Air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide an air conditioning system capable of continuously using underground heat for equipment which requires cold (or heat) only for an annual load.SOLUTION: The air conditioning system includes an underground heat exchanger in which heat medium is circulated for performing heat exchange with a ground, an air conditioner in which the heat medium is circulated and which uses underground heat in the ground as a heat source, and the equipment into which the heat medium is circulated from the air conditioner. It can be constructed to thermally convert the heat medium circulated from the air conditioner using the equipment until achieving a low temperature, and then circulate it into the underground heat exchanger, or it can have an operation mode that the equipment is used for generating heat when the air conditioner performs absorption of heat.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system for continuously utilizing geothermal heat. [Background technology]

[0002] A geothermal energy utilization device is disclosed that includes a heat pump that utilizes geothermal heat and a load device connected to the heat pump, measures the outlet temperature of the heat pump, sets a limit value for heat extraction and release from the ground based on the outlet temperature, and controls the operation of the heat pump. According to this geothermal energy utilization device, by setting a limit value for heat extraction and release and controlling the operation of the heat pump so that the limit value is not exceeded, it is possible to prevent the underground temperature from becoming too high (or low) during operation, which significantly reduces the efficiency of heat extraction and release, and the underground temperature from gradually increasing (or decreasing) over the long term, which makes it impossible to extract or release heat, and it is said that stable operation can be achieved over a long period of time according to the thermal conditions of the ground. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-292310 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In electrical rooms where electrical equipment is stored, the room temperature needs to be kept low throughout the year because transformers and other devices generate heat. If an air conditioning system using geothermal heat is built in such a room, the heat is constantly released into the ground, causing the underground temperature to continue to rise. In addition, if a limit value is set for heat collection and release as in the geothermal heat utilization device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the balance between heat collection and release is immediately lost, and there is a problem that the air conditioning system using geothermal heat cannot be operated continuously for a long period of time.

[0005] The present invention has been developed in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide an air conditioning system that can continuously use geothermal heat for equipment whose annual load requires only cold (or hot) heat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a geothermal heat exchanger through which a heat medium is circulated and which exchanges heat with the ground, an air conditioner through which a heat medium is circulated and which uses the geothermal heat of the ground as a heat source, and facility equipment through which the heat medium is circulated from the air conditioner.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning system may have a configuration in which the heat medium circulated from the air conditioner is thermally converted in equipment to reduce the temperature, and then circulated to the underground heat exchanger.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning system may have an operation mode in which the facility equipment generates heat when the air conditioner absorbs heat.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning system includes a heat exchange amount measuring instrument that measures the amount of heat collected and released from the ground by the underground heat exchanger, and a monitoring unit that controls the operation of the air conditioner, and the monitoring unit may have a function of recording the amount of heat collected and the amount of heat released measured by the heat exchange amount measuring instrument, and stopping the operation of the air conditioner when it is determined that one of the accumulated value of the amount of heat released and the accumulated value of the amount of heat collected exceeds the other over a certain period of time.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange volume measuring instrument may include a first thermometer that measures the temperature of the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger to the air conditioner, a second thermometer that measures the temperature of the heat medium circulated from the equipment to the underground heat exchanger, and a flowmeter that measures the flow rate of the heat medium.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner may include a first fan coil unit, and the facility equipment may include a heat pump and a second fan coil unit that exchanges heat with the heat pump.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, an air conditioner may be installed in a first room, and an equipment may be installed in a second room, with the air conditioner absorbing heat in the first room. Also, a first auxiliary air conditioner using a heat source other than geothermal heat may be installed in the first room, and a second auxiliary air conditioner using a heat source other than geothermal heat may be installed in the second room.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning system may have a first operating mode in which the air conditioner performs heat absorption operation in the first room and the equipment performs heat generation operation in the second room, a second operating mode in which the air conditioner performs heat absorption operation in the first room, the second equipment is stopped, and the second auxiliary air conditioner performs heat absorption operation in the second room, and a third operating mode in which the air conditioner and the equipment are stopped, the first auxiliary air conditioner performs heat absorption operation in the first room, and the second auxiliary air conditioner performs heat absorption operation in the second room. Effect of the Invention

[0014] By constructing an air conditioning system that pairs an air conditioner that uses the ground's geothermal heat as its heat source with equipment through which the heat medium is circulated from the air conditioner, the air conditioning system can be operated continuously even when the air conditioner's annual thermal load only requires cold heat, making it possible to expand the scope of geothermal heat utilization and make maximum use of it. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a monitoring unit of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between heat collection from and heat dissipation into the ground by operating an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different aspects, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below. In the drawings, the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part may be shown schematically compared to the actual aspect in order to make the explanation clearer, but it is merely an example and does not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In this specification and each figure, elements similar to those described above with respect to the previous figures may be given the same reference numerals (or reference numerals with A, B, etc. added after the numerals) and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the letters "first" and "second" added to each element are convenient marks used to distinguish each element, and have no further meaning unless otherwise explained.

[0017] An air conditioner is a device that adjusts the temperature, humidity, flow rate, cleanliness, etc. of the air in a target space and supplies it, but in this specification, devices that only adjust the air temperature are also included in the category of air conditioners.

[0018] 1 shows the configuration of an air conditioning system 100 that uses geothermal heat according to one embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioning system 100 has a geothermal heat exchanger 102 buried in the ground 300, a first air conditioner 104 connected to the geothermal heat exchanger 102, and facility equipment 106 installed to form a pair with the first air conditioner 104. The geothermal heat exchanger 102 is equipment that has a heat medium circulated therein and exchanges heat with the ground 300, and the first air conditioner 104 is equipment that uses geothermal heat as a heat source.

[0019] The underground heat exchanger 102 is buried at a depth of about 10 m to 200 m underground from the ground surface. The underground heat exchanger 102 has a flow path through which a heat medium flows to collect or release heat to the ground 302. The flow path of the underground heat exchanger 102 is configured so that the heat medium flows from above ground toward the ground 302 and then flows out toward the ground again. The flow path of the underground heat exchanger 102 may be U-shaped, may be a spiral flow path, may be a meandering flow path, or may be a horizontal flow path.

[0020] A heat transfer medium is a fluid used to transfer heat between an external heat source and an equipment in order to heat or cool the equipment and control it to a desired temperature. The heat transfer medium may be, for example, water or an antifreeze liquid in which an antifreeze substance such as ethylene glycol is added to water.

[0021] The geothermal heat exchanger 102 has a function of releasing (dissipating) heat to the ground 302 or collecting (collecting) heat from the ground 302 by flowing a heat medium through a flow path. In this embodiment, the ground 302 refers to a depth of about 9 m to about 200 m underground, and geothermal heat refers to heat in the ground within this depth range. Geothermal heat is constant throughout the year regardless of the season, and although it differs depending on the region, for example, in the Kanto region, it is about 17°C throughout the year. Therefore, compared to the outside air temperature on the ground, geothermal heat has the characteristic of being lower than the outside air temperature in summer and higher than the outside air temperature in winter.

[0022] The air conditioning system 100 has a configuration in which the geothermal heat exchanger 102, the first air conditioner 104, and the equipment 106 are connected so that the heat medium circulates between them. For the sake of explanation, FIG. 1 shows the flow paths through which the heat medium flows as a first pipe 112A, a second pipe 112B, and a third pipe 112C. The first pipe 112A forms a flow path connecting the geothermal heat exchanger 102 and the first air conditioner 104, the second pipe 112B forms a flow path connecting the first air conditioner 104 and the equipment 106, and the third pipe 112C forms a flow path connecting the equipment 106 and the geothermal heat exchanger 102. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a circulation pump for circulating the heat medium is provided at least at one of the first pipe 112A, the second pipe 112B, and the third pipe 112C.

[0023] The first room 201 is a room installed inside a building. The first room 201 may be a room installed on the ground floor of a building, or may be a room installed on the basement floor. Although not shown, the first room 201 is installed with equipment or facilities that are heat sources. For example, the first room 201 may be an electrical room in which electrical equipment is installed, a room in a data center in which servers, network equipment, and storage devices are installed, or a workshop in a factory in which machine tools that generate heat are installed. The first room 201 is a room in which equipment or machines that are heat sources are installed, and therefore it is necessary to cool (air condition) the room throughout the year in order to keep the room temperature at a predetermined temperature (in other words, to prevent the room from becoming too hot).

[0024] A second room 202 exists so as to be paired with the first room 201. The second room 202 may be in the same building as the first room 201, or may be a room installed in a different building. The second room 202 may be on the ground floor like the first room 201, or may be in the basement. The configuration of the second room 202 is arbitrary, but it is a room in which at least a thermal device is installed. In other words, the second room 202 is a room in which a device that uses heat generated by a heat exchanger is installed. The second room 202 is a room in which the temperature is adjusted by heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.

[0025] 1 shows the first room 201 and the second room 202 as one room each, but the first room 201 and the second room 202 may each be used as a collective term for a plurality of rooms. The first room 201 and the second room 202 may correspond one-to-one, or many-to-one or one-to-many. That is, a plurality of second rooms 202 may be installed for one first room 201, or one second room 202 may be installed for a plurality of first rooms 201.

[0026] A first air conditioner 104 using geothermal heat as a heat source is installed in the first room 201. A first auxiliary air conditioner 114 not using geothermal heat as a heat source is also installed in the first room 201. The first air conditioner 104 and the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 are installed to absorb heat (cooling) in the first room 201. The first air conditioner 104 and the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 have a complementary relationship. That is, the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 is installed to take over the heat absorption (cooling) of the first room 201 when the first air conditioner 104 is not operating. The first auxiliary air conditioner 114 is an air conditioner that operates using a heat source other than geothermal heat.

[0027] The first air conditioner 104 absorbs heat (cools) using the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger 102. The first air conditioner 104 is configured to include, for example, a fan coil unit. In this case, heat absorption (cools) is performed by circulating the heat medium from the underground heat exchanger 102 to the fan coil unit. Note that the first air conditioner 104 is not limited to having a fan coil unit, and other configurations may be applied as long as it is equipment that absorbs heat in the first room 201 and can transfer the heat to the heat medium for extraction.

[0028] In addition, the first room 201 may be replaced with a refrigerator or freezer, in which case the first air conditioner 104 can be replaced with a first refrigeration device that uses geothermal heat as its heat source, and the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 can be replaced with a first auxiliary refrigeration device that does not use geothermal heat as its heat source.

[0029] The second room 202 is provided with facility equipment 106 that uses geothermal heat as a heat source. The second room 202 is also provided with auxiliary facility equipment 116 that does not use geothermal heat as a heat source. As shown in FIG. 1, the facility equipment 106 installed in the second room 202 may be, for example, a heat pump 1062 and a second air conditioner 1064 connected to the heat pump 1062. Alternatively, instead of the second air conditioner 1064 (i.e., instead of an air conditioner), it may be a water heater. In any case, the facility equipment 106 may be any equipment that uses the heat of the heat medium circulated from the first air conditioner 104, and is preferably, for example, a heat exchanger such as the heat pump 1062 and an equipment, device, or facility that consumes the heat generated by the heat exchanger. The auxiliary facility equipment 116 installed in the second room 202 substitutes for the function of the facility equipment 106, and may be, for example, a second auxiliary air conditioner 116 that does not use geothermal heat as a heat source. Also, an auxiliary water heater may be used instead of the second auxiliary air conditioner 116. In any case, it is preferable that the auxiliary equipment 116 is a device, apparatus, or machine that does not use geothermal heat as a heat source but is operated by electricity or fuel oil. The equipment 106 installed in the second room 202 and the auxiliary equipment 116 have a complementary relationship. The second auxiliary air conditioner 116 is arranged, for example, to perform air conditioning of the second room when the second air conditioner 1064 does not (cannot) operate.

[0030] A heat medium is circulated from the first air conditioner 104 to the facility equipment 106 arranged in the second room 202. The facility equipment 106 is equipment that utilizes heat generated by the first air conditioner 104. FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which the heat medium is circulated from the first air conditioner 104 to the heat pump 1062 through the second piping 112B. The heat pump 1062 includes a refrigerant pipe that circulates a refrigerant (gas), a compressor 1066 that compresses the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe, an expansion valve 1067 that expands the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe, a primary condenser-evaporator 1068 that condenses or evaporates the refrigerant using the heat medium circulated from the first air conditioner 104, and a secondary condenser-evaporator 1069 that condenses the high-temperature refrigerant compressed by the compressor 1066 and supplies heat to the heat transfer water circulated from the second air conditioner 1064. The heat pump 1062 exchanges heat of the heat medium circulated from the first air conditioner 104 in the primary condenser-evaporator 1068, and circulates the cooled heat medium through the third pipe 112C to the underground heat exchanger 102. The heat exchanged in the heat pump 1062 is then used by the second air conditioner 1064 to generate heat (heat) the second room 202.

[0031] Incidentally, if the first room 201 is an electrical room, the room temperature will be 40° C. or higher unless heat absorption (cooling) is performed. Although it is possible to exhaust heat only by ventilation equipment, it is difficult to place the equipment because the duct size and the capacity of the ventilation equipment become large when the heat generation load is large or when the equipment is placed deep inside the building. Therefore, the first room 201 is absorbed (cooled) by the first air conditioner 104, but since the electrical equipment operates all year round, the first air conditioner 104 also absorbs (cools) heat throughout the year. Therefore, if the first air conditioner 104 uses geothermal heat as a heat source and extracts and releases all the generated heat in the ground 302, the amount of heat released will be excessive compared to the amount of heat extracted from the ground 302.

[0032] Therefore, in the air conditioning system 100 of this embodiment, the heat generated by the first air conditioner 104 is effectively utilized by the equipment 106 installed in the second room 202, and then the geothermal heat exchanger 102 extracts and releases the heat to the ground 302. Furthermore, when it is determined that the amount of heat extraction and release cannot be balanced by operating the equipment 106, and when it is determined based on the temperature and humidity of the indoor thermo-hygrometer 111 installed in the first room 201, the temperature of the heat medium, the flow rate of the heat medium, and the like, that the heat absorption (cooling) capacity of the first air conditioner 104 cannot keep the room temperature of the first room 201 within a predetermined range, the air conditioning system 100 is configured to operate the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 and the auxiliary equipment 116 to stop using the geothermal heat.

[0033] In order to balance the amount of heat released into the ground and the amount of heat collected, it is necessary to know the amount of heat released into the ground and the amount of heat collected by the operation of the air conditioning system 100. Therefore, in the air conditioning system 100, a first thermometer 1082 is provided in the first pipe 112A, which is the inlet of the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger 102, and a second thermometer 1084 and a flowmeter 1086 are provided in the third pipe 112C, which is the outlet of the heat medium into the ground. The first thermometer 1082 is provided to measure the temperature of the heat medium flowing out of the underground heat exchanger 102, the second thermometer 1084 is provided to measure the temperature of the heat medium flowing out of the facility equipment 106, and the flowmeter 1086 is provided to measure the flow rate of the heat medium flowing into the underground heat exchanger 102. With this configuration, the temperature difference of the heat medium measured by the first thermometer 1082 and the second thermometer 1084 can be known, the flow rate of the heat medium can be known by the flowmeter 1086, and the amount of heat exchanged by the underground heat exchanger 102 with the ground 300 can be calculated.

[0034] 1, the air conditioning system 100 has a monitoring unit 110 that calculates the amount of heat exchanged between the underground heat exchanger 102 and the ground 300 and controls the operating state based on the amount of heat exchanged. The monitoring unit 110 has a function of controlling the operation of the first air conditioner 104, the facility equipment 106, the first auxiliary air conditioner 114, and the auxiliary facility equipment 116 based on data measured by a first thermometer 1082, a second thermometer 1084, and a flow meter 1086.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the monitoring unit 110. The monitoring unit 110 includes an A / D conversion unit 1101, a data storage unit 1102, a heat amount calculation unit 1103, an air conditioning capacity calculation unit 1104, a determination unit 1105, and a control unit 1106. The A / D conversion unit 1101 has a function of receiving analog signals output from the first thermometer 1082, the second thermometer 1084, and the flowmeter 1086, converting the signals into digital signals, and outputting them to the data storage unit 1102. The data storage unit 1102 stores the measurement data of the indoor thermometer / hygrometer 111, the measurement data of the first thermometer 1082, the measurement data of the second thermometer 1084, and the measurement data of the flowmeter 1086. The heat amount calculation unit 1103 has a function of calculating the heat amount from the measurement data of the first thermometer 1082, the measurement data of the second thermometer 1084, and the measurement data of the flowmeter 1086. The judgment unit 1105 judges whether or not the balance between heat collection from the ground and heat dissipation to the ground is disturbed based on the heat quantity calculated by the heat quantity calculation unit 1103, and the control unit 1106 has a function of controlling the operating states of the first air conditioner 104 and the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 in the first room 201, and the operating states of the equipment 106 and the auxiliary equipment 116 in the second room 202 (or outputting a control signal for controlling the operating state of each device) based on this judgment result.

[0036] The amount of heat calculated by the heat amount calculation unit 1103 is an accumulated amount of heat calculated on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, semi-annual, or yearly basis. For example, the heat amount calculation unit 1103 calculates the amount of heat discharged into the ground as a plus, and the amount of heat collected from the ground as a minus. The determination unit 1105 determines whether the balance of the accumulated amount of heat has shifted excessively to the plus or minus side within a certain period as described above. That is, the determination unit 1105 has a function of determining whether the amount of heat is being excessively released into the ground or excessively collected based on the result calculated by the heat amount calculation unit 1103. The determination unit 1105 may also use a reference value for determination and make a determination based on whether the amount of heat collected and released into the ground (accumulated amount of heat) is within the range of the reference value.

[0037] The control unit 1106 performs control to switch the operation mode of the air conditioning system 100 based on the judgment result of the judgment unit. For example, when the judgment unit 1105 judges that the amount of heat dissipated into the ground will be excessive, the control unit 1105 performs control to stop the operation of the first air conditioner 104 and switch to the operation of the first auxiliary air conditioner 114. Also, when the judgment unit 1105 judges that the amount of heat collected into the ground will be excessive, the control unit 1105 performs control to stop the operation of the first air conditioner 104 and the facility equipment 106 and switch to the operation of the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 and the auxiliary facility equipment 116.

[0038] The air conditioning capacity calculation unit 1104 has a function of estimating the air conditioning capacity of the first air conditioner 104 from the temperature and humidity of the indoor thermometer / hygrometer 111 installed in the first room 201 and the temperature of the heat medium measured by the first thermometer 1082 in the first pipe 112A. The determination unit 1105 may have a function of determining whether or not the temperature and humidity of the first room 201 can be conditioned to within a predetermined range based on the air conditioning capacity of the first air conditioner 104 calculated by the air conditioning capacity calculation unit 1104. The control unit 1106 may have a function of determining to continue operating the first air conditioner 104 when the determination unit 1105 determines that there is air conditioning capacity, and of controlling to operate the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 when it determines that there is no air conditioning capacity.

[0039] The function of the monitoring unit 110 as shown in Fig. 2 is realized by hardware resources such as an A / D conversion circuit, a computer, and a control panel that controls the operation of the air conditioner, and software resources such as a control program executed by the computer. Note that Fig. 1 shows an aspect in which the monitoring unit 110 monitors the amount of heat collected and released into the ground 302 by the underground heat exchanger 102 and controls the operation of the equipment, but the air conditioning system 100 of this embodiment is not limited to this aspect. For example, the monitoring unit 110 only collects data on the amount of heat collected and released by the underground heat exchanger 102 (corresponding to the functions of the A / D conversion unit 1101 and the data storage unit 1102), and calculation of the amount of heat collected and released and judgment of the balance of the amount of heat collected and released (corresponding to the functions of the heat amount calculation unit 1103 and the judgment unit 1105) may be performed by a computer connected via a network at any time.

[0040] The air conditioning system 100 according to this embodiment has at least three operation modes. Each operation mode will be described below. In the following description, the facility equipment 106 is configured with a heat pump 1062 and a second air conditioner 1064, and the auxiliary facility equipment 116 is configured with a second auxiliary air conditioner.

[0041] [First embodiment] As described above, this embodiment shows an operating mode in which the first air conditioner 104 installed in the first room 201 absorbs heat (cools) throughout the year due to the presence of heat-generating equipment and machinery in the first room 201.

[0042] First driving mode FIG. 3 shows the first operation mode. The first operation mode is an operation mode applied in winter. In the first operation mode, the first air conditioner 104 is operated to absorb heat (cooling), the second air conditioner 1064 is operated to generate heat (heating), and the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 and the second auxiliary air conditioner 116 are stopped. In this first operation mode, the underground heat exchanger 102 collects heat from the ground 302, and the heat medium cooled to a temperature lower than the room temperature of the first room 201 is circulated to the first air conditioner 104. The first air conditioner 104 absorbs heat (cools) in the first room 201 using the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger 102. For example, when the temperature of the ground is 17° C., the heat medium is heated to about the same temperature by the heat collected by the underground heat exchanger 102.

[0043] The first air conditioner 104 has, for example, a fan coil unit, and a heat medium is circulated through the fan coil unit to absorb heat (cooling). As described above, the first room 201 is an electrical room or the like, and has a heat source, so heat absorption (cooling) is required. Since the heat medium circulated to the first air conditioner 104 has a temperature lower than the room temperature of the first room 201, heat absorption (cooling) can be performed by utilizing the heat of this heat medium.

[0044] The heat medium is circulated from the first air conditioner 104 to the facility equipment 106. The heat medium is heated by the first air conditioner 104 and the temperature rises. The facility equipment 106 arranged in the second room 202 generates heat (heats) by using the heat of this heat medium. Specifically, the heat medium is circulated from the first air conditioner 104 to the primary condenser-evaporator 1068 of the heat pump 1062 and heat conversion is performed.

[0045] In the heat pump 1062, the primary condenser-evaporator 1068 exchanges heat between the refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 1067 and the circulated heat medium, evaporating the refrigerant. The evaporated and heated refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 1066 to a higher temperature, and then sent to the secondary condenser-evaporator 1069. The secondary condenser-evaporator 1069 exchanges heat between the refrigerant sent from the compressor 1066 and the heat medium circulated from the second air conditioner 1064, heating the heat medium and condensing the refrigerant. The second air conditioner 1064 then generates heat by the heated heat medium, and heats the second room 202. In the heat pump 1062, the condensed and cooled refrigerant is expanded again by the expansion valve 1067, and sent to the primary condenser-evaporator 1068 in a state where the temperature is further reduced. Then, heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant and the heat medium circulated from the first air conditioner 104.

[0046] The heat medium circulated from the first air conditioner 104 to the facility equipment 106 has heat removed (cooled) by the heat pump 1062 and is circulated to the geothermal heat exchanger 102. Since the heat medium has been cooled to a temperature lower than the underground temperature, the geothermal heat exchanger 102 collects heat from the ground 302. Then, the heat medium that has been warmed up to the underground temperature by the heat collection is circulated to the first air conditioner 104.

[0047] Through the above series of operations, the first air conditioner 104 absorbs heat (cools) in the first room 201, and the second air conditioner 1064 generates heat to heat the second room 202. The first operation mode is operated continuously for a certain period of time if it is winter. In the first operation mode, the underground heat exchanger 102 is in a heat collection state, taking heat from the ground 302. FIG. 7(A) is a graph showing this state diagrammatically, where the horizontal axis is the time axis, the positive side of the vertical axis is heat dissipation, and the negative side is heat collection, representing a state in which heat collection is performed for a certain period of time.

[0048] In the first operation mode, the order in which the heat medium circulates may be reversed. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the heat medium may be circulated from the underground heat exchanger 102 to the facility equipment 106 and the first air conditioner 104 in that order. In this case, in the facility equipment 106, the second air conditioner 1064 is in heat generation (heating) operation, and in the primary condenser-evaporator 1068 of the heat pump 1062, the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger 102 is heat exchanged with the refrigerant of the heat pump and cooled. The heat medium is circulated to the first air conditioner 104. In the first air conditioner 104, the third thermometer 1088 provided in the path of the second pipe 112B measures the temperature of the heat medium, and the monitoring unit 110 determines whether or not the heat absorption (cooling) operation is possible. When the first air conditioner 104 is in heat absorption (cooling) operation, the heat medium is circulated to the underground heat exchanger 102 in a state in which the temperature of the heat medium has increased due to heat absorption. In the underground heat exchanger 102, the heat of the heat medium is dissipated to the ground 302. In this way, by reversing the order in which the heat medium circulates, it is possible to absorb heat (cooling) in the first room 201 and generate heat (heating) in the second room 202.

[0049] Second driving mode FIG. 5 shows the second operation mode. The second operation mode is an operation mode that may be applied in summer or winter. In the second operation mode, the first air conditioner 104 is in heat absorption (cooling) operation, the second air conditioner 1064 is stopped, the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 is stopped, and the second auxiliary air conditioner 116 is in heat absorption (cooling) operation or heat generation (heating) operation. In the second operation mode, the underground heat exchanger 102 radiates heat to the ground 302, and the heat medium cooled to a temperature lower than the room temperature of the first room 201 is circulated to the first air conditioner 104. The first air conditioner 104 absorbs heat (cools) the first room 201 using the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger 102. For example, when the temperature of the ground 302 is 17° C., the heat medium is cooled to approximately the same temperature by the heat dissipation from the underground heat exchanger 102 .

[0050] The first air conditioner 104 is operated to absorb heat (cool) as in the first operation mode, and the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 is in a stopped state. The heat medium is circulated from the first air conditioner 104 to the equipment 106, but in the second operation mode, the equipment 106 is in a stopped state. The heat medium circulated from the first air conditioner 104 to the equipment 106 is circulated directly to the underground heat exchanger 102 without being heat exchanged in the heat pump 1062. Therefore, the heat medium whose temperature has been raised by the first air conditioner 104 to be higher than the underground temperature is circulated in the underground heat exchanger 102. Then, the underground heat exchanger 102 through which the heat medium has been circulated releases heat into the ground 302.

[0051] In the second room 202, the second air conditioner 1064 is in a stopped state, and heat absorption (cooling) or heat generation (heating) operation is performed by the second auxiliary air conditioner 116. Although not shown in the figure, in the second operation mode, the second auxiliary air conditioner 116 may also be in a stopped state.

[0052] Through the above-mentioned series of operations, the first room 201 is absorbed (cooled) by the first air conditioner 104, and the second room 202 is absorbed (cooled) or heated (heated) by the second auxiliary air conditioner 116. The second operation mode can be continuously operated for a certain period in summer and winter. In the second operation mode, the underground heat exchanger 102 is in a heat dissipation state in which it dissipates heat to the ground 302. FIG. 7(B) is a graph that shows a schematic diagram of a state in which the first air conditioner 104 is continuously operated to absorb heat (cooled) after switching from the first operation mode to the second operation mode, and shows a state in which heat is dissipated to the ground 302 for a certain period.

[0053] The first and second operation modes can be operated until the amount of heat collected from the ground 302 and the amount of heat released to the ground 302 are the same or approximately the same. For example, as shown in Fig. 7(B), when a predetermined amount of heat is collected in the first operation mode, the second operation mode can be operated until the amount of heat released is the same or approximately the same as the amount of heat collected. In this way, when the air conditioning system 100 is operated, the operation mode is switched so as to balance the amount of heat collected from the ground 302 and the amount of heat released to the ground 302, thereby suppressing an increase in the temperature underground.

[0054] Third driving mode FIG. 6 shows the third operation mode. The third operation mode is an operation mode that may be applied in summer or winter. In the second operation mode, the first air conditioner 104 is stopped, the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 is operated in heat absorption (cooling) operation, the facility equipment 106 (the second air conditioner 1064) is stopped, and the second auxiliary air conditioner 116 is operated in heat absorption (cooling) operation or heat generation (heating) operation. In the third operation mode, the first air conditioner 104 and the facility equipment are not operated, so that the underground heat exchanger 102 does not release heat to the ground 302 or collect heat from the ground 302. The third operation mode is an operation mode that is applied when the amount of heat collected from the ground 302 and the amount of heat released to the ground 302 are no longer balanced.

[0055] 7(C) shows a schematic diagram of the relationship between the amount of heat collected from the ground 302 and the amount of heat released to the ground 302 in the third operation mode. In the third operation mode, heat is not collected or released to the ground 302 as described above, and the amount of heat that would be released to the ground (part shown by the dotted line in the figure) if the first air conditioner 104 were operated to absorb heat (cool) is substituted by the first auxiliary air conditioner 114. In this way, by using the first auxiliary air conditioner 114, it is possible to continue absorbing heat (cooling) in the first room 201 even if the balance of the amount of heat collected from the ground 302 is lost.

[0056] The balance between the amount of heat collected and the amount of heat released into the ground can be determined on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, but can also be compared and considered over a six-month, yearly, or several-year period.

[0057] As described above, the air conditioning system 100 of one embodiment of the present invention combines the first air conditioner 104, which uses the geothermal heat of the ground 300 as a heat source, with the equipment 106 through which a heat medium is circulated from the first air conditioner 104, and is further configured to include the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 and auxiliary equipment 116 which do not use geothermal heat as a heat source. As a result, even if the first air conditioner 104 only absorbs heat (cools) throughout the year, the air conditioning system 100 can be operated continuously, and the geothermal heat can be made to be used as effectively as possible without causing fluctuations in the underground temperature.

[0058] [Second embodiment] This embodiment shows an operation mode in which the first air conditioner 104 installed in the first room 201 generates heat (heats) throughout the year.

[0059] 8 shows the fourth operation mode. The fourth operation mode is an operation mode applied in the summer. In the fourth operation mode, the first air conditioner 104 is operated in heat generation (heating) operation, the second air conditioner 1064 is operated in heat absorption (cooling) operation, and the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 and the second auxiliary air conditioner 116 are stopped.

[0060] In the fourth operation mode, the underground heat exchanger 102 collects heat from the underground 302, and the heat medium cooled to a temperature lower than the room temperature of the second room 202 is circulated to the heat pump 1062. In the primary condenser-evaporator 1068 of the heat pump 1062, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 1066 and heated to a high temperature, and the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger 102. The refrigerant that has been heat exchanged is expanded by the expansion valve 1067 to lower its temperature, and then sent to the secondary condenser-evaporator 1069. The secondary condenser-evaporator 1069 exchanges heat between the refrigerant sent from the expansion valve 1067 and the heat medium circulated from the second air conditioner 1064, cools the heat medium, and evaporates the refrigerant. Then, the second air conditioner 1064 absorbs heat using the cooled heat medium, and cools the second room 202.

[0061] In the heat pump 1062, the refrigerant that has evaporated and risen in temperature is compressed again by the compressor 1066 and sent to the primary condenser-evaporator 1068 in a high-temperature state. Then, heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant and the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger 102. The heat medium that has been heat exchanged in the primary condenser-evaporator 1068 and has a higher temperature is circulated to the first air conditioner 104. In the first air conditioner 104, heat is generated (heating) by the heat medium circulated from the heat pump 1062. Then, the heat medium that has been cooled down is circulated to the underground heat exchanger 102, and underground heat is collected.

[0062] Through the series of operations described above, in the fourth operating mode, the second air conditioner 1064 absorbs heat (cools) in the second room 202, and the first air conditioner 104 generates heat (heats), thereby allowing the geothermal heat exchanger 102 to collect geothermal heat.

[0063] The fourth operation mode can be applied when the first room 201 requires heating throughout the year or when a device or equipment that utilizes heat is installed. For example, the fourth operation mode can be applied when the first room 201 is a greenhouse or requires hot water supply throughout the year, such as a hot spring or a hot water pool. In the case of a hot spring or a hot water pool, the first air conditioner 104 can be replaced with a first water heater or the like.

[0064] In this embodiment, when it is determined that the amount of heat collected and released into the ground is not balanced, the operation mode can be switched to the third operation mode. In this case, the first auxiliary air conditioner 114 can be replaced with a first auxiliary water heater or the like.

[0065] Although the whole or part of the exemplary embodiment disclosed above can be described in the following supplementary explanation, one embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0066] (Appendix 1) An air conditioning system including: a geothermal heat exchanger buried in the ground; a first air conditioner that absorbs heat (cools) a first room; a first pipe that connects the geothermal heat exchanger and the first air conditioner and circulates a heat medium; a second air conditioner that heats a second room; a second pipe that circulates the heat medium from the first air conditioner to the second air conditioner; and a third pipe that circulates the heat medium from the second air conditioner to the geothermal heat exchanger.

[0067] (Appendix 2) 2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the first air conditioner has a first fan coil unit, and the heat medium is circulated through the first fan coil unit.

[0068] (Appendix 3) 3. The air conditioning system according to claim 2, further comprising a heat pump through which the heat medium is circulated from the first air conditioner, and the second air conditioner generates heat by exchanging heat with the heat pump.

[0069] (Appendix 4) The air conditioning system of claim 3, wherein the first air conditioner is installed in a first room, the second air conditioner is installed in a second room, and the first air conditioner absorbs heat (cools) in the first room.

[0070] (Appendix 5) 5. The air conditioning system of claim 4, comprising a first auxiliary air conditioning device in the first room that uses a heat source other than the geothermal heat, and a second auxiliary air conditioning device in the second room that uses a heat source other than the geothermal heat. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 100: air conditioning system, 102: underground heat exchanger, 104: first air conditioner, 106: facility equipment, 1062: heat pump, 1064: second air conditioner, 1066: compressor, 1067: expansion valve, 1068: primary condenser / evaporator, 1069: secondary condenser / evaporator, 108: heat exchange amount measuring instrument, 1082: first thermometer, 1084: second thermometer, 1086: flow meter, 1088: third thermometer, 110: monitoring unit, 1 101: A / D conversion unit, 1102: data storage unit, 1103: heat amount calculation unit, 1104: air conditioning capacity calculation unit, 1105: judgment unit, 1106: control unit, 111: indoor thermometer / hygrometer, 112A: first pipe, 112B: second pipe, 112C: third pipe, 114: first auxiliary air conditioner, 116: auxiliary facility equipment (second auxiliary air conditioner), 201: first room, 202: second room, 300: ground, 302: underground

Claims

1. a ground heat exchanger in which a heat medium is circulated and which exchanges heat with the ground; an air conditioner in which the heat medium is circulated and which uses geothermal heat from the ground as a heat source; A facility device through which the heat medium is circulated from the air conditioner; An air conditioning system comprising:

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat medium circulated from the air conditioner is converted into heat by the facility equipment to be cooled, and then circulated to the underground heat exchanger.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein when the air conditioner absorbs heat, the facility equipment generates heat.

4. a heat exchange amount measuring device for measuring the amount of heat collected and released from the ground by the underground heat exchanger; A monitoring unit that controls the operation of the air conditioner, The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit records the amount of heat collected and the amount of heat released measured by the heat exchange measuring device, and when it is determined that one of the integrated value of the amount of heat released and the integrated value of the amount of heat collected exceeds the other during a certain period of time, the monitoring unit stops operation of the air conditioner.

5. The heat exchange amount measuring instrument is A first thermometer that measures a temperature of the heat medium circulated from the underground heat exchanger to the air conditioner; A second thermometer that measures the temperature of the heat medium circulating from the facility equipment to the underground heat exchanger; A flow meter that measures a flow rate of the heat medium; 5. The air conditioning system of claim 4, comprising:

6. the air conditioner includes a first fan coil unit; The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the facility equipment includes a heat pump and a second fan coil unit that exchanges heat with the heat pump.

7. The air conditioner is installed in a first room, and the facility equipment is installed in a second room, The air conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein the air conditioner absorbs heat in the first room.

8. The air conditioning system according to claim 7 , further comprising: a first auxiliary air conditioner in the first room that uses a heat source other than the geothermal heat; and a second auxiliary air conditioner in the second room that uses a heat source other than the geothermal heat.

9. A first operation mode in which the air conditioner performs a heat absorbing operation in the first room and the facility equipment performs a heat generating operation in the second room; A second operation mode in which the air conditioner performs a heat absorption operation in the first room, the second equipment device is stopped, and the second auxiliary air conditioner performs a heat absorption operation in the second room; and a third operating mode in which the air conditioner and the facility equipment are stopped, the first auxiliary air conditioner performs a heat absorption operation in the first room, and the second auxiliary air conditioner performs a heat absorption operation in the second room.

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