AU2005200710B2 - Closed loop colored liquid circulation system for light/shade/temperature control of greenhouse/any structure - Google Patents

Description

r Australian Patents ACT 1990 Complete Application Standard Patent Closed Loop colored liquid circulation system for light/shade/temperature control of green house/ any structure This invention was made by applicant due to his personal experience. This document is a complete description of this invention and includes a 3 figures and a total of 9 pages (including this page) and an abstract at the end of the document.

Date:..! 6 0 Introduction: Controlling sunlight and temperature in many structures is a necessity nowadays. The light of a structure can be controlled by blinds and curtains manually or automatically.

In these methods, sunlight of the structure is basically blocked and filtered and there is no use of its energy. Besides, the operation of curtains and blinds are mechanical and subject to wear and requires maintenance.

A novel method is described in this invention by which the sunlight energy of the structure can be stored in a coloured fluid circulating in a double glazed transparent medium at circumference of the structure. This coloured fluid provides filtering for the sunlight and also stores its energy. By circulating the fluid in a double insulated storage tank the energy is stored in the form of heated liquid that can be released later in radiators improving the energy efficiency of light/temperature control of the structures that need specified light and temperature levels. The most obvious application of this invention is in a glasshouse where light and temperature needs to be controlled and the temperature difference during the sunlight and at nights are extreme and to maintain an inexpensive crop, an energy efficient system is required for the heating and cooling of the glasshouse.

Besides, a shade cloth is normally used when the sunlight levels become very high during summer and this invention automatically/manually can provide shading for the glasshouse.

This invention also provides additional decorative feature by selecting different optical filtering system that can be easily switched on and off, partially/completely. This feature has also advantage in some applications like glasshouses for processes that are sensitive to one particular spectrum green colour).

The main structure used in this invention is built from a double glazed transparent material like Glass/Plastic with a coloured fluid circulating between the glazes.

The advantages of this invention are: 1. Automated light control 2. Automated temperature control 3. Energy saving by storing/releasing energy of the sunlight 4. Decorative structure Selective light spectrum for different applications The presence of these features in one functional system is the basis of my claim and will be described in "CLAIM" section.

Description of the invention: Figure 1 illustrates the block diagram of the invention. In Figure 1, Section 1 is the double glazed transparent medium like glass/plastic that passes the coloured fluid.

Overflow outlet and the fluid level sensors are located in this section. Fluid level sensor is used to detect the dept of the fluid in cases where the dept of the fluid can be controlled for incremental variations to the fluid level and hence the optical filtering capacity. The overflow outlet in Section 1 is used to re-circulates the fluid to the storage tank if an overflow occurs in the double glazed medium. There is a temperature sensor in this section that is used by the controller of Section 3 to circulate the fluid to storage tank of Section 5 for energy saving purpose.

Section 2 is the main compartment that its light and temperature and other parameters like humidity needs to be controlled. Light and temperature sensors are located in this section and they generate electrical signals that the said controller uses to switch on/off the pump in Section 4 for the circulation to start/stop.

Section 3 is the controller that can be inside or outside the main compartment of Section 2. The main function of Section 3 is electrical /electronic control of valves and the motor pump of Section 4 by analysing the sensory data from the sensors in Section 2.

Section 4 is the motor pump that circulates the coloured fluid in the double glazed medium of Section 1 and stores it in the Storage tank of Section 5 through a set of valves and piping. Depending on, storage/release command from the controller in Section 3, valves can be open and closed to either circulate the fluid in the storage tank and the double glazed medium or to circulate the fluid from the storage tank to the radiator of Section 6.

Section 5 is the storage tank that can be inside or outside the main compartment of Section 2 and is usually double insulated for better thermal resistance. Section 5 is used to store the heated liquid during the day and release it at night through the radiator of Section 6.

Section 6 is the radiator that is used to release the heat stored in storage tank of Section in the Section 2 the main compartment when needed at nights when the temperature drops). Section 6 the radiator can be activated by closing and opening of control valves to bypass the double glazed medium circulation route and to open the Section 5 storage tank and Section 6 radiator route.

Section 7 is the filter to clean the debris and particles circulating in the different sections.

Section 7 also includes a heater that is turned on by the Section 3 the controller during winter to melt off frost and snow on the double glazed medium of Section 1 by heating up the circulating fluid before it enters the double glaze medium of Section 1.

During the normal operation the Section 3 controller analyses the light/temperature and starts the pump in Section 4 if the light level is high. Valve 1 and valve 2 are closed and valve 3 is open and the fluid is pumped by Section 4 pump in Section 1 the double glazed medium until the required light level is reached or the overflow sensor indicates an overflow condition. The temperature can also be controlled if the light setting is within the desirable range by turning on/off the Section 4 pump. The controller 3 can switch from light control to temperature control depending on the environmental condition and the application.

In Figure 1, if the primary purpose of the control is the light, after the required light level is reached valve 1 and valve 3 are closed and the pump is turned off. This action will entrap the fluid in double glazed structure and provide the required shading.

If energy storage is required, the temperature sensor in Section 1 is used to turn on/off the pump in Section 4 when the temperature of the double glazed entrapped fluid reaches a specific maximum/minimum to store the heated fluid in the storage tank of Section 5. In this operation, valve 2 is closed. Valve 1 and valve 3 are closed first and when the temperature in Sectionl1 the double glazed fluid reaches a maximum level, valve 1 is and valve 3 are opened and the Section 4 pump is turned on. The colder fluid enters the Section 1 of the double glazed medium from the storage tank and the Section 4 pump and valve 1 and valve 3 are turned off until the next command by controller Section 3 to repeat the sequence. In this operation the temperature of the storage tank Section 5 is gradually increased. Next during the colder period at nights), valve 1 and valve 3 are closed and valve 2 is open. The Section 4 pump is turned on cyclically or with a minimum flow. Hence, the thermal energy stored in the Section 5 storage tank is dissipated in Section 6 the radiator to increase the temperature in the main compartment Section 2.

There are a number of variations to the shape of the main structure for different applications for this invention. The simplest application is when this invention is used as a glasshouse with automatic/manual shading or for decorative and operational purposes.

This type is illustrated in Figure 2. In Figure 2 the pump and valve that could be separate or integral is turned on when shading is required. The valve stays closed and the motor is turned off and the colored fluid is entrapped in the double glazed medium hence providing shading. To remove shading the valve is opened and the liquid flows back to the storage tank by force of gravity. The shade and temperature control in this type can be automatic by adding a simple light/temperature controller.

Different variations to the shape of the main compartment and the double glazed structure for automatic/manual shading and temperature control with or without the energy storage capacity are illustrated in Figure 3. Only in Figure 3-b the dept of the fluid can be controlled for incremental light level control.

Figure 1 only illustrates a direct system for fluid circulation. A circulation system with heat exchanger is included in this invention where Section 5 of Figure 1 is the heat exchanger/storage tank and the radiator can be replaced with a tap water outlet for supply of heated tap water for consumption.

Claims (4)

1. A glasshouse and/or decorative structure consisted of: a) a fully/partly enclosing double glazed transparent medium in which a coloured fluid flows inside therewith; b) a pump and a set of valves being controlled by a set of temperature/light sensors and a controller circulating the coloured fluid inside the said double glazed structure; d) a storage tank used to store the heated fluid circulating in the double glazed structure by the said pump and the valves when commanded by the said controller; e) a radiator used to release the energy stored in the storage tank when commanded by the said controller; f) a filter to remove debris from the circulating fluid; g) a heater to be turned on by the said controller to heat up the circulating fluid if needed; wherein the flow of the coloured fluid inside the double glazed transparent medium results in automatic/manual shade/light/temperature control of the glasshouse/structure for operational and decorative purposes.

2. An energy efficient system consisted of the said structure of Claim I in which the sunlight energy is stored during the day inside the said storage tank and released inside the said radiator inside the main compartment in order to maintain/provide energy for a uniform temperature.

3. A structure of claim I comprising a multiple geometrical structure of any shape enclosed with a double glazed medium used with the said pump and a valve and the said storage tank for automatic/manual shade control of the main compartment for operational/decorative purpose.

4. A structure of claim I including an optical filtering mechanism in which by selecting the color of the fluid in the said double glazed medium a particular spectrum is used during a process of interest sensitive to different spectrums and in glasshouses for the purposes of enhanced performance. Signature: ,V Date:.. 2.