District Cooling Grid Heat Pump Integration for Building Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing energy demand for heating and cooling in urban areas leads to environmental and financial challenges, as existing systems inefficiently utilize energy and require significant investments.
Innovation Solution
A heating system that utilizes the waste heat from a district cooling grid by connecting a heat pump to the return conduit of the district cooling grid, allowing the heat pump to elevate the temperature of the heating fluid for building comfort and tap water heating, thereby reducing energy consumption and investment costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a district cooling grid is used to provide cooling to buildings, then cooling demand is satisfied, but waste heat in the return conduit is discarded without utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The district cooling grid system is enhanced by adding a heat pump unit that enables the return cooling fluid to be reused for heating purposes. This multi-functional approach allows the same infrastructure to serve both cooling and heating needs, converting what was previously waste heat into a useful resource for space heating and domestic hot water preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump unit captures the waste heat from the return cooling fluid and converts it into a beneficial heating source. The cooling fluid, which returns to the cooling plant after delivering cold to the building, now serves a dual purpose by providing thermal energy for heating through the heat pump, thereby transforming a waste stream into a valuable resource.
2Reliability
If separate district heating and cooling grids are implemented, then heating and cooling demands are independently satisfied, but investment costs and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the functions of separate heating and cooling grids by integrating a heat pump unit into the district cooling infrastructure. This combination allows the cooling fluid to serve dual purposes: delivering cooling to buildings and providing heating through the heat pump, thereby reducing the need for separate heating infrastructure and lowering overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The district cooling grid is transformed into a multi-functional system that can simultaneously provide cooling and heating services. The heat pump unit enables the return cooling fluid to be reused for heating, allowing a single infrastructure to meet both heating and cooling demands, thereby reducing total energy consumption and investment requirements.
3Ease of operation
If traditional separate heating and cooling systems are used, then heating and cooling can be provided independently, but overall energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines independent heating and cooling operations into an integrated framework where the heat pump unit enables heat recovery from the cooling process. The cooling system continues to operate independently to meet cooling demands, while simultaneously generating heating capacity through the heat pump, thereby improving overall energy efficiency without compromising operational independence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the waste heat from the cooling process into a beneficial heating source through the heat pump unit. The cooling fluid, after delivering cold to the building, passes through the heat pump where its thermal energy is extracted for heating purposes, thereby eliminating energy waste while maintaining independent operation of cooling and heating functions.
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 approach reduces energy consumption and investment costs by utilizing waste heat from the district cooling grid, providing an environmentally and financially sustainable solution for heating systems, and extends the life of heat pump equipment.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pump having an inlet connected to the return conduit of the district cooling grid and an outlet connected to the feed conduit of the district cooling grid
Data Source
AI summary
The invention refers to a heating system (100) comprising a district cooling grid (1) and a local heating system (200) configured to heat a building and/or to heat tap water for the building. The heating system has 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. The local heating system (200) comprises a heat pump (10) having an inlet (10a) connected to the return conduit (8) of the district cooling grid (1) and an outlet (10b) connected to the feed conduit (5) of the district cooling grid (1).