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Re: A zero-fossil-fuel studio?
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Subject: Re: A zero-fossil-fuel studio?
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From: gcp@taynet.co.uk (gcp)
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 20:21:26 GMT
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Article: 640 of alt.solar.thermal
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ermal: 640 alt.architecture.alternative:6436 alt.home.repair:20459 bit.listserv.
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geodesic: 4415
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Newsgroups: sci.energy, sci.engr.heat-vent-ac, alt.solar.thermal, alt.architecture
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Organization: Taynet
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References: <4gv6k9$gt3@vu-vlsi.ee.vill.edu> <4hoe41$om5@newsbf02.news.aol.com> <4hvgot$148@nntp.interaccess.com> <4i2i02$2ro@spot.y
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Xref: newz.oit.unc.edu sci.energy:47432 sci.engr.heat-vent-ac:5671 alt.solar.th
nick@vu-vlsi.ee.vill.edu (Nick Pine) wrote:
>And when you mention "successful" direct gain solar mass walls do you mean
>Trombe walls?
>A few years ago, I spent some time explaining to a local architect, a more
>technical person than most, who had taken a few engineering courses on the
>way to architecting, that a "Trombe wall" with some dark-colored insulation
>on the outside and an air gap between the insulation and glazing and some
>to the inside of the house that opened up during the day was a lot more
>efficient at collecting and keeping solar heat in the house than a plain old
>"traditional" Trombe wall, with masonry right behind the glass, with no
>insulation.
An alternative method is to use transparent insulation material (TIM).
This is a honeycomb structure of transparent polycarbonate, somewhat
like drinking straws at right angles to the wall stuck together to
form a slab, but stoppered to prevent air convection (sounds like
polar bear fur!).
There is no air flow - heat flow to interior is by conduction - and
temperature control is by external blinds (to stop overheating on
summer days and reduce losses at night).
Construction goes:
low-iron content glass/cavity with motorised blind/TIM/backing sheet
of transparent polycarbonate/cavity (to minimise conduction, closed
horizontally at intervals to minimise air circulation/dense wall with
heat absorbing surface.
This is a bit complex; however direct solar radiation is not
necessary. It is indicated a well insulated house could have its
entire space heating demand met by a 50m2 TIM wall.
There were several papers presented on this at the
2nd European Conference on Architecture, 4-8 Dec '89, Paris.