Cob: Heat Storage--not demeaning comments

[Amanda Peck]

Interesting idea.  Most of the "active heat storage" plans have gone out of 
favor, but it looks rather as though we're reviving a few.  I've got a 
pretty severe drainage problem (STEEP slope downhill) at the most reasonable 
place to build with road access, so I'm contemplating a double wall on the 
rear of the building anyway.  Maybe I could use the space, which will be 
filled with rock anyway, as a heat storage area--of course the Sweet Sunny 
South needs more cooling than heating, although you couldn't prove it by the 
last week or so.


Toilnsoil wrote (snipped)

Years ago, Popular Science mag had an article about thermal mass that used 
large rock salt as a heat retention agent. I would favor 6A stone (drywell 
stone) 1 - 1 1/2" size.
Although the tests did show rock salt was the better agent.
Hot water was passed through pipes for heat transfer and storage.

If a retention wall was placed into the hill, with a "dead air" space 
between the cob wall, then filled with piping and thermal mass material, 
that would allow the air to freely through the rock salt, stones, etc,. Heat 
could be transferred under the floor and through the north wall space to 
capture the warmth. The water pipes could be a closed loop system. Air ducts 
would force air into and back out of the thermal mass. Thereby the floor and 
wall would become part of the thermal mass and air circulation could be 
controlled by fan. This air could be continuously be circulated within the 
structure.

Once this retaining space reached high enough temp. (approx 80 degs) the 
system would require little additional heat to maintain the level desired.



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