Aii energy supplying device

The present invention relates to an energy supplying device intended to be used for the collection, transfer, storage, cooling and release of energy. The energy supplier has elongated cavities produced by extruding a profile in one direction of extrusion by a tool. The cavities then provide space for a medium such as air or fluid to absorb or release energy to/from the energy supplier. According to the invention the cavities are enclosed by wall, floor and roof formations, which constitute an actively supporting structure designed actively to support structural elements, whilst at the same time forming part of the energy supplier.

In the case of structures of the type in question now on the market, simple energy suppliers are used to collect, transport, release and store energy. Solar collectors of different types that have cavities, e.g. simple extruded profiles such as plastic hoses, are placed on different structural elements to absorb cheap solar energy for storage during the summer in colder countries, and all year round in warmer, sunny countries, and when are then emptied in the form of heated water. The water or another medium may also circulate in the cavities by means of a pump or by self-circulation for the absorption and release of energy. Furthermore, colder water may circulate in the energy supplier to cool different premises. The problem with these structures is that they must be anchored in structural elements such as house roofs, walls, boards etc, which have supporting characteristics, which cost extra and are not aesthetic because they project from the structural element. The energy supplier must then be anchored in the structural elements with expensive fastening structures, which are not aesthetic, take up space, require openings and give rise to leaks in the structural elements. The energy supplier becomes heavy when filled with water, which is why the structural element must be strengthened to be above to support this extra load. Moreover, it is not possible to arrange today' s energy suppliers on roads, bridges, bridges, terraces, balconies etc, since they are unable actively to support loads from people and vehicles without malfunctioning.

One object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages from which the above-mentioned structures suffer by enclosing the cavities in the energy supplier containing the medium, e.g. by a wall, floor or room formation, to form an actively supporting structure which mechanically supports and constitutes entire structural elements or parts of different structural elements, e.g. a house roof, a wall, a board, bridge, a pier, a road, a pavement, a terrace or a balcony, whilst at the same time acting as part of the energy supplier.

Thanks to the invention an energy supplier has now been provided, which has the characteristic of actively supporting loads and forming part of different structural elements and which is at the same time able to collect and release solar energy as a solar collector and be an energy emitter, such as a radiator, but also sometimes constitute a store of energy, such as an accumulator tank, as well as being able to cool premises with cold water circulating in a number of energy supplier. This is achieved in that the energy supplier is produced by extrusion in a tool in one extrusion direction to form an elongated profile having elongated cavities, which extend in the direction of extrusion. The cavities provide space for a medium such as air or fluid to circulate through or be stored in. According to the invention the cavities are enclosed by a formation constituting, for example, a wall, floor or roof formation which forms part of an actively supporting structure for mechanically supporting part of a structural element, e.g. a house roof, a wall, a board, a bridge, a pier, a road, a pavement, a terrace or a balcony. This creates an actively supporting structure in the energy supplier, which at the same time constitutes part of the structural element, where statically the supporting structure is the strongest part of the energy supplier for absorbing loads mainly transversely to the direction of extrusion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the supporting structure has a beam formation in an imaginary section transverse to the direction of extraction, which beam formation is statically dimensioned to resist predetermined loads. The beam formations are then constructed in the form, for example, of I-, L-, o-, T-, U-, V-, X-, Y- or Z-beams. This then constitute the entire profile or part of the profile, which is assembled together with longitudinal intermediate elements or constructed as a separate element

consisting of a separate profile without the supporting function of the beam formation. The separate element may then be extruded in a light-transparent plastic material, which readily admits solar energy. It is simplest and cheapest to extrude entire profiles that are black or dark in colour in order to absorb solar energy effectively in recycled plastic and/or rubber material, for example, with or without reinforcing fibres incorporated. The energy supplier is produced as an elongated box formation with a number of elongated cavities extending in parallel and arranged adjacent to one another, long side against long side. The energy collector is filled with the medium via an inlet and drained off via an outlet. During circulation between a number of energy suppliers this takes place via the inlets and outlets in a closed system. The box formation has an underside, two long sides, an upper side and two opposite ends. The thickness of the box formation is then considerably smaller than its length and width. The underside and upper side consist of parts of the beam formations, with or without intermediate fixed or detachable elements. Parts of the upper side create exposure surfaces for the absorption/release of energy via the medium. The exposure surface is constructed as a thin wall approx. 2- 16 mm thick, which faces towards surrounding outside air present there, outside the energy supplier, and against the solar energy, the thin wall enabling the medium to absorb or release the energy more easily than the actively supporting part, which is thicker. In order to improve efficiency still further, when the energy supplier acts as a solar collector, the elongated cavities are provided with a heat insulating layer to reduce energy circulation through the bottom, near the wave formations facing the bottom. The heating insulating layer consists, for example, of frigolite, rock wool, glass wool, which is protected with a sealing layer facing the medium in the form of water, against the action of the medium. The profiles are extruded in long lengths and cut into predetermined lengths. The open ends are sealed with sealing elements. To allow circulation and ensure that all the cavities can be filled with the medium, communication is created between the cavities transversely to the direction of extrusion either in the sealing elements or via an opening in the enclosing formation. The ends which are not sealed by sealing elements constitute openings that can be linked together with other openings that lead into the cavities or via an

opening that exists in the long side, the bottom or the upper side, the medium being caused to circulate round, or stored in, a number of energy suppliers linked together. In order to be able to use the energy suppliers in a context in which the structural elements are flat, e.g. on roofs, boards, planks, piers, bridges, roads, etc., the bottom and upper side are made flat and parallel. The profiles are then extruded with rebates/folds arranged in the respective long sides to resemble a board, with its joining function, or to constitute folded supports facing each other so that the structural element can be built up. Energy suppliers having elongated cavities adjacent to one another, and having a volume per metre of length that holds a quantity of fluid of approx. 5 - 20 litres, preferably water, are required when the energy supplier is to receive solar energy with an intensity of between 800 and 2000 WVm ² , depending on where it is located, in order to provide a good energy exchange. The energy is then absorbed on a number of energy suppliers arranged outside and extending a total of approximately 100-500 m, facing each other directly or indirectly and together containing circulating water of approx. 2-5 m ³ . They transfer, store and release the energy indoors on a second series covering the approximately 100 - 500 metres, which means that no accumulator tank is required. The only thing that may be required is a circulation pump, but self-circulation may also be sufficient.

The most significant advantages of the invention are therefore that a very simple, cheap, aesthetically attractive and easily maintained energy supplier has been provided which, at predetermined points, has actively supporting structures for supporting and forming part of structural elements, which is why no fittings or reinforcements are required. Instead assembled energy suppliers constitute the structural element itself, which can then be produced from re-used polymers such as plastic and rubber.

The invention is described more in detail below by means of some preferred embodiments and with reference to the attached drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a part of an energy supplier,

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section through a part of an energy supplier in a direction of extrusion,

Fig. 3 shows a vertical cross-section transverse to a direction of extrusion of an energy supplier in a beam formation.

As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, an energy supplier 1 is illustrated, which has a number of elongated cavities 2 produced by extruding a profile 3 in a direction of extrusion 4. Cavities 2 provide space for a medium 17, such as water, to circulate or be stored in the energy supplier 1 . Each cavity 2 is enclosed by wall, floor or roof formations called formations 5, which constitute part of an actively supporting structure 6 in order to support loads and constitute the entire or part of a structural element 7. In one embodiment, where only one cavity 2 is arranged in the energy supplier 1 , this preferably extends in circular formations. The energy supplier 1 itself consists of an elongated box formation 10, having an underside 1 1 , two long sides 12, an upper side 13 and two opposite ends 14.

As can be seen from Fig. 2, the elongated cavities 2 are arranged close to one another. Medium 17 is poured in through an inlet 23 and is drained off through an outlet 24, constituting hoses/pipes 25 for filling/draining/ circulation of medium 17. The ends 14 have openings 16, which are sealed by sealing elements 1 8. Elongated cavities 2 are arranged adj acent to one another and have a communication for medium 17 between them via openings 15 in enclosing formations 5.

As can be seen in Fig. 3 , the actively supporting structure 6 is illustrated such as in an imaginary section resembling a beam formation 8, constructed as a "Y" connecting to longitudinal separate elements 9, which also consist of profiles 3. The bottom formations of elongated cavities 2 are lined with a heat insulating layer 19 to reduce energy circulation through the bottom 1 1 . Heat insulating layer 19 is protected from the action of the fluid with a sealing layer 20. Upper side 13 has an exposure surface 21 , constructed as a thin wall 22 for effectively absorbing or releasing the energy, and which is designed as

profiles 3 constituting the intermediate elements 9, which may be detachable and replaceable, and produced from a light transparent plastic or have the form of a separate glass pane.