摘要 |
A closed pressurized solar heating system in which a solar collector is automatically drained of heat transport fluid and which contains no mechanical moving parts other than a system circulating pump. Pipe lines connect the solar collector to top and bottom openings of a sump tank which is initially filled with the fluid, water, to a level intermediate between the top and bottom openings. The sump tank contains an internal pipe extending from the top opening of the tank down to below the operating level of the transport fluid, which is lower than the initial fill level because of the fluid required to fill the collector. Drain-back automatically commences upon de-energization of the system pump, whereupon air from the upper part of the sump tank enters a vent in the sump tank internal pipe, breaking the vacuum existing within the flow return path from the collector and initiating fluid return from the collector to the sump tank. The internal pipe is enclosed coaxially by a second pipe which captures any spill flow issuing from the vent and assuring quiet operation while the pump is energized. The internal sump tank pipe assembly is called the "Coaxial Hydro-vent".
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