Solar heating system

• US 4,340,030 A
• Filed: 05/05/1978
• Issued: 07/20/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stephen Molivadas
• Original Assignee: Stephen Molivadas
• Inventors: Molivadas, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIS JR, ALBERT
• Application Number:
  US05/902,950
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 165/104 S, 126/433, 126/435, 126/437, 126/432, 126/419, 126/421, 60/641, 62/2
• US Class Current: 126/635
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/503 having conduits formed by paired plates, only one of which is plane
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/504 having conduits formed by paired non-plane plates
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 90/10 using thermosiphonic circulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/44 Heat exchange systems

Abstract

Various systems are disclosed for absorbing radiant heat, especially solar heat, by evaporating a refrigerant, and for releasing the heat thus absorbed to a medium to be heated, by condensing the evaporated portion of the refrigerant. The refrigerant fluid loop includes (1) an evaporator, or solar collector, including passageways where at least a portion of the refrigerant is vaporized, (2) a separator which may be a part of or a separate component from the evaporator, that divides the vapor portion and the liquid portion of the refrigerant exiting the evaporator passageways, (3) a condenser for condensing the vapor portion of the refrigerant and transferring the latent heat released to a medium to be heated, and (4) a condensate pump to return the liquid refrigerant from the separator and condenser to the evaporator. Systems are also disclosed for returning the liquid refrigerant to the evaporator by gravity thus eliminating the need for a condensate pump. Controls and component arrangements are shown for maintaining the temperature of evaporation of the refrigerant automatically insofar as practical just above that of the medium to be heated, independently of changes in the temperature of the medium, the temperatures of the system'"'"'s surroundings, and the intensity of radiation intercepted by the system. Also disclosed are novel solar collector designs applicable to the invented systems.

Claims

1. An improved heating system for collecting radiant energy, and absorbing heat from a source of radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net static head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the source of radiant energy and the local gravitational field, which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the source of radiant energy, and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting said one or more inlets of said absorbing means to said one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means, having a refrigerant passage and a condensing surface, for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring the heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet;

(c) means for transferring the refrigerant evaporated in said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises;

(a) means for separating the evaporated portion from the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, for transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and for returning the non-evaporated portion of said refrigerant to said one or more inlets of said absorbing means; and

(b) means for reducing, including stopping, the flow of liquid refrigerant into all said one or more inlets of said absorbing means whenever the pressure of the refrigerant, at a selected location, including the location of said flow-reducing means, exceeds a preselected value.

2. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1 wherein said separating means is of the type having at least three refrigerant ports, including one or more vapor inlets connected to said one or more outlets of said absorbing means, a liquid outlet connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a mergence point located between the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means and said one or more inlets of said absorbing means, and a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means, delivering substantially only dry vapor to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means;

wherein said flow-reducing means has an inlet connected to the mergence point, and an outlet connected to all said one or more inlets of said absorbing means; and

wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant circuit--which includes said absorbing means, all the said one or more vapor inlets of said separating means, the liquid outlet of said separating means, and the mergence point, and the inlet and outlet of said flow-reducing means, and excludes the refrigerant inlet and outlet of said condensing means--by the net static head, in the auxiliary refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the combined action of the heat absorbed from the source of radiant energy and the local gravitational field.

3. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said separating means is of the type having at least four ports, including one or more vapor inlets connected to said one or more outlets of said absorbing means, a liquid outlet, a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means delivering substantially only dry vapor to said condensing means, and a liquid inlet connected to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means for returning condensed liquid to said separating means;

wherein said flow-reducing means has an inlet connected to the liquid outlet of said separating means, and an outlet connected to all said one or more inlets of said absorbing means; and

wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant circuit--which includes said absorbing means, all said one or more vapor inlets and the liquid outlet of said separating means, and said flow-reducing means, and excludes said condensing means--by the net static head, in the auxiliary refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the combined action of the heat absorbed from the source of radiant energy and the local gravitational field.

4. A heating system, in accordance with claim 2, wherein the mergence point is, under all operating conditions, sealed with liquid refrigerant, thereby preventing sewer-type flow between the mergence point and the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means.

5. A heating system, in accordance with claim 3, wherein the liquid inlet of said separating means is, under all operating conditions, located below the surface of the liquid refrigerant in said separating means, thereby preventing sewer-type flow between the liquid inlet of said separating means and the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means.

6. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the flow-reducing means is controlled by refrigerant pressure so that the flow-reducing means, with increasing refrigerant pressure, starts to close when the refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-reducing means, with decreasing refrigerant pressure, starts to open when the refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, falls below a lower value of refrigerant pressure than the preselected value of refrigerant pressure.

7. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the flow-reducing means is controlled by refrigerant temperature so that the flow reducing means, with increasing refrigerant temperature, starts to close when the refrigerant temperature, at the preselected location, rises above the value of the refrigerant saturation temperature corresponding to the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-reducing means, with decreasing refrigerant temperature, starts to open when the refrigerant temperature, at the selected location, falls below a lower value of refrigerant temperature than the value of the refrigerant saturation temperature corresponding to the preselected value of refrigerant pressure.

8. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said separating means is large enough to accommodate the maximum volume of liquid refrigerant displaced from said absorbing means at high refrigerant evaporation rates in said absorbing means without impairing the separation function of said separating means.

9. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the absorbing means is tilted with respect to a local horizontal plane so that the one or more outlets of said absorbing means are above the one or more inlets of said absorbing means;

and wherein all the one or more liquid outlets of said separating means are located at or above the lowest common level attained by the surfaces of the liquid refrigerant--within the range of operating temperatures over which the system is designed to operate--when no radiant energy is being absorbed by the system, and the temperature of all said surfaces are equal.

10. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1, wherein the substance is a fluid, and which also includes means for circulating the fluid substance through said condensing means.

71. A heating system, in accordance with claim 2, which also includes means for storing liquid refrigerant, said storing means having an inlet and an outlet not necessarily distinct;

wherein the inlet of said storing means is connected to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means, and the outlet of said storing means is connected to the mergence point.

79. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1 or 19, wherein the improvement also comprises a refrigerant circuit configuration capable--at least whenever the average refrigerant temperature inside the one or more passageways of said absorbing means is higher than the refrigerant saturation temperature corresponding to the preselected value of refrigerant pressure and whenever the flow-reducing means is closed--of storing the volume of the liquid phase of the entire refrigerant charge of said refrigerant in one or more refrigerant spaces, including one or more refrigerant passages, outside the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means;

said spaces being located, and connected to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, so that liquid refrigerant in said spaces is prevented from entering the one or more passageways of said absorbing means, through the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, solely by the action of said gravitational field.

81. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3, 19, 20, or 21, wherein the flow-reducing means is controlled by refrigerant pressure so that the flow-reducing means, with increasing refrigerant pressure, starts to close when the refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-reducing means, with decreasing refrigerant pressure, starts to open when the refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, falls below a refrigerant pressure having a value between the preselected value of refrigerant pressure and the value of refrigerant pressure at which said flow-reducing means stops closing.

82. A heating system, in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3, 19, 20, or 21, wherein the flow-reducing means is controlled by refrigerant temperature so that the flow-reducing means, with increasing refrigerant temperature, starts to close when the refrigerant temperature, at the preselected location, rises above the value of the refrigerant saturation temperature corresponding to the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-reducing means, with decreasing refrigerant temperature, starts to open when the refrigerant temperature, at the selected location falls below a refrigerant temperature having a value between the value of said refrigerant saturated temperature and the value of saturated refrigerant temperature at which said flow-reducing means stops closing.

11. An improved heating system for absorbing heat from solar radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net static head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the radiant energy and the local gravitational field, which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy, and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting said one or more inlets of said absorbing means to said one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means, having a refrigerant passage and a condensing surface, for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring the heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet;

(c) means for transferring the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means for separating the evaporated portion and the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, for transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and for returning the non-evaporated portion to said absorbing means; and

wherein the separating means is located spatially with respect to said absorbing means, and is sized and shaped, so that there exists at least one value of refrigerant charge for which--for all useful refrigerant evaporation rates at a preselected evaporation temperature--

(a) the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means is not superheated significantly, and

(b) the refrigerant vapor exiting said separating means is substantially dry.

15. A heating system in accordance with claim 11, 12, 13, or 14, which also includes means for collecting radiant energy from the source of radiant energy and concentrating said radiant energy on said absorbing means.

16. A heating system, in accordance with claim 11, 12, or 13, wherein said separating means is of the type having at least three refrigerant ports, including one or more vapor inlets connected to said one or more outlets of said absorbing means, a liquid outlet connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a mergence point located between the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means and the one or more inlets of said absorbing means, and a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means for delivering substantially only dry vapor to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means;

and wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant circuit--which includes said absorbing means, all the one or more vapor inlets and the liquid outlet of said separating means, and the mergence point, and which excludes said condensing means--by the net static head, in the auxiliary refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the combined action of the heat absorbed from the source of radiant energy and the local gravitational field.

17. A heating system, in accordance with claim 11, 12, or 13, wherein said separating means is of the type having at least four refrigerant ports, including one or more vapor inlets connected to the one or more vapor outlets of said absorbing means, one or more liquid outlets connected to the one or more inlets of said absorbing means, one or more vapor outlets connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means, and one or more liquid inlets connected to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means;

and wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant circuit--which includes all the one or more inlets and all the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, all the one or more vapor inlets and all the one or more liquid outlets of said separating means, and excludes all the one or more refrigerant vapor outlets and all the one or more refrigerant liquid inlets of said separating means, and the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means--by the net static head, in the auxiliary refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the combined action of the heat absorbed from the source of radiant energy and the local gravitational field.

18. A heating system, in accordance with claim 11 or 12, wherein the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means is maintained, at the maximum achievable evaporation rate at the preselected evaporation temperature, at a quality less than a preselected useful value.

27. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, or 18, wherein the improvement also comprises means, having one or more refrigerant passages, for rejecting heat from the refrigerant to a heat sink whenever the temperature of the refrigerant, at a selected location, exceeds a preselected value higher than the value of the saturation temperature of the refrigerant corresponding to the preselected value of the refrigerant pressure.

28. A heating system, in accordance with claim 27, wherein the heat-rejecting means includes means for preventing the flow of refrigerant through the one or more refrigerant passages of said heat-rejecting means.

29. A heating system, in accordance with claim 27, wherein the heat sink is primarily the outdoor ambient air in the vicinity of said absorbing means.

12. An improved heating system for absorbing heat from solar radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net static head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the radiant energy and the local gravitational field, which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy, and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting said one or more inlets of said absorbing means to said one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means, having a refrigerant passage, and a condensing surface, for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring the heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet;

(c) means for transferring the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means for separating the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, for storing the maximum volume of liquid refrigerant displaced from said absorbing means at high evaporation rates, for transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and for returning the non-evaporated portion to said absorbing means; and

wherein said condensing means is located spatially with respect to said absorbing means, and said separating means is located spatially with respect to said absorbing means and said condensing means and is sized and shaped, so that there exists at least one value of refrigerant charge for which--for all useful evaporation rates at a preselected evaporation temperature--

(a) the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means is not superheated significantly,

(b) the refrigerant vapor exiting said separating means is substantially dry, and

(c) the effective condensing area of the condensing surface of said condensing means is not reduced significantly be being immersed in or flooded by, liquid refrigerant.

13. An improved heating system for absorbing heat from a source of radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net static head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the source of radiant energy and the local gravitational field, which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the source of radiant energy, and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means, having a refrigerant passage and a condensing surface, for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring the heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet;

(c) means for transferring the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means for separating the evaporated portion and the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, for transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, for returning the non-evaporated portion of said refrigerant to said absorbing means; and

wherein the highest level of the surface of the liquid refrigerant, in said separating means, attained at high evaporation rates, is located at a level no lower than the highest part of the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means exposed to radiant energy from the source of radiant energy.

14. An improved heating system for absorbing heat from a source of radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net static head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the source of radiant energy and the local gravitational field, which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the source of radiant energy, and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, said absorbing means being tilted with respect to a local horizontal plane so that the one or more outlets are above the one or more inlets;

(b) means, having a refrigerant passage and a condensing surface, for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring the heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet;

(c) means for transferring the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means, having one or more liquid outlets, for separating the evaporated portion and the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, for transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and for returning the non-evaporated portion to said absorbing means; and

wherein at least one of the one or more liquid outlets of said separating means is at or above the lowest common level attained by the surfaces of the liquid refrigerant--within the range of operating temperatures over which the system is designed to operate--when no radiant energy is being adsorbed by the system, and the temperature of all said surfaces are equal.

80. A heating system, in accordance with claim 14, wherein said lowest common level is low enough, and the horizontal cross-sectional area of said separating means is large enough, for the highest level of the liquid refrigerant in said separating means--attained at the highest achievable evaporation rate over the entire range of operating temperatures--not to exceed the highest level of said absorbing means irradiated by radiant energy from the source of radiant energy.

19. An improved heating system, located in the gravitational field of the earth, for collecting radiant energy emanating from a source of radiant energy, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit--within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net static head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the action of the absorbed heat and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field--which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having one or more condensing surfaces, a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means;

(c) means for transferring evaporated refrigerant from said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returniing liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means for reducing, including stopping, the flow of liquid refrigerant into all the one or more inlets of said absorbing means whenever the pressure of the refrigerant at a selected location, including the location of said flow-reducing means, exceeds a preselected value.

20. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, wherein the improvement also comprises means for separating the evaporated portion from the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, for transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and for returning the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said absorbing means.

21. A heating system, in accordance with claim 20, wherein said separating means is of the type having one or more refrigerant ports connected to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, and a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means, wherein refrigerant from said absorbing means enters said separating means through said one or more ports;

wherein the evaporated portion of the refrigerant entering said separating means exits said separating means through the vapor outlet of said separating means and is transferred to said condensing means;

wherein the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant entering said separating means is returned to the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means through the one or more ports of said separating means and through the one or more outlets of said absorbing means by the action of the local gravitational field; and

wherein the flow-reducing means has an inlet connected to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means, and an outlet connected to all the one or more inlets of said absorbing means.

22. A heating system, in accordance with claim 20, which also includes a refrigerant pump having an inlet and an outlet, wherein said separating means is of the type having at least three refrigerant ports, including one or more vapor inlets connected to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, a liquid outlet connected to the inlet of the refrigerant pump, and a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means, delivering substantially only dry vapor to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means;

wherein the outlet of the refrigerant pump is connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a mergence point located between the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means and the one or more inlets of said absorbing means;

wherein said flow-reducing means has an inlet connected to the mergence point and an outlet connected to the one or more inlets of said absorbing means; and

wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant circuit--which includes said absorbing means, the one or more vapor outlets of said absorbing means, the one or more vapor inlets of said separating means, the liquid outlet of said separating means, the refrigerant pump, the mergence point, and said flow-reducing means--primarily by the action of the refrigerant pump.

23. A heating system, in accordance with claim 22, wherein the refrigerant pump is a positive displacement pump.

24. A heating system, in accordance with claim 22 or 23, which also includes means for varying the effective volumetric capacity of the refrigerant pump as a function, including a single-step function, of the level of liquid refrigerant in said separating means so that the effective capacity of the refrigerant pump is zero whenever said liquid level is below a first preselected level and a maximum whenever said liquid level is at or above a second preselected level at or higher than the first preselected level;

and wherein said means for varying the effective volumetric capacity of the refrigerant pump includes varying the speed of the refrigerant pump.

25. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, 20, 21, or 22, wherein the flow-reducing means is controlled by refrigerant pressure so that the flow-reducing means, with increasing refrigerant pressure, starts to close when the refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-reducing means, with decreasing refrigerant pressure, starts to open when the refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, falls below a lower value of refrigerant pressure than the preselected value of refrigerant pressure.

26. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, 20, 21, or 22, wherein the flow-reducing means is controlled by refrigerant temperature so that the flow-reducing means, with increasing refrigerant temperature, starts to close when the refrigerant temperature, at the preselected location, rises above the value of the refrigerant saturation temperature corresponding to the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-reducing means, with decreasing refrigerant temperature, starts to open when the refrigerant temperature, at the selected location, falls below a lower value of refrigerant temperature than the value of the refrigerant saturation temperature corresponding to the preselected value of refrigerant pressure.

57. A heating system in accordance with claim 19, 30, or 52, which also includes means for concentrating the radiant energy on at least a portion of said absorbing means.

58. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, 30, or 52, which also includes a collecting means;

wherein said collecting means forms a substantially rectangular box with a cover transparent to the radiant energy; and

wherein one or more of said absorbing means are located inside the rectangular box.

59. A heating system, in accordance with claim 58 wherein the one or more said absorbing means are substantially planar.

60. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, 30, or 52, which also includes a collecting means;

wherein said collecting means forms a substantially rectangular box with no cover; and

wherein one or more of said absorbing means are located inside the rectangular box.

61. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, 30, or 52, which also includes a collecting means;

wherein the collecting means forms a substantially rectangular box; and

wherein one or more of said absorbing means and said condensing means are located inside the rectangular box.

62. A heating system in accordance with claim 19, 30, or 52, which also includes separating means;

wherein said collecting means forms a substantially rectangular box; and

wherein one or more of said absorbing means and said separating means are located inside the rectangular box.

63. A heating system, in accordance with claim 62, wherein said condensing means is also located inside the rectangular box.

64. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, 30, or 52, which also includes a collecting means;

wherein one or more of said collecting means and one or more of said absorbing means are incorporated into a single, physically-distinct assembly forming a collector module;

wherein said heating system includes a plurality of collector modules;

wherein each said collector module includes an inlet and an outlet;

wherein the inlets of said collector modules are substantially at the same level and connected in parallel to a common inlet; and

wherein the outlets of said collector modules are substantially at the same level and connected in parallel to a common outlet.

65. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, 30, or 52, which also includes collecting means;

wherein one or more of said collecting means and one or more of said absorbing means are incorporated into a single, physically-distinct assembly forming a collector module;

wherein said heating system includes a plurality of collector modules;

wherein two or more of said collector modules are connected so that the refrigerant flows through said collector modules in series;

wherein each set of collector modules connected in series has a first collector module and a last condenser module.

66. A heating system, in accordance with claim 64, which includes a plurality of sets of collector modules connected in series;

wherein each said first collector module has an inlet and each last collector module has an outlet;

wherein the inlets of said first collector modules are substantially at the same level and connected in parallel to a common inlet; and

wherein the outlets of said last collector modules are substantially at the same level and connected in parallel to a common outlet.

67. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, wherein the improvement also comprises means for storing liquid refrigerant, said storing means having an inlet and an outlet not necessarily distinct;

and wherein the inlet of said storing means is connected to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means and the outlet of said storing means is connected to the inlet of said flow-reducing means.

69. A heating system, in accordance with claim 67, or 68, wherein said absorbing means is tilted with respect to a local horizontal plane so that the one or more outlets of said absorbing means are above the one or more inlets of said absorbing means, and wherein the inlet of said storing means is located at or above the lowest common level of thw surfaces of the liquid refrigerant--at refrigerant temperatures within the range of refrigerant temperatures over which the heating system is designed to operate--when no radiant energy is being absorbed by the system, and the temperature of all said surfaces are equal.

70. A heating system in accordance with claim 19 or 30, wherein the improvement also comprises storing means incorporated physically into the lower part of said condensing means and having the same outlet as the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means.

72. A heating system in accordance with claim 67, or 68, wherein said storing means is of the type known as a through-type receiver.

73. A heating system in accordance with claim 67 or 68, wherein said storing means is of the type known as surge-type receiver.

74. A heating system, in accordance with claim 20 or 33, wherein said separating means is physically an integral part of said absorbing means.

75. A heating system, in accordance with claim 19, 30, or 52, wherein the substance is a fluid.

76. A heating system, in accordance with claim 75, wherein said condensing means also has heat-conducting surfaces in thermal contact with the one or more refrigerant passages of said condensing means;

and wherein the fluid flows over the heat-conducting surfaces and absorbs heat from the refrigerant whenever heat can be absorbed from the refrigerant at a useful rate.

77. A heating system, in accordance with claim 75, wherein said heat-conducting surfaces are tubes and the fluid flows inside the tubes.

78. A heating system, in accordance with claim 75, wherein the fluid flow occurs only whenever heat can be absorbed from the refrigerant at a useful rate and the temperature of the fluid, at a selected location, is less than a preselected value.

109. A heating system, in accordance with claim 24, wherein said means for varying the effective volumetric capacity of the refrigerant pump includes a differential pressure transducer for determining the height of said liquid level above a preselected reference height by effectively weighing the column of liquid refrigerant between said liquid level and said reference height.

30. An improved heating system, located in the gravitational field of the earth, for collecting radiant energy from a source of radiant energy, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit--within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net static head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the action of the absorbed heat and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field--which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having one or more condensing surfaces, a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means;

(c) means for transferring refrigerant vapor from said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means for rejecting heat from the refrigerant to a heat sink whenever the temperature of the refrigerant, at a selected location, exceeds a preselected value.

31. A heating system, in accordance with claim 30, wherein the heat-rejecting means has an inlet connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a branch point located in a refrigerant space, including a refrigerant passage, of said means for transferring refrigerant vapor from the one or more outlets of said absorbing means to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means, and an outlet connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a first mergence point located in a refrigerant space, including a refrigerant passage, of said means for returning liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means to the one or more inlets of said absorbing means;

and wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant heat-rejecting circuit--which includes the absorbing means, the branch point, the heat-rejecting means, and the first mergence point--by the net static head, in the auxiliary refrigerant heat-rejecting circuit, resulting solely from the combined action of the heat absorbed from the source of radiant energy and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

32. A heating system, in accordance with claim 31, wherein the improvement also comprises means for separating the evaporated portion from the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, for transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and for returning the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said absorbing means.

33. A heating system in accordance with claim 32, wherein said separating means is of the type having one or more refrigerant ports connected to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means and a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means, wherein refrigerant from said absorbing means enters said separating means through said one or more ports;

wherein the evaporated portion of the refrigerant entering said separating means exits said separating means through the vapor outlet of said separating means and is transferred to said condensing means;

wherein the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant entering said separating means is returned to the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means through the one or more ports of said separating means and through the one or more outlets of said absorbing means by the action of the earth'"'"'s gravitational field; and

wherein the branch point is located between the vapor outlet of said separating means and the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means.

34. A heating system, in accordance with claim 32, wherein said separating means is of the type having at least three refrigerant ports, including one or more vapor inlets connected to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, a liquid outlet connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a second mergence point located between the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means and the one or more inlets of said absorbing means, and a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means, delivering substantially only dry vapor to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means;

and wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant liquid-separating circuit--which includes said absorbing means, the one or more vapor inlets of said separating means, the liquid outlet of said separating means, and the second mergence point, and excludes said condensing means and said heat-rejecting means--by the net static head, in the auxiliary refrigerant liquid-separating circuit, resulting solely from the combined action of the heat absorbed from the source of radiant energy and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

35. A heating system, in accordance with claim 32, wherein said separating means is of the type having at least four ports, including one or more vapor inlets connected to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, one or more liquid outlets, connected to the one or more inlets of said absorbing means, a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means delivering substantially only dry vapor to said condensing means, and a liquid inlet connected to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means for returning condensed liquid to said separating means;

and wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant liquid-separating circuit--which includes said absorbing means, the one or more vapor inlets and the one or more liquid outlets of said separating means, and excludes said condensing means and said heat-rejecting means--by the net static head, in the auxiliary refrigerant liquid-separating circuit, resulting solely from the combined action of the heat absorbed from the source of radiant energy and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

36. A heating system, in accordance with claim 32, which also includes a refrigerant pump having an inlet and an outlet, wherein said separating means is of the type having at least three refrigerant ports, including one or more vapor inlets connected to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means, a liquid outlet connected to the inlet of the refrigerant pump, and a vapor outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means;

wherein the outlet of the refrigerant pump is connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a second mergence point located between the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means and the one or more inlets of said absorbing means; and

wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant liquid-separating circuit--which includes said absorbing means, the one or more vapor inlets of said separating means, the liquid outlet of said separating means, the refrigerant pump, and the second mergence point, and excludes said condensing means and said heat-rejecting means--primarily by the action of the refrigerant pump.

37. A heating system, in accordance with claim 34, 35, or 36, wherein the branch point is located in a refrigerant vapor space, including a refrigerant vapor passage, of the principal refrigerant circuit in which the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means is separated from the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means.

38. A heating system, in accordance with claim 34, 35, or 36, wherein the branch point is located in a refrigerant vapor space, including a vapor passage, connecting the one or more outlets of said absorbing means to the one or more vapor inlets of said separating means.

39. A heating system, in accordance with claim 31, wherein said heat-rejecting means includes heat-exchanging means having one or more refrigerant inlets, one or more refrigerant outlets, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the one or more refrigerant inlets of said heat-exchanging means to the one or more refrigerant outlets of said heat-exchanging means;

and wherein at least a part of the heat released by the refrigerant in said heat-exchanging means is obtained by condensing at least a portion of the refrigerant vapor entering said heat-rejecting means.

40. A heating system, in accordance with claim 39, wherein the heat-rejecting means also includes means for preventing the flow of refrigerant through the one or more refrigerant passages of said heat exchanging means whenever the temperature of the refrigerant at the selected location falls below the preselected value of refrigerant temperature.

41. A heating system, in accordance with claim 40, wherein the flow-preventing means has a refrigerant passage and is controlled by refrigerant temperature so that the flow-preventing means, with increasing refrigerant temperature, starts to open when the value of refrigerant temperature, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant temperature, and so that the flow-preventing means, with decreasing refrigerant temperature, starts to close when the value of refrigerant temperature, at the selected location, falls below a lower value of refrigerant temperature than the preselected value of refrigerant temperature;

and wherein the fluid passage of the flow-preventing means is connected in series with all the one or more refrigerant passages of said heat-exchanging means.

42. A heating system, in accordance with claim 39, wherein the primary heat sink is the outdoor ambient air in the vicinity of said absorbing means;

and wherein said heat-exchanging means also has one or more heat-conducting surfaces placed in thermal contact with both the refrigerant and the ambient air whenever the temperature of the refrigerant, at the selected location, exceeds the preselected value of refrigerant temperature.

43. A heating system, in accordance with claim 40, wherein the primary heat sink is the outdoor ambient air in the vicinity of said absorbing means;

and wherein said heat-exchanging means also has one or more heat conducting surfaces permanently in thermal contact with the refrigerant and the ambient air.

44. A heating system, in accordance with claim 39, wherein said heat-exchanging means also has a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and one or more fluid passages connecting the fluid inlet of said heat-exchanging means to the fluid outlet of said heat-exchanging means;

and wherein the heat sink is water which flows through and is heated in, including boiled in, the one or more fluid passages of said heat-exchanging means--whenever the temperature of the refrigerant, at the selected location, exceeds the preselected value of refrigerant temperature--by heat released by refrigerant flowing through the one or more refrigerant passages of said heat-exchanging means.

45. A heating system, in accordance with claim 44, which also includes a water storage tank having an inlet and an outlet, and a fluid circuit--which includes the inlet and outlet of the water storage tank and the fluid inlet and outlet of said heat-exchanging means--within which the water is circulated.

46. A heating system, in accordance with claim 45, wherein the water is circulated by the net static head resulting solely from the heat absorbed by the water in said heat-exchanging means and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

47. A heating system, in accordance with claim 45, wherein the fluid circuit includes a water pump and the water is circulated in the fluid circuit primarily by the action of a pump.

48. A heating system, in accordance with claim 44, wherein the water flowing through the one or more fluid passages of said heat-exchanging means is supplied by a pressurized supply of water, including a water mains supply;

and wherein the heated, including boiled water, exiting the one or more fluid passages of said heat-rejecting means is dumped at a selected dumping location.

49. A heating system, in accordance with claim 30, wherein the substance is water;

wherein said condensing means has a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and one or more fluid passages connecting the liquid inlet of said condensing means to the liquid outlet of said condensing means; and

wherein water from a pressurized water supply, including a water mains supply, flows through the one or more fluid passages of said condensing means whenever the temperature of the refrigerant, at the selected location, exceeds the preselected value of refrigerant temperature; and

wherein the heated, including boiled, water exiting the one or more liquid passages of said condensing means is dumped at a selected location.

50. A heating system, in accordance with claim 31, wherein said heat-rejecting means also includes a fluid and

(a) first heat-exchanging means having

(1) a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said first heat-exchanging means to the refrigerant outlet of said first heat-exchanging means, and

(2) a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and one or more fluid passages, in thermal contact with the one or more refrigerant passages of said first heat-exchanging means, connecting the fluid inlet of said first heat-exchanging means to the fluid outlet of said first heat-exchanging means;

(b) a second heat-exchanging means having

(1) a fluid inlet connected to the fluid outlet of said first heat-exchanging means, and one or more fluid passages connecting the fluid inlet of said second heat-exchanging means to the fluid outlet of said second heat-exchanging means, and

(2) one or more heat-conducting surfaces in thermal contact with the one or more fluid passages of said first heat-exchanging means, and with the outdoor ambient air;

wherein the refrigerant inlet of said first heat-exchanging means is connected to the inlet of said heat-rejecting means, and the refrigerant outlet of said first heat-exchanging means is connected to the outlet of said heat-rejecting means;

wherein the fluid absorbs heat from the refrigerant in said first heat-exchanging means, whenever the temperature of the refrigerant at the selected location exceeds the preselected value of refrigerant temperature, and releases the absorbed heat in said second heat-exchanging means; and

wherein the released heat is rejected by said second heat-exchanging means to the outdoor ambient air.

51. A heating system, in accordance with claim 50, wherein the fluid is a refrigerant which absorbs heat, at least in part by evaporation, in said first heat-exchanging means, and releases the absorbed heat, at least in part by condensation, in said second heat-exchanging means.

68. A heating system, in accordance with claim 30, wherein the improvement also comprises means for storing liquid refrigerant, said storing means having an inlet and an outlet not necessarily distinct;

and wherein the inlet of said storing means is connected to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means and the outlet of said storing means is connected to the one or more inlets of said absorbing means.

92. A heating system, in accordance with claim 39, wherein the heat-rejecting means also includes means for preventing the flow of refrigerant through the one or more refrigerant passages of said heat exchanging means whenever the pressure of the refrigerant at the selected location falls below the preselected value of refrigerant pressure.

93. A heating system, in accorance with claim 92, wherein the flow-preventing means has a refrigerant passsage and is controlled by refrigerant pressure so that the flow-preventing means, with increasing refrigerant pressure, starts to open when the value of refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-preventing means, with decreasing refrigerant pressure, starts to close when the value of refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, falls below a lower value of refrigerant pressure than the preselected value of refrigerant pressure;

and wherein the fluid passage of the flow-preventing means is connected in series with all the one or more refrigerant passages of said heat-exchanging means.

94. A heating system, in accordance with claim 39, wherein said heat-exchanging means also has a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and one or more fluid passages conncting the fluid inlet of said heat-exchanging means to the fluid outlet of said heat-exchanging means;

and wherein the heat sink is water which flows through and is heated in, including boiled in, the one or more fluid passages of said heat-exchanging means--whenever the pressure of the refrigerant, at the selected location, exceeds the preselected value of refrigerant pressure--by heat released by refrigerant flowing through the one or more refrigerant passages of said heat-exchanging means.

95. A heating system, in accordance with claim 94, wherein the water flowing through the one or more fluid passage of said heat-exchanging means is supplied by a pressurized supply of water, including a water mains supply;

and wherein the heated, including boiled water, exiting the one or more fluid passages of said heat-rejecting means is dumped at a selected dumping location.

99. A heating system, in accordance with claim 40, wherein the flow-preventing means has a refrigerant passage and is controlled by refrigerant temperature so that the flow-preventing means, with increasing refrigerant temperature, starts to open when the value of refrigerant temperature, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant temperature, and so that the flow-preventing means, with decreasing refrigerant temperature, starts to close when the value of refrigerant temperature, at the selected location, falls below a refrigerant temperature having a value between the preselected refrigerant temperature and the value of the refrigerant temperature at which said flow-preventing means stops opening.

100. A heating system, in accordance with claim 92, wherein the flow-prevennting means has a refrigerant passage and is controlled by refrigerant pressure so that the flow-preventing means, with increasing refrigerant pressure, starts to open when the value of refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-preventing means, with decreasing refrigerant pressure, starts to close when the value of refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, falls below a refrigerant pressure having a value between the preselected refrigerant pressure and the value of the refrigerant pressure at which said flow-preventing means stops opening.

101. A heating system, in accordance with claim 40, wherein the improvement also comprises means for stopping the flow the refrigerant into the refrigerant passages of said heat-exchanging means whenever the temperature of the refrigerant at the selected location is less than the preselected value of refrigerant temperature, and the temperature of the refrigerant in the refrigerant passages of said heat-exchanging means is less than the temperature of the refrigerant in the refrigerant passages of said condensing means;

thereby also reducing loss of heat from the refrigerant to the heat sink whenever the temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the temperature of the heat sink.

102. A heating system, in accordance with claim 101, wherein said flow-stopping means includes:

(a) a two-way fluid valve, having an inlet connected to the branch point and an outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said heat-exchanging means.

(b) means for maintaining the two-way fluid valve closed whenever the temperature of the refrigerant at the selected location is less than the preselected value of refrigerant temperature, and

(c) a one-way fluid valve, having an inlet connected to the refrigerant outlet of said heat-exchanging means and an outlet connectd to the first mergence point.

103. A heating system, in accordance with claim 92, wherein the flow-preventing means has a refrigerant passage and is controlled by refrigerant pressure so that the flow-preventing means, with increasing refrigerant pressure, starts to open when the value of refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-preventing means, with decreasing refrigerant pressure, starts to close when the value of refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, falls below a refrigerant pressure having a value between the preselected refrigerant pressure and the value of the refrigerant pressure at which said flow-preventing means stops opening.

104. A heating system, in accordance with claim 103, wherein said flow-stopping means includes:

(a) a two-way fluid valve, having an inlet connected to the branch point and an outlet connected to the refrigerant inlet of said heat-exchanging means,

(b) means for maintaining the two-way fluid valve closed whenever the pressure of the refrigerant at the selected location is less than the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and

(c) a one-way fluid valve, having an inlet connected to the refrigerant outlet of said heat-exchanging means and an outlet connected to the first mergence point.

52. An improved heating system, located in the gravitational field of the earth, for collecting solar radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit--within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net static head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the absorbed heat and the earth'"'"'s gravitation field--which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having an inlet and an outlet, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the inlet of said absorbing means to the outlet of said absorbing means;

(b) means for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having one or more condensing surfaces, a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means;

(c) means for transferring refrigerant vapor from said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises a refrigerant-circuit configuration wherein the principal refrigerant circuit also includes means for storing liquid refrigerant displaced from said absorbing means at high evaporation rates, said storing means having an inlet and an outlet not necessarily distinct, and said storing means being located in the principal refrigerant circuit so that the inlet of said storing means is connected to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means, and the outlet of said storing means is connected to the inlet of said absorbing means; and

wherein

(a) the vertical location of

(1) said condensing means with respect to said absorbing means, and of

(2) said storing means with respect to said absorbing means and with respect to said condensing means;

(b) the size and shape of said storing means, and

(c) the cross-sectional areas of the refrigerant passages of the principal refrigerant circuit--including the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means and the one or more refrigerant passages of said condensing means--

are chosen so that there exists at least one amount of refrigerant mass, with which the refrigerant-circuit configuration can be charged, for which--over the entire range of achievable and useful evaporation rates at a preselected evaporation temperature--

(a) the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means is not superheated significantly,

(b) the effective area of the one or more condensing surfaces of said condensing means is not reduced significantly by flooding with liquid refrigerant displaced from said absorbing means at high evaporation rates; and

(c) the refrigerant vapor delivered to said condensing means is substantially dry.

53. A heating system in accordance with claim 52, which also includes means for separating the evaporated portion of the refrigerant from the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, for transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and for returning the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said absorbing means;

thereby ensuring that substantially dry refrigerant vapor is supplied to said condensing means while allowing the quality of the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means to be less than one.

54. A heating system, in accordance with claim 53, wherein at least a part of the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means is returned, through the outlet of said absorbing means, to the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means solely by the action of the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

55. A heating system, in accordance with claim 53, wherein the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means is returned to the inlet of said absorbing means at least in part by the action of the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

56. A heating system, in accordance with claim 53, which also includes a refrigerant pump, wherein the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means is returned to the inlet of said absorbing means primarily by the action of the refrigerant pump.

83. An improved heating system, located in the gravitational field of the earth, for collecting radiant energy emanating from a source of radiant energy, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having one or more refrigerant circuits--within which a refrigerant is circulated, at least in part, by one or more refrigerant pumps--which include:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting and absorbing means and transferring heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having one or more condensing surfaces, a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means;

(c) means for transferring evaporated refrigerant from said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the one or more refrigerant circuits include one or more refrigerant spaces, including one or more refrigerant passages, having a total internal volume--outside the one or more passageways of said absorbing means and below the level at which liquid refrigerant can flow solely by the action of gravity into the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means from refrigerant spaces and passages outside said refrigerant passageways--smaller than the total volume of liquid refrigerant under at least some internal and external system design conditions;

so that, under at least some system steady-state, non-operating, design conditions, liquid refrigerant is present in the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means for reducing, including stopping, the flow of liquid refrigerant into all the one or more inlets of said absorbing means whenever the pressure of the refrigerant, at a first selected location, including the location of said flow-reducing means exceeds a preselected value, including a value equal to the maximum refrigerant operating design pressure.

85. A heating system, in accordance with claim 83, wherein the improvement also comprises means for rejecting heat from the refrigerant to a heat sink whenever the temperature of the refrigerant, at a second selected location which includes the first selected location, exceeds a preselected value higher than the value of the refrigerant saturation temperature corresponding to the preselected value of refrigerant pressure.

87. A heating system, in accordance with claim 83, 84, or 86, having only a single refrigerant circuit and a single refrigerant pump.

88. A heating system, in accordance with claim 83, wherein the flow-reducing means is controlled by refrigerant pressure so that the flow-reducing means, with increasing refrigerant pressure, starts to close when the refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, rises above the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-reducing means, with decreasing refrigerant pressure, starts to open when the refrigerant pressure, at the selected location, falls below a second preselected value of refrigerant pressure.

89. A heating system, in accordance with claim 83, wherein the flow-reducing means is controlled by refrigerant temperature so that the flow-reducing means, with increasing refrigerant temperature, starts to close when the refrigerant temperature, at the preselected location, rises above the value of the refrigerant saturation temperature corresponding to the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and so that the flow-reducing means, with decreasing refrigerant temperature, starts to open when the refrigerant temperature, at the selected location, falls below a second preselected value of refrigerant temperature.

84. An improved heating system, located in the gravitational field of the earth, for collecting radiant energy emanating from a source of radiant energy, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having one or more refrigerant circuits--within which a refrigerant is circulated, at least in part, by one or more refrigerant pumps--which include:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting and absorbing means and transferring heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having one or more condensing surfaces, a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means.

(c) means for transferring evaporated refrigerant from said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the one or more refrigerant circuits include one or more refrigerant spaces, including one or more refrigerant passages, having a total internal volume--outside the one or more passageways of said abosrbing means and below the level at which liquid refrigerant can flow solely by the action of gravity into the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means from refrigerant spaces and passages outside said refrigerant passageways--smaller than the total volume of liquid refrigerant under at least some internal and external system design conditions;

so that, under at least some system steady-state, non-operating, design conditions, liquid refrigerant is present in the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means; and

wherein the improvement comprises means for rejecting heat absorbed by the refrigerant to a heat sink whenever the temperature of the refrigerant, at a selected location, exceeds a preselected value, including a value equal to the maximum refrigerant operating design temperature.

86. An improved heating system, located in the gravitation field of the earth, for collecting radiant energy emanating from a source of radiant energy, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having one or more refrigerant circuits--within which a refrigerant is circulated, at least in part, by one or more refrigerant pumps--which include:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting and absorbing means and transferring heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having one or more condensing surfaces, a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means;

(c) means for transferring evaporated refrigerant from said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the one or more refrigerant circuits include one or more refrigerant spaces, including one or more refrigerant passages, having a total internal volume--outside the one or more passageways of said absorbing means and below the level at which liquid refrigerant can flow solely by the action of gravity into the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means from refrigerant spaces and passages outside said refrigerant passageways--smaller than the total volume of liquid refrigerant under at least some internal and external system design conditions;

so that, under at least some system steady-state, non-operating, design conditions, liquid refrigerant is present in the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means for rejecting heat absorbed by the refrigerant to a heat sink whenever the pressure of the refrigerant, at a selected location, exceeds a preselected value of refrigerant pressure, including a value equal to the maximum refrigerant operating design pressure.

90. An improved heating system, located in the gravitational field of the earth, for collecting radiant energy from a source of radiant energy, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit--within which the refrigerant is circulated by the net statis head, in the principal refrigerant circuit, resulting solely from the action of the absorbed heat and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field--which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having one or more condensing surfaces, a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means;

(c) means for transferring refrigerant vapor from said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises means for rejecting heat from the refrigerant to a heat sink whenever the pressure of the refrigerant, at a selected location, exceeds a preselected value.

91. A heating system, in accordance with claim 90, wherein the heat-rejecting means has an inlet connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a branch point located in a refrigerant space, including a refrigerant passage, of said means for transferring refrigerant vapor from the one or more outlets of said absorbing means to the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means, and an outlet connected to the principal refrigerant circuit at a first mergence point located in a refrigerant sapce, including a refrigerant passage, of said means for returning liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means to the one or more inlets of said absorbing means;

and wherein the refrigerant is circulated in an auxiliary refrigerant heat-rejecting circuit--which includes the absorbing means, the branch point, the heat-rejecting means, and the first mergence point--by the net static head, in the auxiliary refrigerant heat-rejecting circuit, resulting solely from the combined action of the heat absorbed from the source of radiant energy and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

96. A heating system, in accordance with claim 90, wherein the substance is water;

wherein said condensing means has a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and one or more fluid passages connecting the liquid inlet of said condensing means to the liquid outlet of said condensing means; and

wherein water from a pressurized water supply, including a water mains supply, flows through the one or more fluid passages of said condensing means whenever the pressure of the refrigerant, at the selected location, exceeds the preselected value of refrigerant pressure; and

wherein the heated, including boiled, water exiting the one or more liquid passages of said condensing means is dumped at a selected location.

97. A heating system, in accordance with claim 91, wherein said heat-rejecting means also includes a fluid

(a) first heat-exchanging means having

(1) a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said first heat-exchanging means to the refrigerant outlet of said first heat-exchanging means, and

(2) a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and one or more fluid passages, in thermal contact with the one or more refrigerant passages of said first heat-exchanging means, connecting the fluid inlet of said first heat-exchanging means to the fluid outlet of said first heat-exchanging means;

(b) a second heat-exchanging means having

(1) a fluid inlet connected to the fluid outlet of said first heat-exchanging means, and one or more fluid passages connecting the fluid inlet of said second heat-exchanging means to the fluid outlet of said second heat-exchanging means, and

(2) one or more heat-conducting surfaces in thermal contact with the one or more fluid passages of said first heat-exchanging means, and with the outdoor ambient air;

wherein the refrigerant inlet of said first heat-exchanging means is connected to the inlet of said heat-rejecting means, and the refrigerant outlet of said first heat-exchanging means is connected to the outlet of said heat-rejecting means;

wherein the fluid absorbs heat from the refrigerant in said first heat-exchanging means, whenever the pressure of the refrigerant at the selected location exceeds the preselected value of refrigerant pressure, and releases the absorbed heat in said second heat-exchanging means; and

wherein the released heat is rejected by said second heat-exchanging means to the outdoor ambient air.

98. A heating system, in accordance with claim 90, wherein the fluid is a refrigerant which absorbs heat, at least in part by evaporation, in said first heat-exchanging means, and released the absorbed heat, at least in part by condensation, in said second heat-exchanging means.

105. An improved method for collecting radiant energy emanating from the sun, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, wherein

(a) a refrigerant is circulated in one or more refrigerant circuits--located in the earth'"'"'s gravitational field--which include

(1) means for absorbing the radiant heat, said absorbing means having one or more refrigerant passageways, and

(2) means for releasing the absorbed heat and for transferring the released heat to the substance, said releasing and transferring means having one or more refrigerant passages and one or more condensing surfaces;

(b) heat is absorbed from the radiant energy in said absorbing means at least in part by evaporating liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means;

(c) the absorbed heat is released in said releasing and transferring means by condensing substantially all the evaporated refrigerant; and

(d) the refrigerant is circulated in the one or more refrigerant circuits solely by the action of the absorbed heat and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field;

wherein the improvement comprises;

(a) preventing, at a preselected evaporation temperature, liquid refrigerant--displaced from the refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means at the highest evaporation rate achievable at the preselected evaporation temperature--backing-up into the one or more refrigerant passages of said releasing and transferring means and flooding a substantial portion of the one or more condensing surfaces, by storing the displaced liquid refrigerant in a space having a highest point at or below the level of a lowest point of the one or more condensing surfaces;

(b) preventing, at the preselected evaporation temperature, refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means from being superheated at a preselected minimum evaporation rate, which may be chosen arbitrarily small, by charging the one or more refrigerant circuits with a large enough mass of refrigerant; and

(c) preventing, at the preselected evaporation temperature, refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means from being superheated, at the highest achievable evaporation rate at the preselected evaporation temperature, by

(1) locating said releasing and transferring means high enough above the level of the liquid refrigerant surfaces, in the one or more refrigerant circuits, when no heat is being absorbed by the refrigerant from the radiant energy and when the liquid refrigerant surfaces are at a temperature equal to the preselected evaporation temperature, and by <

(2) selecting the cross-sectional areas of the refrigerant passages of the one or more refrigerant circuits--including the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means and the one or more refrigerant passages of said condensing means--so that--at the preselected evaporation temperature and maximum achievable evaporation rate at the preselected evaporation temperature--in the one or more refrigerant circuits, including the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means,

(1) the net static head is high enough, and

(2) the friction-induced pressure drop is low enough, for the product of the refrigerant latent heat of evaporation and the total refrigerant mass flow rate in the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means, at the preselected evaporation temperature, to be no less than the highest achievable refrigerant heat-absorption rate at the preselected evaporation temperature;

thereby also preventing, at the preselected evaporation temperature,

(a) liquid refrigerant backing-up into the one or more refrigerant passages of said releasing and transferring means and flooding a substantial portion of the one or more condensing surfaces at all evaporation rates between the preselected minimum evaporation rate and the maximum achievable evaporation rate at the preselected evaporation temperature; and

(b) refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means from being super-heated at all evaporation rates between the preselected minimum evaporation rate and the maximum achievable evaporation rate at the preselected evaporation temperature.

107. A heating system, in accordance with claim 105, wherein the improvement also comprises separating--at the preselected evaporation temperature and at all evaporation rates between the preselected minimum evaporation rate and the maximum achievable evaporation rate--the evaporated portion from the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and returning the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said absorbing means;

thereby ensuring that dry refrigerant vapor is delivered to said condensing means at the preselected evaporation temperature, and at all evaporation rates between the minimum preselected evaporation rate and the maximum achievable evaporation rate.

106. An improved method for collecting radiant energy emanating from the sun, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, wherein

(a) a refrigerant is circulated in one or more refrigerant circuits--located in the earth'"'"'s gravitational field--which include

(1) means for absorbing the radiant heat, said absorbing means having one or more refrigerant passageways, and

(2) means for releasing the absorbed heat and for transferring the released heat to the substance, said releasing and transferring means having one or more refrigerant passages and one or more condensing surfaces;

(b) heat is absorbed from the radiant energy in said absorbing means at least in part by evaporating liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means;

(c) the absorbed heat is released in said releasing and transferring means by condensing substantially all the evaporated refrigerant; and

(d) the refrigerant is circulated in the one or more refrigerant circuits solely by the action of the absorbed heat and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field;

wherein the improvement comprises;

(a) preventing, at a lowest preselected evaporation temperature, liquid refrigerant--displaced from the refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means, at the highest evaporation rate achievable at the lowest preselected evaporation temperature--backing-up into the one or more refrigerant passages of said releasing and transferring means and flooding a substantial portion of the one or more condensing surfaces, by storing the displaced liquid refrigerant in a space having a highest point at or below the level of a lowest point of the one or more condensing surfaces;

(b) preventing, at a highest preselected evaporation temperature, refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means from being superheated at a preselected minimum evaporation rate, which may be chosen arbitrarily small, by charging the one or more refrigerant circuits with a large enough mass of refrigerant; and

(c) preventing at the lowest preselected evaporation temperature, refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means from being superheated, at the highest achievable evaporation rate at the lowest preselected evaporation temperature, by

(1) locating said releasing and transferring means high enough above the level of the liquid refrigerant surfaces, in the one or more refrigerant circuits, when no heat is being absorbed by the refrigerant from the radiant energy and when the liquid refrigerant surfaces are at a temperature equal to the lowest preselected evaporation temperature, and by

(2) selecting the cross-sectional areas of the refrigerant passages of the one or more refrigerant circuits--including the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means and the one or more refrigerant passages of said condensing means--so that--at the lowest preselected evaporation temperature and the maximum achievable evaporation rate at the lowest preselected evaporation temperature--in the one or more refrigerant circuits, including the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means,

(1) the net static head is high enough, and

(2) the friction-induced pressure drop is low enough, for the product of the refrigerant latent heat of evaporation and the total refrigerant mass flow rate in the one or more refrigerant passageways of said absorbing means, at the lowest preselected evaporation temperature, to be no less than the highest achievable refrigerant heat-absorption rate at the lowest preselected evaporation temperature;

thereby also preventing, at all evaporation temperatures in the range between the lowest preselected evaporation temperature and the highest preselected evaporation temperature,

(a) liquid refrigerant backing-up into the one or more refrigerant passages of said releasing and transferring means and flooding a substantial portion of the one or more condensing surfaces at all evaporation rates between the preselected minimum evaporation rate and the maximum achievable evaporation rate at all evaporation temperatures in said range; and

(b) refrigerant vapor exiting said absorbing means from being superheated at all evaporation rates between the preselected minimum evaporation rate and the maximum achievable evaporation rate at all evaporation temperatures in said range.

108. A heating system, in accordance with claim 106, wherein the improvement also comprises separating--at all evaporation temperatures in said range and at all evaporation rates between the preselected minimum evaporation rate and the maximum achievable evaporation rate--the evaporated portion from the non-evaporation portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means, transferring the evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said condensing means, and returning the non-evaporated portion of the refrigerant to said absorbing means;

thereby ensuring that dry refrigerant vapor is delivered to said condensing means at all evaporation temperatures in said range, and at all evaporation rates between the minimum preselected evaporation rate and the maximum achievable evaporation rate.

110. An improved heating system, located in the gravitational field of the earth, for collecting radiant energy emanating from a source of radiant energy, for absorbing heat from the collected radiant energy, and for transferring the absorbed heat to a substance, of the type having a refrigerant and a principal refrigerant circuit--within which the refrigerant is circulated, while the system is operating, by the net static head (in the principal refrigerant circuit) resulting solely from the action of the absorbed heat and the earth'"'"'s gravitational field--which includes:

(a) means for absorbing heat from the radiant energy and for evaporating at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means, said absorbing means having one or more inlets, one or more outlets, and one or more refrigerant passageways connecting the one or more inlets of said absorbing means to the one or more outlets of said absorbing means;

(b) means for condensing essentially all the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means and transferring heat from the refrigerant to the substance, said condensing means having one or more condensing surfaces, a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet, and one or more refrigerant passages connecting the refrigerant inlet of said condensing means to the refrigerant outlet of said condensing means;

(c) means for transferring refrigerant vapor from said absorbing means to said condensing means; and

(d) means for returning liquid refrigerant from said condensing means to said absorbing means;

wherein the improvement comprises a plurality of means employed to ensure--by the combined action of said means--that, for all external conditions under which the system is designed to operate, at least the four system internal operating conditions cited below are satisfied;

first, liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means has a mass flow rate large enough to prevent the amount of superheat of the evaporated portion of the refrigerant exiting said absorbing means exceeding any desired preselected value, including a zero value;

second, the refrigerant vapor entering said condensing means is maintained in a substantially dry state;

third, the amount of liquid refrigerant which backs up into the one or more refrigerant passages of said condensing means and floods--or put equivalently immerses--the one or more condensing surfaces of said condensing means is small enough to prevent the absolute value of the difference between the effective condensing surface area and the total available surface area of the one or more condensing surfaces exceeding any desired preselected value, including a zero value; and

fourth, the absolute value of the difference between the saturated vapor temperature exiting said absorbing means and the saturated vapor temperature entering said condensing means is maintained below any desired value, including an arbitrarily small value, but not a zero value;

thereby ensuring that the full potential of the latent-heat properties of the refrigerant is exploited within the limits imposed by said preselected value for the amount of superheat and said preselected value for the difference between the effective condensing area and the available condensing area of said condensing surfaces.

111. A heating system, in accordance with claim 110, wherein the improvement also comprises means for preventing liquid refrigerant entering said absorbing means while said absorbing means is stagnating at temperatures above the maximum design operating temperature of the system;

thereby preventing the refrigerant pressure exceeding the refrigerant saturation pressure corresponding to the temperature of the substance.

112. A heating system, in accordance with claim 110, wherein the improvement also comprises means for rejecting heat from the refrigerant whenever the collector is stagnating at temperatures above the maximum design operating temperature of the system;

thereby preventing both the refrigerant temperature exceeding the temperature at which the heat rejection rate equals the heat-absorption rate from the radiant energy, and the refrigerant pressure exceeding the refrigerant saturation pressure corresponding to the refrigerant temperature at which said heat-absorption and said heat-rejection rates are equal.