Climate-control system with ground loop
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Climate-control systems, such as heat-pump systems, experience efficiency decline and increased energy consumption when outdoor air temperatures are high due to inadequate heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a working-fluid circuit with an intermediate heat exchanger conduit and a cooling-fluid circuit that uses a phase change material, where the cooling fluid is pumped through an underground heat exchanger conduit to absorb heat from the earth, allowing for efficient heat transfer and fluid isolation between working and cooling fluids, and switching between charge and discharge modes based on ambient temperature and working fluid temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional climate-control system operates in high outdoor temperatures, then the system continues to function, but the efficiency declines and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate heat exchanger conduit as a mediator between the working fluid circuit and the cooling fluid circuit. This intermediary component allows heat transfer from the working fluid to the cooling fluid without direct mixing, enabling the system to reject heat more effectively to the earth while maintaining fluid isolation and system efficiency in high temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling fluid circuit serves multiple functions: it absorbs heat from the working fluid through the intermediate heat exchanger, transfers this heat to the earth via the underground heat exchanger conduit, and can store thermal energy in the earth for later use. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain high efficiency across varying operating conditions
2Loss of energy
If the outdoor heat exchanger transfers heat directly to ambient air, then the system structure remains simple, but heat transfer effectiveness is insufficient when ambient temperatures are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-phase liquid cooling to two-phase cooling by introducing a phase change material that undergoes phase transition. This dimensional change in the thermal transfer mechanism (from liquid to phase-changing material) enables significantly higher heat transfer effectiveness by utilizing latent heat, while the modular circuit design keeps the overall structure manageable
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the efficiency of climate-control systems by utilizing the earth's lower temperature to cool the phase change material, thereby improving the system's performance during high outdoor temperatures while reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling fluid includes a phase change material
Implementation Method 2
heat from the cooling fluid is transferred to the earth
Data Source
AI summary
A climate-control system may include a working-fluid circuit and a cooling-fluid circuit. The working-fluid circuit may include a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger. The compressor compresses a working fluid. The outdoor heat exchanger may receive compressed working fluid from the compressor. The expansion device may be disposed downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger. The indoor heat exchanger may be disposed downstream of the expansion device and upstream of the compressor. The cooling-fluid circuit may contain a cooling fluid in a heat transfer relationship with working fluid in the working-fluid circuit. The cooling-fluid circuit may include an underground heat exchanger conduit embedded in earth below an earth ground surface. The underground heat exchanger may selectively receive the cooling fluid such that heat from the cooling fluid is transferred to the earth.