THERMAL INSTALLATION
The thermal system addresses the need for pumpless fluid circulation by employing a pipe configuration that leverages free convection for efficient heat management and fluid circulation, eliminating the need for electricity.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-01
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing thermal systems require the use of a pump for fluid circulation, which necessitates electricity and is undesirable.
A thermal system design that utilizes free convection and a unique pipe configuration to eliminate the need for a pump, incorporating a sub-portion of the main pipe rising above the last reservoir before descending to the heat exchanger, allowing fluid circulation without mechanical assistance.
Enables efficient fluid circulation and heat management without the need for a pump, utilizing free convection for both heating and cooling operations, thereby reducing energy consumption.
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: THERMAL INSTALLATION technical field
[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal system comprising a plurality of solar units. PREVIOUS STATE OF THE ART
[0002] Figure 3 shows a prior art thermal system 300. The system thermal 300 comprises a plurality of solar units 102. Each solar unit 102 has a reservoir 104 filled with a heat transfer fluid, classically water, and a set of heat pipes 106 intended to transmit the heat extracted from the solar flux to the heat transfer fluid.
[0003] The heat transfer fluid is stored in the reservoir 104 and the condenser of each heat pipe 106 is immersed in said reservoir 104 in order to transfer the captured heat to the heat transfer fluid.
[0004] The plurality of solar units 102 has a transfer channel 105 which passes successively through each reservoir 104. To this end, each reservoir 104 has an inlet through which the transfer channel 105 enters the reservoir 104 and an outlet through which the transfer channel 105 exits the reservoir 104.
[0005] The solar units 102 are mounted in series and the transfer pipe 105 thus extends between the inlet of the first tank 104, called transfer inlet 105a through which the transfer pipe 105 enters the first tank 104 and the outlet of the last tank 104, called transfer outlet 105b through which the transfer pipe 105 exits the last tank 104.
[0006] The thermal system 300 also has a buffer tank 108 filled with water and equipped with a heating system 120 such as an electric resistance.
[0007] The buffer tank 108 is equipped with a first pipe 122a through which cold water enters the buffer tank 108 and a second pipe 122b through which hot water exits the buffer tank 108.
[0008] The thermal system 300 also includes a heat exchanger 114 which is buried in the ground and has an inlet and an outlet. As explained below, the heat exchanger 114 allows excess heat to be dissipated into the ground, particularly in the event of overheating of the tanks 104, or to absorb heat from the ground in the event of a risk of freezing of the tanks 104.
[0009] The thermal system 300 also has a main pipe 112 with a first portion 112a fluidly connected between the transfer outlet 105b and the inlet of the heat exchanger 114 and a second portion 112b fluidly connected between the outlet of the heat exchanger 114 and the transfer inlet 105a. The main pipe 112 thus forms with the transfer pipe 105 a loop in which water circulates.
[0010] The thermal system 300 also has a fluidly connected filling pipe 116 between the first portion 112a and the buffer tank 108.
[0011] Between the filling pipe 116 and the heat exchanger 114, the first portion 112a is equipped with a pump 119 and a main valve 118.
[0012] The thermal system 300 has a supply pipe 121 fluidly connected to the first portion 112a downstream of the main valve 118 and through which cold water arrives in the first portion 112a.
[0013] The cold water supply in the first portion 112a via the supply pipe 121 is controlled by a supply valve 124 and a check valve 126 mounted on the supply pipe 121.
[0014] In operation, cold water enters the buffer tank 108 through the first pipe 122a under the control of a first valve 126a. The cold water is heated by the heating system 120 and exits through the second pipe 122b under the control of a second valve 126b.
[0015] When solar energy can be used, the main valve 118 is closed and the supply valve 124 is open. Cold water thus arrives from the supply pipe 121, flows through part of the first section 112a, through the heat exchanger 114 and then the second section 112b to reach the transfer inlet 105a and flows in the transfer pipe 105 through the tanks 104 to the transfer outlet 105b.
[0016] The water thus heated then joins the buffer tank 108 via part of the first portion 112a and the filling pipe 116.
[0017] When there is no demand for heating and the sun heats the heat pipes 106, it is necessary to remove the heat from said heat pipes 106.
[0018] The supply valve 124 is then closed and the pump 119 is started and the main valve 118 is opened.
[0019] The water then circulates in a loop in the transfer pipe 105 and the main pipe 112. As it passes through the heat exchanger 114, the water discharges its heat into the ground.
[0020] Conversely, in cold weather, or even freezing weather, the same operation makes it possible to bring the heat from the ground to the reservoir 104.
[0021] Although such a thermal system 300 works well, it requires the use of a pump 119 and therefore electricity, and it is therefore desirable to find a different arrangement in which it is not necessary to have a pump. Description of the invention
[0022] An object of the present invention is to propose a thermal system which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art.
[0023] To this end, a thermal system is proposed comprising:
[0024] - a plurality of solar units, each comprising a reservoir and a set of heat pipes whose condensers are immersed in said reservoir, where said plurality of solar units has a transfer pipe successively passing through each reservoir between a transfer inlet through which said transfer pipe enters the first reservoir and a transfer outlet through which said transfer pipe exits the last reservoir,
[0025] - a buffer balloon,
[0026] - a heat exchanger intended to be buried in the ground and comprising an inlet and an outing,
[0027] - a main pipeline comprising a first fluidly connected between the transfer outlet and the inlet of the heat exchanger, and a second fluidically connected portion between the outlet of the heat exchanger and the transfer inlet,
[0028] - a fluidly connected filling pipe between the first portion and the buffer balloon, and
[0029] - a main valve mounted on the first portion between the rem pipeline pleating and the heat exchanger,
[0030] the thermal system being characterized in that at the level of the transfer outlet, the first portion has a sub-portion which rises above the last reservoir before descending back towards the filling pipe and the heat exchanger.
[0031] Advantageously, the sub-portion has a rounded shape. Brief description of the drawings
[0032] The features of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will become clearer upon reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, said description being made in relation to the accompanying drawings, among which:
[0033] [Fig-1] is a schematic representation of a thermal system according to the invention,
[0034] [Fig.2] is a perspective view of a solar unit implemented in the thermal system according to the invention, and
[0035] [Fig.3] is a schematic representation of a thermal system of the prior art.
[0036] DETAILED STATEMENT OF IMPROVEMENTS
[0037] In the following description, elements that are identical to those of the prior art bear the same reference, and upstream and downstream references are taken by relation to the direction of fluid flow in the pipe.
[0038] Fig. 1 shows a thermal system 100 according to the invention.
[0039] The thermal system 100 comprises a plurality of solar units 102. Each solar unit 102 has a reservoir 104 filled with a heat transfer fluid, classically water, and a set of heat pipes 106 intended to transmit the heat extracted from the solar flux to the heat transfer fluid.
[0040] The heat transfer fluid is stored in the reservoir 104 and the condenser of each heat pipe 106 is immersed in said reservoir 104 in order to transfer the captured heat to the heat transfer fluid.
[0041] The plurality of solar units 102 has a transfer pipe 105 which passes successively through each reservoir 104. To this end, each reservoir 104 has an inlet through which the transfer pipe 105 enters the reservoir 104 and an outlet through which the transfer pipe 105 exits the reservoir 104. The portion of the transfer pipe 105 which is in a reservoir 104 constitutes a heat exchanger between the water in the reservoir 104 and the water circulating in the transfer pipe 105.
[0042] The solar units 102 are mounted in series and the transfer pipe 105 thus extends between the inlet of the first tank 104, called transfer inlet 105a through which the transfer pipe 105 enters the first tank 104 and the outlet of the last tank 104, called transfer outlet 105b through which the transfer pipe 105 exits the last tank 104.
[0043] The thermal system 100 also has a buffer tank 108 filled with water and equipped with a heating system 120 such as an electric resistance.
[0044] The buffer tank 108 is equipped with a first pipe 122a through which cold water enters the buffer tank 108 and a second pipe 122b through which hot water exits the buffer tank 108. The cold water arrives under pressure, for example, from a water supplier.
[0045] The thermal system 100 also includes a heat exchanger 114 which is buried in the ground and has an inlet and an outlet. As explained below, the heat exchanger 114 allows excess heat to be dissipated into the ground, particularly in the event of overheating of the tanks 104, or to capture heat from the ground in cold or even freezing weather.
[0046] The thermal system 100 also has a main pipe 112 with a first portion 112a fluidly connected between the transfer outlet 105b and the inlet of the heat exchanger 114 and a second portion 112b fluidly connected between the outlet of the heat exchanger 114 and the transfer inlet 105a. The main pipe 112 thus forms a loop with the transfer pipe 105 in which water circulates.
[0047] The thermal system 100 also has a fluidly connected filling pipe 116 between the first portion 112a and the buffer tank 108.
[0048] Between the filling pipe 116 and the heat exchanger 114, the first portion 112a is equipped with a main valve 118 but there is no pump as in the prior art.
[0049] The thermal system 100 has a supply pipe 121 fluidly connected to the first portion 112a downstream of the main valve 118 and through which cold water arrives in the first portion 112a.
[0050] The cold water supply in the first portion 112a via the supply pipe 121 is controlled by a supply valve 124 and a check valve 126 mounted on the supply pipe 121.
[0051] As shown in [Fig.2], the tank 104 is mounted on a chassis 302 which raises the tank above the ground and the heat pipes 106 are attached to the chassis 302 below the tank 104.
[0052] At the level of the transfer outlet 105b, the first portion 112a has a sub-portion 112c which rises above the last reservoir 104 before descending towards the filling pipe 116 and the heat exchanger 114.
[0053] With such an arrangement, in the event of a demand for hot water, the main valve 118 is closed, the hot water which comes out of the last tank 104 at the level of the transfer outlet 105b, goes up along the sub-portion 112c before going back down into the first portion 112a towards the filling pipe 116 towards the buffer tank 108 under the pressure of the supply water from the supply pipe 121.
[0054] With such an arrangement, in the event of a risk of overheating of the tank 104, the main valve 118 is opened, the hot water which comes out of the last tank 104 at the level of the transfer outlet 105b rises along the sub-portion 112c before going back down into the portion 112a towards the heat exchanger 114 by the effect of free convection and under the pressure of the supply water from the supply pipe 121.
[0055] In case of risk of freezing of the reservoir 104, by free convection, this system also allows the heat from the ground to be brought up to the reservoir 104, by the exchanger 114 via the main pipes 112 and transfer pipes 105.
[0056] Such operation without a pump is possible because of the free convection that is thus created.
[0057] In operation, cold water enters the buffer tank 108 through the first pipe 122a under the control of a first valve 126a. The cold water is heated by the heating system 120 and exits through the second pipe 122b under the control of a second valve 126b.
[0058] When solar energy can be used, the main valve 118 is closed and the supply valve 124 is open. Cold water thus arrives from the supply pipe 121, flows through part of the first section 112a, through the heat exchanger 114 then the second section 112b to reach the transfer inlet 105a and flows in the transfer pipe 105 through the tanks 104 to the transfer outlet 105b.
[0059] The water thus heated then joins the buffer tank 108 via part of the first portion 112a and the filling pipe 116.
[0060] When there is no demand for heating and the sun heats the heat pipes 106, it is necessary to evacuate and store the overheat from the tanks 104.
[0061] The supply valve 124 is then closed and the main valve 118 is open.
[0062] The water then circulates in a loop in the transfer pipe 105 and the pipe main 112. By passing through the heat exchanger 114, the water discharges its calories into the ground.
[0063] Conversely, in cold weather, or even with a risk of frost, the same operation makes it possible to bring heat from the ground to the reservoir 104.
[0064] To limit pressure losses in sub-portion 112c, it has a rounded shape, that is to say, it is arched as it rises above reservoir 104.
[0065] To fill the tanks 104, a supply line 130 is provided fluidly connected to the first tank 104 and for each subsequent tank 104, a supplementary line 132 is provided fluidly connected between two successive tanks 104.
Claims
Demands
1. Thermal system (100) comprising: - a plurality of solar units (102), each comprising a reservoir (104) and a set of heat pipes (106) whose condensers are immersed in said reservoir (104), wherein said plurality of solar units (102) has a transfer pipe (105) passing successively through each reservoir (104) between a transfer inlet (105a) through which said transfer pipe (105) enters the first reservoir (104) and a transfer outlet (105b) through which said transfer pipe (105) exits the last reservoir (104), - a buffer balloon (108), - a heat exchanger (114) intended to be buried in the ground and comprising an inlet and an outlet, - a main pipe (112) comprising a first portion (112a) fluidly connected between the transfer outlet (105b) and the inlet of the heat exchanger (114) and a second portion (112b) fluidly connected between the outlet of the heat exchanger (114) and the transfer inlet (105a), - a fluidly connected filling pipe (116) between the first portion (112a) and the buffer tank (108), and - a main valve (118) mounted on the first portion (112a) between the filling pipe (116) and the heat exchanger (114), the thermal system (100) being characterized in that at the level of the transfer outlet (105b), the first portion (112a) has a sub-portion (112c) which rises above the last tank (104) before descending back towards the filling pipe (116) and the heat exchanger (114).
2. Thermal system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sub-portion (112c) has a rounded shape.