Solar curing and drying structure and method of utilizing solar energy associated with available solar radiation in curing and drying various materials
First Claim
1. A solar curing and drying structure adapted to utilize solar energy associated with available solar radiation transmitted into the structure for curing and drying material disposed within said structure, said solar curing and drying structure comprising:
- A. an outer structural housing including a substantial area of transparent material for transmitting available solar radiation and the energy associated therewith into said structure;
B. collector means disposed interiorly of said outer structural housing for absorbing solar energy transmitted through said transparent material of said outer structural housing;
C. said collector means defining a drying area inwardly thereof and an open area between said collector means and said outer structural housing;
D. a forced air furnace system associated with said structure for forcing air through said material being cured and dried within said drying area, said forced air furnace system including an air intake area and heating means associated therewith for heating air passing through said furnace system as necessary to maintain an appropriate temperature level within said curing and drying structure;
E. opening means formed within said outer structural housing adjacent the open area between said collector means and said outer housing structure; and
F. means for directing a system of air from outside of said curing and drying structure through said opening means and through a substantial area between said outer structural housing and said collector means where heat associated with collected solar energy may be transferred to said air passing therethrough, said means for directing said system of air further including means for routing said system of air from said open area defined between said collector means and said outer structural housing to the vicinity of said furnace system where said system of air or portions thereof may enter the intake area of said furnace system and be utilized in curing and drying the material within said curing and drying structure.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a greenhouse curing and drying structure adapted to collect energy associated with available solar radiation and to utilize the heat associated therewith in curing and drying material within said greenhouse curing and drying structure. Basically the curing and drying structure comprises an outer transparent housing and an interiorly disposed solar energy collector housing defining a drying area or chamber thereunder. During phases of curing and drying material in the drying area or drying chamber, an outside air system is directed between said outer transparent housing and said collector housing where solar energy in the form of heat collected is transferred to the passing air system. The solar heated air system may, depending on the temperature conditions within the drying structure relative to the desired drying schedule, be directed to an air intake of a furnace system associated with said curing and drying structure or routed through an energy storage facility where the energy associated therewith may be stored for subsequent use.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A solar curing and drying structure adapted to utilize solar energy associated with available solar radiation transmitted into the structure for curing and drying material disposed within said structure, said solar curing and drying structure comprising:
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A. an outer structural housing including a substantial area of transparent material for transmitting available solar radiation and the energy associated therewith into said structure; B. collector means disposed interiorly of said outer structural housing for absorbing solar energy transmitted through said transparent material of said outer structural housing; C. said collector means defining a drying area inwardly thereof and an open area between said collector means and said outer structural housing; D. a forced air furnace system associated with said structure for forcing air through said material being cured and dried within said drying area, said forced air furnace system including an air intake area and heating means associated therewith for heating air passing through said furnace system as necessary to maintain an appropriate temperature level within said curing and drying structure; E. opening means formed within said outer structural housing adjacent the open area between said collector means and said outer housing structure; and F. means for directing a system of air from outside of said curing and drying structure through said opening means and through a substantial area between said outer structural housing and said collector means where heat associated with collected solar energy may be transferred to said air passing therethrough, said means for directing said system of air further including means for routing said system of air from said open area defined between said collector means and said outer structural housing to the vicinity of said furnace system where said system of air or portions thereof may enter the intake area of said furnace system and be utilized in curing and drying the material within said curing and drying structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of utilizing available solar energy to curing and drying crop material within a curing and drying structure having an outer transparent wall structure, a collector means disposed interiorly of said outer transparent wall structure and defining a drying area interiorly, and a forced air furnace system for heating air and forcing the air through the crop material within the drying area during the curing and drying process, the method of curing and drying said crop material comprising:
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A. forcing a main system of air into said drying area and through crop material disposed therein; B. heating said main system of air as necessary to generally maintain an appropriate temperature leveled within said drying area; C. directing a second system of air into a solar energy collecting area defined between said transparent outer wall structure and said collector means; D. moving said second system of air generally over a substantial area of said collector means such that heat resulting from solar energy collected thereby is transferred to said second system of air; E. directing said second sytem of air into an air transfer means; and F. routing said second system of air through said air transfer means and combining said second system of air with said main system of air such that heat associated with collected solar energy is utilized to supplement heat furnished by said furnace system of said curing and drying structure to efficiently cure and dry crop material disposed within said curing and drying structure.
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Specification