District Cooling Grid Integration for Combined Heating and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy distribution grids for heating and cooling in cities are inefficient, leading to increased environmental impact and high investment costs, as they require separate infrastructure for heating and cooling, with waste heat energy from cooling grids often going unused.
Innovation Solution
A combined heating and cooling system that integrates a district cooling grid with local heating and cooling systems, where the district cooling grid serves both purposes by using its return conduit heat energy to preheat the heat pump inlet, reducing the load on both the heat pump and heat exchanger, and allowing the heat exchanger outlet to be connected to the feed conduit, thereby utilizing waste heat as valuable input energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate infrastructure for heating and cooling is used, then heating and cooling can be provided independently, but investment costs and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate heating and cooling infrastructures into a single integrated district cooling grid that serves both functions. The cooling grid's feed conduit provides cooled fluid for cooling purposes, while the return conduit provides pre-cooled fluid to heat pumps for heating purposes, eliminating the need for separate heating and cooling networks
Solution Approach 2:
The district cooling grid is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides cooling through the feed conduit to heat exchangers, and simultaneously provides pre-cooled fluid through the return conduit to heat pumps for heating purposes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized infrastructures
2Loss of energy
If waste heat energy from cooling grids is unused, then cooling function is maintained, but energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the waste heat energy in the return conduit, which would normally be discarded, into a useful resource by connecting it to heat pumps. The pre-cooled fluid from the return conduit reduces the energy consumption of heat pumps, transforming what was harmful waste into beneficial pre-conditioned input
3Use of energy by moving object
If heat pump inlet is connected to return conduit, then heat pump load is reduced, but system integration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The return conduit acts as an intermediary that transfers pre-cooled fluid from the cooling grid to the heat pump inlet. This intermediary connection enables energy recovery without requiring complex direct integration between cooling and heating systems, as the existing return conduit serves as the mediation pathway
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 integration reduces energy consumption and investment costs by utilizing waste heat energy, allowing the district cooling grid to serve dual purposes and reducing the load on both the heat pump and heat exchanger, while also enabling the use of existing infrastructure for both heating and cooling.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger having a heat exchanger inlet and a heat exchanger outlet
Implementation Method 2
absorb heat from a first building
Implementation Method 3
a heat pump having a heat pump inlet and a heat pump outlet
Implementation Method 4
heat the first or a second building
Implementation Method 5
The cooled heat transfer fluid is delivered to the buildings via one or more feed conduits and is returned to the cooling and pumping plant via one or more return conduits
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention refers to a combined cooling and heating system (100) comprising: a district cooling grid (1) having a feed conduit (5) for an incoming flow of cooling fluid having a first temperature, and a return conduit (8) for a return flow of cooling fluid having a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature; a local cooling system (300) being configured to absorb heat from a first building (2) and comprising a heat exchanger (9) having a heat exchanger inlet (14a) and a heat exchanger outlet (14b); and a local heating system (200) being configured to heat the first or a second building (2) and comprising a heat pump (10) having a heat pump inlet (15a) and a heat pump outlet (15b). The heat exchanger inlet (14a) is connected to the feed conduit (5) of the district cooling grid (1); and the heat pump inlet (15a) is connected to the return conduit (8) of the district cooling grid (1) and to the heat exchanger outlet (14b).