Cob: cob/ thermalMass

[Bill&Julie]

Wow,, Thanks Matt,,, Your idea would work....Solid state thermal mass (COB)
is the best.
But here in Minnesota, the sun is very shy in the winter.. I was trying
think of ways to heat
the floor in rooms far away from the fickle sun.

Ideas,, So Many,,, so little time,,,  Zzzzzz   * get away bee *
bill

Ps.....(thermal mass wall (eg cob) a short distance),,,,  (eg cob) wasn't he
an old time actor?
 * silly grin *

----- Original Message -----
From: "Matthew HALL(SED)" <M.Hall at shu.ac.uk>
To: <wbates at mn.rr.com>
Cc: <coblist at deatech.com>
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 1:27 PM
Subject: Re: Cob: cob/ thermalMass


> If you try to make a storage heater using cob with heated elements buried
deep inside it the
> expansion/contraction of the water-carrying vessel (steel pipe?) will
crack and ultimately destroy
> the cob. Fired clay pipes may solve this, eg recycled underground pipes if
you can find them.
>
> How about a trombe storage heater? If you are not familiar with the trombe
wall concept here goes...
> Place a thick thermal mass wall (eg cob) a short distance behind plain
glass and paint the surface
> of the wall black. The direct sunlight will heat the black wall intensely,
and the backscattered
> infrared radiation emitted by the glass will also provide an intense
heating effect of the earth
> mass wall.
>
> Now
> Perhaps you could incorporate a storage/water heater within a trombe wall
concept, the effect of
> thermal expansion would not be so severe and possibly not cause cracking
if the heat had to travel
> through the earth mass first to get to the water to heat it, see what i
mean? I envisage a sealed
> water container within the earth mass wall.
> Comments?
> Cheers
> Matthew
>