[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

I've read a bit about heat buffers - huge, superinsulated water tanks that collect and store heat from many sources (whatever is available/cheap at the moment), then give it off where and when it is needed. I've been meaning to do a detailed write up, but have been short on time recently. I promise I'll do it soon.

...While you are working on the detailed write-up, I came across some info in my Alternative-Energy storage trove...

• Here's a link to Milk Tanker Thermal Store with Heat Pump. I couldn't tell if he actually did this, but it is well thought out and quantified. At the bottom of this page is a very interesting link area.
• Here's a DIY 500 gallon heat storage tank that was actually constructed.
• This link explains some of the concepts pertaining to heat storage being developed in Europe, to an American audience. I saved it because of the excellent diagrams.
• Here's a link to a patent pertaining to a heat storage tank. It's from 1977, DIY work has gone beyond it now.
• Here's a link to a Build-It-Solar page that documents a DIY solar collector, a DIY therrmal storage tank, etc. No performance data yet.
• And lastly, here's a link to a guy who actually did buy a stainless steel milk tank, insulated it, and buried it for heat storage. Link to whole project here.