Geothermal Heat Pump Boosting for High-Temperature District Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing district heating networks rely heavily on fossil fuels for heat generation, which is environmentally unsustainable, and geothermal sources often lack sufficient temperature for winter heating demands, necessitating additional fossil fuel combustion to meet temperature requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a high-temperature heat pump connected to a geothermal source, where thermal water is preheated through a heat exchanger and then used in the evaporator, with the heat being upgraded to a higher temperature level for district heating, and optionally stored for decoupling electricity and heat demand, using environmentally friendly working fluids like fluoroketones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If geothermal sources are used to supply heat to district heating networks, then CO2 emissions are reduced and renewable energy utilization is improved, but the temperature of thermal water is insufficient for winter heating demands
Solution Approach 1:
A heat pump is introduced as an intermediary device between the geothermal source and the district heating network. The heat pump extracts thermal energy from the low-temperature thermal water (65-95°C) and upgrades it to the required temperature level (100-130°C) for district heating, thereby enabling the use of geothermal energy without sufficient temperature while maintaining CO2 reduction benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump changes the temperature parameter of the thermal water by compressing the refrigerant and transferring heat from the geothermal source to the district heating network at a higher temperature level. This parameter transformation allows the system to overcome the temperature insufficiency of geothermal sources
2Temperature
If additional firing with fossil fuels is used to increase thermal water temperature, then heating temperature requirements are met, but CO2 emissions increase and environmental sustainability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump serves as a mediator that replaces the need for additional fossil fuel firing. Instead of burning fossil fuels to raise the temperature, the heat pump uses electrical energy (preferably from renewable sources) to upgrade the temperature of geothermal thermal water, thereby meeting heating requirements without increasing CO2 emissions
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical/chemical process of fossil fuel combustion is replaced by an electro-thermal process using a heat pump. The heat pump uses electrical energy to drive a refrigeration cycle that transfers and upgrades thermal energy, substituting the harmful combustion process with a cleaner technological system
3Reliability
If electrical resistance heating is used to provide heat to district heating networks, then heat supply is ensured, but energy efficiency is very low
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump acts as an efficient intermediary that transfers thermal energy from the geothermal source to the district heating network. Instead of directly converting electrical energy to heat through resistance heating (low efficiency), the heat pump uses the refrigeration cycle to transfer and upgrade thermal energy, achieving much higher energy efficiency while ensuring reliable heat supply
4Temperature
If deep boreholes are drilled to reach higher temperature thermal water sources, then temperature requirements are met, but drilling depth and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump serves as a practical intermediary solution that avoids the need for deep borehole drilling. Instead of increasing drilling depth to access higher temperature sources, the heat pump upgrades the temperature of readily accessible thermal water (from shallower geothermal sources) to the required level, thereby reducing system complexity and drilling costs
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 provides a decarbonized heat supply, ensuring reliable and efficient heating for district heating networks using renewable energy sources, even in areas with low geothermal temperatures, by upgrading heat to suitable levels for district heating and storing excess energy for later use.
Implementation Method 1
providing and operating a heat pump, thermal interconnection of the geothermal source with the heat pump, guiding the thermal water through a heat exchanger for heat transfer to a heat transfer medium
Implementation Method 2
supplying the heated heat transport medium to the evaporator and the condenser of the heat pump, heat transfer of heat of the first temperature level from the heated heat transport medium supplied to the evaporator to the evaporator of the heat pump and providing heat at a second, higher temperature level through the condenser of the heat pump
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for providing heat (Qout) for a district heating supply (40): Heat (Qin) at a first temperature level (T41, T42) is provided by means of a thermal water conveying system (20) from a geothermal source (41). By operating a high-temperature heat pump (43) and thermally connecting same to the geothermal source (41), the thermal water can be conducted through the evaporator (431) of the high-temperature heat pump (43) and the heat (Qin) thereof can be transferred to the evaporator (431) of the high-temperature heat pump (43). The condenser (433) of the high-temperature heat pump (43) then supplies heat (Qout) at a second, higher temperature level (T43, T47) to the district heating network (40). A high-temperature compression heat pump (43) is preferably used as the high-temperature heat pump (43). The second, higher temperature level (T43, T47) achieved in this manner is above 100°C.