Patent ID: 8356481

Claim:
A dual hybrid fluid heating apparatus; comprising: at least one controller equipped with (a) heat availability logic that determines whether heat from at least one free energy source is or is not available for heat exchange with a heat exchange circulating fluid, (b) demand logic that determines whether a demand for heating potable water is satisfied or unsatisfied and, if unsatisfied, for issuing command signals to circulate the heat exchange circulating fluid between the at least one free energy source and a tank heat exchanger provided the heat availability means determines that the heat is available from the at least one free energy source, and, if satisfied, issuing command signals to circulate the heat exchange circulating fluid between the at least one free energy source and a further heat exchanger to heat a vaporizable fluid so as to bypass the tank heat exchanger provided the heat availability logic determines that the heat is available from the at least one free energy source, (c) heat dump logic that determines whether a parameter of the heat exchange circulating fluid reaches a threshold and, if so, issuing appropriate command signals for dumping heat from the heat exchange fluid at a heat dump, and if not, issuing appropriate command signals for the heat exchange circulating fluid to bypass the heat dump and continue circulating between the at least one free energy source and, as applicable, the tank heat exchanger or further heat exchanger in accord with the determination by the demand logic; (d) vaporization viability logic that determines whether vaporization of the vaporizable fluid is viable and, if so, issuing appropriate command signals for vaporizing the vaporizable fluid into a vapor by concentrated solar radiation from the at least one parabolic dish solar concentrator up to an extent of viability; and (e) heat extraction logic that determines whether heat extraction from the vapor is viable and, if so, issuing appropriate command signals to extract the heat from the vapor to transform the vapor into a condensate.