaps put some French style doors that are vented on the bottom and the top with a closet size space as a clothes drier. Thanks, Will ---------- From: John Schinnerer To: 'coblist at deatech.com' Subject: FW: Solar wall heater Date: Friday, 1997 May, 09 4:04PM >Aloha, > >---------- >From: Will Firstbrook WCB of BC[SMTP:wfirstbr at msmail.wcb.bc.ca] >I was just thinking about low cost ways of heating a cob building and >this idea came to mind. I would be interested in comments as I am not >even sure if it is a problem in the first place. > >The idea is to use the sun to heat the exterior of the southern exposed >cob walls. This could be accomplished by imbedding some glass on the >southern exterior side of the structure and leaving a small air pocket >between the glass and the cob. The cob would be painted/stained/dyed >black for maximum heat absorption. This should transfer quite a bit of >heat into the cob depending on how big this glass is and how much sun is >available. If little sun is available the glass and air pocket provides >a little insulation for the cob. In the summer if it gets very hot, >shutters could be installed to minimize heat absorption; Or an overhang >could be designed to allow winter sun to heat the window yet shade the >window from the sun in the summer. > >A variation of this could be to build a solar oven into a south wall >near the kitchen with interior access. > >Does this seem feasible, or even worthwhile? I know this is essentially >the passive solar way of heating the interior through the windows to >heat an interior thermal mass wall. But at certain locations it may be >desirable to not have a window to the interior. > >-------------- > >Certainly seems feasible...one thing to consider is condensation within >the space between the glass and cob. Some ventilation or drain holes >might be a start, but if there's not consistent airflow your cob will get >damp and stay that way, which might not be good thing...you might find >that you get enough warming of your mass without the need for this, but > if not... > >...this could be a lot like what's called a Trombe wall (the "inventor's" >name, I think - a passive solar heating technique) if you vent the bottom >and top. This can be used on any kind of structure, but if there is no >thermal mass then a mass wall needs to be built as part of a "retrofit" >...or if warm air is adequate, enough, no need for the thermal mass. >anyhow, cool air is drawn in the bottom and rises as it is warmed by >solar gain, then flows into the house at the top of the collector - some >heat comes in with the air and the rest still warms the wall. Make the >vents closable, and have some way to shade the collector when it's too >sunny. Run pipes through the upper part to heat water...set it up to >divert the airflow for a solar food dryer...have the bottom fold out with >extra panels to be a solar cooker...go crazy, man! >:-) > >Best wishes, >John Schinnerer >
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