Heat-medium discharge device and heat-medium discharge method

Abstract

Provided are a heat-medium discharge device and heat-medium discharge method which make it possible to discharge a heat medium from a solar-heat collection device by using gravity, without positioning a tank in a position lower than the solar-heat collection device. This heat-medium discharge device is equipped with a vent section (15) provided at the peak height position of a heat-medium channel (2) of a solar-heat collection device (1), an angled pipe (5) connected to the heat-medium channel (2), a drain container (16) connected to a lower position of the angled pipe (5) than the section thereof to which the heat-medium channel (2) is connected, and a pump (20) for delivering the heat medium from the drain container (16) to the tank (6); hence, when discharging the heat medium, air is introduced by opening the vent section (15), and as a result, the heat medium flows through the heat-medium channel (2) and the angled pipe (5) due to gravity and is received by the drain container (16), and then the heat medium is delivered to the tank (6) by the pump (20). Consequently, it is possible to discharge a heat medium from the solar-heat collection device (1) using gravity, without positioning the tank (6) in a position lower than the solar-heat collection device (1).