District energy distributing system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional building heating and cooling systems rely on primary high-grade energy sources like electricity and fossil fuels, converting them into low-grade waste heat that is often returned to the environment, necessitating a more efficient and cost-effective solution for heating and cooling buildings and tap water.
Innovation Solution
A district energy distribution system combining a geothermal heat source with a central heat exchanger to control the temperature of a heat transfer fluid between 5-30°C, allowing for efficient energy extraction and reuse, reducing waste heat and extending the life of geothermal energy sources by using them as a storage system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional building heating and cooling systems use primary high-grade energy sources such as electricity and fossil fuels, then space heating and cooling can be provided, but high entropy waste heat is returned to the environment with energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures the waste heat that would otherwise be returned to the environment and redirects it through a heat exchanger to preheat the geothermal fluid before it enters the ground source. This converts the harmful waste heat discharge into a beneficial preheating process, reducing the temperature difference between the geothermal fluid and surrounding ground, thereby extending the operational life of the geothermal system.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the waste heat to the environment, the system recovers it by routing it through a heat exchanger that transfers thermal energy to the geothermal fluid. This recovery process reduces energy loss and maintains higher temperatures in the geothermal reservoir over time.
2Use of energy by moving object
If geothermal heat source systems operate at high temperatures, then more energy can be extracted for heating, but the geothermal energy source life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the geothermal fluid using waste heat before the fluid is injected into the ground source. This preheating action reduces the temperature drop during geothermal operation, maintaining higher average temperatures in the ground source and extending its operational life while still providing sufficient energy for heating applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the geothermal fluid by preheating it with waste heat before injection. This parameter modification ensures that the geothermal fluid maintains a higher temperature throughout its cycle, reducing the rate of temperature depletion in the ground source and extending system longevity.
3Device complexity
If waste heat is returned to the environment, then the system operates simply, but energy efficiency is reduced and environmental impact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary component between the waste heat source and the geothermal fluid. This intermediary device enables thermal energy transfer without direct mixing of fluids, adding minimal complexity while significantly improving energy efficiency by capturing waste heat and transferring it to the geothermal system.
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 system achieves higher efficiency and extended geothermal energy source life by controlling temperature and reusing thermal energy within a city, minimizing the need for primary energy sources and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
the central heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat from the incoming flow of geothermally heated water to an outgoing flow of heat transfer fluid in the district feed conduit
Implementation Method 2
a geothermal heat source system comprising a geothermal heat source and a feed conduit for a flow of geothermally heated water from the geothermal heat source
Data Source
AI summary
A district energy distributing system is disclosed. The system comprises a geothermal heat source system comprising a geothermal heat source and a feed conduit for a flow of geothermally heated water from the geothermal heat source. The system further comprises a district feed conduit, a district return conduit and a plurality of local heating systems, each having an inlet connected to the district feed conduit and an outlet connected to the district return conduit, wherein each local heating system is configured to provide hot water and/or comfort heating to a building, A central heat exchanger is connected to the feed conduit of the geothermal heat source system such that an incoming flow of geothermally heated water is provided to the central heat exchanger.