| 摘要 |
The parent patent described a system for storing a body of hot water within a larger volume of water at ambient temp. using a semi submersible box-shaped enclosure with rigid insulation walls. This addition describes a modified enclosure in which heated water is contained within a flexible sealed bag within the rigid enclosure, the latter also being filled with water having a constricted link to the external body of water, thus maintaining a balance of hydrostatic pressure within and outside the container without incurring significant thermal losses. The modified enclosure has a flat cylindrical form which may be 10-20 m deep and more than 100 m across. The base of the enclosure is a buoyant impermeable coated sheet with an integral skirt linked to anchors at regular intervals around and across the sheet. The hollow walls are steel sheet braced with metal struts or cables and filled in with blocks of closed cell polyurethane foam resistant to at least 2 bars pressure and having internal wts. to produce neutral buoyancy at their respective depths. The cover includes annular arrays of floating segments of cellular materials, pref. expanded polystyrene, the radial and annular gaps between them being sufficient to tolerate seasonal differential thermal expansion and pref. being loaded with a layer of liquid of low density and volatility to suppress aqueous evaporation. An array of solar energy traps may be carried on the buoyant cover to provide a heat source for the water within the bag. The hydrostatic link is provided between the rigid walls and the border of the flexible base. |
