Decentralized Heat Pump Assembly for Thermal Grid Energy Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heating and cooling distribution grids face inefficiencies and high costs, leading to environmental impact and the need for improved energy utilization and sustainable solutions.
Innovation Solution
A thermal energy extraction assembly combining passive and active components, including heat exchangers and heat pumps, to decentralize heat pumping and optimize energy distribution, allowing for modular and redundant systems that can efficiently extract and manage heat and cold from thermal energy distribution grids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If passive heat exchange is used in thermal energy distribution, then the system structure is simple, but the temperature depletion over the heat exchanger limits the ability to satisfy local thermal needs
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the thermal energy distribution into multiple independent heat pump units, each serving a specific building or zone. Each heat pump can independently extract heat from or reject heat to the thermal energy distribution grid, allowing localized thermal needs to be satisfied without being constrained by temperature depletion in a centralized passive system.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump units are designed to operate in multiple modes: they can extract heat from the thermal energy distribution grid for building heating, reject heat to the grid for building cooling, or operate in bypass mode. This multi-functionality allows the same infrastructure to serve diverse thermal needs across different buildings and seasons.
2Ease of manufacture
If centralized heating and cooling plants are used, then the infrastructure investment is high, but the energy utilization efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
Each building is equipped with its own heat pump unit that autonomously extracts or rejects heat to the thermal energy distribution grid based on its own thermal needs. This eliminates the need for centralized heating and cooling plants, reducing infrastructure investment while improving energy utilization efficiency since each unit operates only when and where thermal energy is actually needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If heat pumps are deployed to pump heat between circuits, then the ability to satisfy local thermal needs is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple independent heat pump units distributed across different buildings rather than one large centralized system. Each unit is relatively simple in design and can be independently controlled, maintained, and operated. This segmentation reduces the complexity of any single device while collectively providing high adaptability to satisfy diverse local thermal needs.
4Ease of operation
If the thermal energy distribution grid operates with fixed temperature requirements, then the system operation is simple, but the flexibility to operate in various modes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operation of each heat pump unit based on real-time thermal needs of buildings and conditions in the thermal energy distribution grid. Heat pumps can switch between extracting heat from the grid, rejecting heat to the grid, or operating in bypass mode. This dynamic operation maintains simplicity in individual unit control while providing high flexibility at the system level to adapt to varying thermal demands and grid conditions.
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
This solution enhances energy utilization efficiency, reduces environmental impact, and lowers installation costs by enabling localized thermal needs satisfaction, flexible capacity adjustments, and simplified maintenance, while allowing for both heat and cold extraction in various modes.
Implementation Method 1
The first heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat from the heating circuit to the thermal energy distribution grid
Implementation Method 2
The second heat exchanger is configured to extract heat from the thermal energy distribution grid to the cooling circuit
Implementation Method 3
Each heat pumps being individually configured pump heat from cooling circuit heat transfer fluid of the cooling circuit to heating circuit heat transfer fluid of the heating circuit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A thermal energy extraction assembly (1) is configured to extract heat and/or cold from a thermal energy distribution grid (10) is presented. The assembly (1) comprising a connection circuit (20) connecting the assembly (1) to the grid (10); a first heat exchanger (30) configured to exchange heat from a heating circuit (40) to the grid (10); a second heat exchanger (50) configured to extract heat from the grid (10) to a cooling circuit (60); and a plurality of heat pumps (70) each having a condenser side (71) connected to the heating circuit (40) and an evaporator side (72) connected to the cooling circuit (60), the heat pumps (70) being configured to pump heat from the cooling circuit (60) to the heating circuit (40).