Geothermal Heating, Cooling, and Dehumidification Ventilation System

Abstract

A system designed to introduce fresh air ventilation into the living space, eliminate contaminants, and add fresh air to augment a building's HVAC system. This is done in order to save energy, and the costs associated with heat loss or gain in a building. The system employs the use of geothermal energy conferred to air via a cavity which is constructed in the basement, on the slab, foundation, in the crawl space and/or attic of a building. This cavity is created to circulate, absorb and store/release the geo-solar characteristics of a building, taking advantage the consistent subterranean temperature of the earth and/or sun, in order to warm air from outside during the winter minimizing the foundation heat sink, and cool air during the summer. One or more heat exchangers are used to transfer the energy from contaminated air in the cavity to clean air destined for the HVAC system.

Description

CONTINUITY DATA[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 13 / 48,427, filed on Jun. 4, 2012, which is a non-provisional of provisional patent application No. 61 / 493,404 filed on Jun. 3, 2011, and priority is claimed thereto; and, this application also claims priority to provisional patent application No. 69 / 496,684, filed on Oct. 26, 2016.FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to an air flow system, integrated into the structural foundation of a building, which employs the natural insulation of the earth's top soil to warm or cool air to an approximate temperature of 55 degrees, in order to assist the HVAC system of the building. A system of ducts is implemented and are designed to adapt to the seasonal changes in temperature, enabling both supplemental geothermal cooling in the summer, and geothermal warming in the winter. The present invention relies on the insulation properties of the subterranean basement of a c...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The present invention is a supplemental heating and cooling system which employs the geothermal properties of the earth to reduce the strain on a building's conventional HVAC system. The system is integrated into the foundation of a home or building, and utilizes the cavity of the building's basement and / or slab and / or attic to enact a heat exchange system in conjunction with a system of ducts designed to facilitate air circulation while providing ample time for the geothermal properties of the earth to heat or cool circulated air.

[0012]The system of the present invention is designed to function differently according to the changes in seasonal temperature. The present invention preferably requires the installation of a sealed, double walled, double floored basement enclosure, which creates a geothermal air cavity between the concrete foundation of the house, and the artificial walls and flooring. The geothermal air cavity extends across the entirety of the basement foundation in order to take advantage of the greatest area exposed to the relatively stable ground temperature. The intent of the present invention is circulate air within this basement geothermal air cavity, which is similar to the cavity within a insulated drinking thermos, and employ the relatively static ground temperature to slowly heat air from outside the house in the winter, which may exist at temperatures well below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, up to the approximate, relative ground temperature, often cited to exist between 45 and 65 degrees, depending on location. Similarly, air is cooled in this same fashion during the summer months. Air is pumped through a series of ducts and down into the geothermal air cavity created below and aside the basement walls and ceiling, altering the temperature of the air. It is commonly understood that, in the summer months, the subterranean basement maintains a cooler temperature than the rest of the house due to the properties of energy. Similarly, in the winter months, the basement maintains a warmer temperature than the outside air, given that the air is insulated sufficiently, and is kept slightly warmer due to the geothermal properties of the earth. Additionally, the present invention employs a system of fail-safes to ensure that potentially contaminated air that was circulated within the basement cavity does not enter the home or building, but rather, the energy is transferred via a system of heat exchangers.

[0013]Advantages to the system of the present invention include the ease of installation, the implementation of a vacuum within the walls and under the foam layer employed by the present invention, as well as 24-hour fresh air ventilation. Additionally, more usable living space is made available via the elimination of common basement contaminants such as mold, mildew, radon, and organic matter. The present invention establishes a similar or same temperature and humidity level from the basement, all the way up to the top floor of a building, meaning that all floors of the building may be used by inhabitants comfortably, even in extreme weather.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, the energy savings of making homes tight has resulted in indoor air quality concerns.

While great strides have been made in solar technology in recent years, the cost is still prohibitive for the average consumer.

Wind power has grown in popularity as well; however, utilizing the system requires a great deal of space in order to produce sufficient energy.

At the same time, wind turbines and their accompanying batteries and capacitors are conventionally only effective as a supplement to conventional power from the electric grid, given that the turbines will not capture energy from the wind if there is no circulation of air or wind outside.

While geothermal devices are known, extensive land is traditionally required, as well as expensive drilling down into the earth's crust.

However, unlike the present invention, Shingaki does not employ heat exchangers, and is not configured to provide year-round functionality.

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