REFLECTIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20110167735A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walton Sumner
• Original Assignee: Walton Sumner
• Inventors: Sumner, Walton
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 1/28 Roofing elements comprising two or more layers, e.g. for insulation
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/1637 the roof purlins or rafters being mainly insulated from the interior, e.g. the insulating material being fixed under or suspended from the supporting framework
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/69 in the form of shingles or tiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

A four component roofing system uses three reflective subsystems and one radiant subsystem to provide passive temperature control of a building comprising: (1) Shingles that reflect high angle summer sun light back to the sky, but absorb low angle winter sunlight; (2) A temperature sensitive attic insulator placed under a sunlit roof that reflects radiation and blocks convection from the roof to the attic at hot temperatures, permits radiation and convection at warm temperatures, and blocks radiation and convection from the attic at cold temperatures; (3) A temperature sensitive attic insulator placed under a shaded roof that permits radiation and convection at warm or hot temperatures, and blocks radiation and convection from the attic at cold temperatures; (4) Non-reflective shingles on a shaded roof that emit radiation continuously, but that are heated by air and radiation from the attic only when the second temperature sensitive attic insulator permits convection, so that radiant heat loss is reduced at cold temperatures.

Claims

1. An energy management system for a building, the system comprising:

a) a roof exposed to at least partial sunlight;

b) an interior space in the building positioned below the roof;

c) an insulator barrier positioned between the interior space and the roof;

the insulator barrier comprising a radiation reflective material, the insulator barrier being adapted to selectively reflect radiation back towards its originating source and selectively permit convective radiation to pass between the interior space and the roof.

2. The energy management system of claim 1 in which an upper surface of the roof comprises radiation reflective material.

3. The energy management system of claim 2 in which the radiation reflective material comprises a metallized sheet.

4. The energy management system of claim 1 in which a portion of the roof oriented to receive seasonal sunlight comprises radiation reflective material and a portion of the roof facing away from seasonal sunlight comprises heat radiation absorptive material.

5. The energy management system of claim 4 in which the heat radiation absorptive material is adapted for high emissivity at temperatures above 30 degrees Centigrade.

6. The energy management system of claim 4 in which the heat radiation absorptive material is adapted for low emissivity at temperatures below 10 degrees Centigrade.

7. The energy management system of claim 1 in which the insulator barrier comprises at least one movable panel member adapted to selectively orient the radiation reflective material to affect a degree of radiation reflected.

8. The energy management system of claim 1 in which the insulator barrier comprises at least one movable panel member adapted to selectively affect a degree of convection permitted to occur between the interior space and the roof.

9. The energy management system of claim 1 in which the insulator barrier comprises a plurality of movable panel members adapted to selectively orient the radiation reflective material to affect a degree of radiation reflected, and selectively affect a degree of convection permitted to occur between the interior space and the roof, the panel members comprising a reflective surface on one side, a first series of panel members being positioned under a portion of the roof oriented to receive seasonal sunlight, the first series of panel members being adapted to orient the reflective surface towards the roof in a closed position to reflect incident radiation from the roof away from the interior space and further being adapted to pivot to an open position to move the reflective surface away from the roof to permit convection of hot air between the interior space and the roof.

10. The energy management system of claim 9 in which the first series of panel members are adapted to pivot into a second closed position whereby the reflective surface is oriented towards the interior space to reflect incident radiation from the interior space back towards the interior space.

11. The energy management system of claim 9 in which a second series of panel members is positioned under a portion of the roof oriented out of incidence of seasonal sunlight, the second series of panel members being adapted to orient the reflective surface towards the interior space in a closed position to reflect incident radiation from the interior space back towards the interior space and further being adapted to pivot to an open position to move the reflective surface away from the interior space to permit convection of hot air between the interior space and the roof.

12. The energy management system of claim 1 in which the insulator barrier comprises at least one movable panel member adapted to selectively orient the radiation reflective material to affect a degree of radiation reflected, and selectively affect a degree of convection permitted to occur between the interior space and the roof, the movement of the panel member being controlled by at least one temperature sensor.

13. The energy management system of claim 12 in which a mechanical actuator is operably connected to the temperature sensor to effect movement of the panel member to position the radiation reflective material in an orientation to effect a change in the degree of radiation reflected.

14. The energy management system of claim 12 in which a mechanical actuator is operably connected to the temperature sensor to effect movement of the panel member to effect a change in the degree of convection permitted to occur between the interior space and the roof.

15. The energy management system of claim 12 in which a mechanical actuator is operably connected to the temperature sensor to variably effect movement of the panel member to position the radiation reflective material in an orientation to effect a change in the degree of radiation reflected respecting a first temperature range, and to change in the degree of convection permitted to occur between the interior space and the roof respecting a second temperature range.

16. A roof shingle comprising:

a) a reflective material,

b) a radiation absorptive material, and

c) a transparent protective coating,

the reflective material being disposed on the shingle to reflect incident sunlight at an angle, the radiation absorptive material being disposed on the shingle to avoid direct exposure of sunlight when the sunlight strikes the shingle at a high angle, and to receive direct sunlight and sunlight reflected from the reflective material when the sunlight strikes the shingle at a low angle, the protective coating covering the surface of the shingle exposed to sunlight.

17. The roof shingle of claim 16 in which the reflective material is comprised of metallized plastic.

18. The roof shingle of claim 16 in which the transparent protective coating is comprised of ethyl vinyl acetate.

19. The roof shingle of claim 16 in which the reflective material is disposed in the shingle in a pattern of repeating waves with the absorptive material disposed at positions at an inner portion of the downward side of each wave.

20. An energy management system for a building comprising an insulator barrier disposed underneath a roof to control a degree of warm air convection passing between the roof and an interior space underneath the roof, the insulator barrier comprising:

a fixed barrier,

an upper member,

and a lower member,

the fixed barrier having a plurality of perforations positioned over a first range and a second range, the upper member being movable with respect to the fixed barrier and having an upper space perforation that is communicable with the plurality of perforations in the fixed barrier whereby convection of air is permitted between the upper member and fixed barrier when the upper member perforation is in communication with either of the perforations in the fixed barrier, the lower member having a plurality of apertures positioned over a first area and a second area, the apertures in the first area of the lower member being positioned in proximity to the perforations in the first range of the fixed barrier and the apertures in the second area being positioned in proximity to the perforations in the second range of the fixed barrier, the lower member being movable with respect to the fixed barrier, the plurality of apertures in the first area of the lower member being communicable with the plurality of perforations in the first range in the fixed barrier and the plurality of apertures in the second area of the lower member being communicable with the plurality of perforations in the second range in the fixed barrier whereby convection of air is permitted between the lower member and fixed barrier, the insulator barrier being adjustable to permit convection of air between the roof and interior space when the upper space perforation is simultaneously communicable with either of an alignment of the apertures of the first area with the perforations of the first range or an alignment of the apertures of the second area with the perforations of the second range, and to impede convection of air between the roof and interior space when the upper space perforation is out of such alignment.

21. The energy management system of claim 20 in which the movement of the upper member is controlled by a temperature sensor in response to a temperature in a space between the insulator barrier and the roof, and the the movement of the lower member is controlled by a temperature sensor in response to a temperature in the interior space below the insulator barrier.