Subject: Solar thermal storage walls

From: Will Stewart <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 07:19:51 -0500

I'm in the latter stages of designing my passive solar modular home, and
I am looking for designs of solar thermal storage walls that have
worked,
or are even just designs that people are planning to someday use.   The
house has 5 sets of a 3 window group; each window is 3'x6.5'.  The
length of my present wall design will be around 9', width 8", and height
2.5'.  Material at present is stainless steel, welded at all joints (one
piece folded together), with fittings for filling and draining the
water.  The surface exposed to the sun will be painted with an
absortivity=.90 emissivity=.10 paint to avoid reradiation.  The walls
will be placed 4" inside the south windows.

I choose water because of the high heat density, though I am willing to
consider other suggestions.  I choose the rectangular shape for
aesthetic purposes, because my wife wouldn't consider the available
cylinders.  The wall can be painted or wallpapered, etc.

I have considered other designs, such as the type Nick Pine mentions,
and
have settled on the present overall passive solar design for a number of
reasons.

Any thoughts, anyone?

-- 
William R. Stewart
http://www.patriot.net/users/wstewart/first.htm
Member American Solar Energy Society
Member Electrical Vehicle Association of America
"The truth will set you free:  - J.C.