GB748700A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for generating power from solar heat - Google Patents

Abstract

748,700. Utilizing solar and natural heat. RIDLEY, N. Feb. 25, 1954 [March 4, 1953], No. 6063/53. Class 64(2). The sun's rays falling on a roof 1, e.g. a circular roof of corrugated glass, of a chamber 5, heat air passing through the chamber from its open edge to a central outlet 6 from which the heated air spirals upward to draw cold air from a chimney 8 and thus cause a vaned shaft 10 to be driven. A dynamo 13 or a water pump is driven by the shaft which revolves beneath stationary blades 12 in the chimney. Turbinedriving cold air enters the chimney 8 from radial tunnels 7 supplied by chimneys 9. Black, heat-absorbing surfaces 14 guide the heated air in spiral paths through the chamber 5 so that it spirals out through the central outlet 6. Black asphalt 15 covers the chamber floor and entrance. Temperature differences between the tunnels 7 and the surrounding air may enable some night working also. The chimney 8 and outlet 6 may be adjustable in height and the chimney may be lower than the outlet. In one embodiment, the chamber 5 is divided horizontally by an iron partition coated on top with lamp black and the ground beneath is covered with granulated cork or glass wool covered with a silvered surface. The Provisional Specification describes also apparatus having the turbine shaft in the chamber and bearing a fan to increase the cold air flow from the tunnels, the turbine blades being driven by a mixture of the hot air and cold air. The deflectors beneath the roof may guide the air radially through the chamber. In another form in which the cold air duct extends to the top of the chamber and is surrounded by a hot air duct, vanes or nozzles at the outlet of the hot air duct swirl the air as it passes to atmosphere.