District Cooling Grid Integration for Dual-Purpose 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, with waste heat energy from district cooling grids not being utilized effectively.
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 and the heat exchanger outlet, reducing the load on both systems and allowing for reduced infrastructure investments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate district heating grid and district cooling grid are implemented, then heating and cooling functions are provided independently, but infrastructure investment costs increase and energy utilization efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The district cooling grid is designed to serve dual purposes: providing cooling during summer months and providing heating during winter months. The same feed conduits and return conduits are used for both heating and cooling operations, eliminating the need for separate infrastructure and reducing overall investment costs while improving energy utilization efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The heating and cooling systems are merged into a single integrated infrastructure using the district cooling grid. The heat pump system combines both heating and cooling functionalities, with the heat pump unit serving as a central component that can operate in heating mode or cooling mode depending on seasonal requirements, thereby simplifying the overall system configuration
2Loss of energy
If waste heat from return conduit is not utilized, then system operation is simple, but energy waste increases and environmental impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The waste heat energy in the return conduit, which would normally be discarded, is converted into a useful resource by using it as the heat source for the heat pump system. This allows the system to recover and reuse thermal energy that would otherwise be lost, significantly improving overall energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact
Solution Approach 2:
A heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary component to transfer heat from the return conduit to the heat pump inlet. This heat exchanger acts as a mediator that enables thermal energy transfer between the cooling circuit and heating circuit, facilitating the utilization of waste heat without directly mixing the fluid streams
3Use of energy by moving object
If heat pump inlet temperature is low, then cooling efficiency is maintained, but heating efficiency decreases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the heat pump inlet fluid by passing it through the heat exchanger that receives thermal energy from the return conduit. This preheating action occurs before the fluid enters the heat pump, ensuring that the heat pump operates with optimized inlet temperature conditions that improve heating efficiency and reduce energy consumption
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 integrated system reduces energy consumption and investment costs by utilizing waste heat energy, lowering the load on heat pumps and heat exchangers, and allows existing district cooling grids to be used for dual purposes, enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger having a heat exchanger inlet and a heat exchanger outlet... the heat exchanger inlet is connected to the feed conduit of the district cooling grid
Implementation Method 2
a heat pump having a heat pump inlet and a heat pump outlet... the heat pump inlet is connected to the return conduit of the district cooling grid
Data Source
AI summary
A combined cooling and heating system including a district cooling grid having a feed conduit for an incoming flow of cooling fluid having a first temperature, and a return conduit for a return flow of cooling fluid having a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature; a local cooling system being configured to absorb heat from a first building and comprising a heat exchanger having a heat exchanger inlet and a heat exchanger outlet; and a local heating system being configured to heat the first or a second building and comprising a heat pump having a heat pump inlet and a heat pump outlet. The heat exchanger inlet is connected to the feed conduit of the district cooling grid; and the heat pump inlet is connected to the return conduit of the district cooling grid and to the heat exchanger outlet.