Ventilation Heat Pump Layout With Geothermal Boost and Summer Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating systems for buildings that do not meet the passive house standard require additional heating sources due to insufficient heat output from heat pumps using residual heat from exhaust air, and they lack efficient cooling solutions in summer.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a geothermal heat transfer medium circuit with the heat pump and ventilation system, allowing for increased heating output and effective cooling without requiring the heat pump, using a geothermal heat exchanger and a pre-heat exchanger to optimize energy efficiency and ground temperature for seasonal operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a heat pump using residual heat from exhaust air is used for heating, then energy efficiency is improved, but heating output is insufficient for buildings that do not meet passive house standard
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a geothermal heat transfer medium circuit with the existing heat pump system. The geothermal circuit provides additional heat input to the heat pump's evaporator, enabling the system to achieve sufficient heating output for non-passive houses while maintaining high energy efficiency through the utilization of renewable geothermal energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump system is designed to serve multiple functions: it can operate with exhaust air heat recovery alone (for passive houses), with geothermal energy supplementation (for non-passive houses), and provides both heating and cooling capabilities. This multi-functionality allows a single system to address diverse building requirements.
2Power
If additional heating systems are added to increase heating output, then heating capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding separate heating systems, the patent integrates the geothermal heat transfer medium circuit directly into the heat pump's evaporator system. This merging approach provides additional heating capacity while avoiding the complexity of multiple independent heating systems, as the geothermal circuit works synergistically with the existing heat pump components.
3Power
If ventilation air flow is increased to provide more heat, then heating output is improved, but cooling capability in summer is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump system is designed to operate in multiple modes: heating mode with geothermal supplementation, cooling mode using the heat pump as a heat pump (reversing the heat flow), and ventilation mode. This multi-functionality allows the system to provide sufficient heating output when needed while maintaining full cooling capability in summer, addressing diverse seasonal requirements.
4Power
If geothermal heat transfer medium circuit is integrated with heat pump, then heating output is increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The geothermal heat transfer medium circuit is merged with the heat pump's refrigerant circuit through the evaporator heat exchanger. This integration allows the geothermal energy to supplement the heat pump's heating capacity without requiring completely separate systems, thereby increasing heating output while limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
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
Enables efficient heating and cooling of buildings, increasing the heat pump's heating output and allowing for geothermal energy regeneration, while reducing energy losses and enhancing comfort by minimizing the need for additional heating systems and optimizing energy use across seasons.
Implementation Method 1
a geothermal heat exchanger (28) for a heat transfer medium circuit (27)
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator heat exchanger (15) that forms an evaporator for the refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
The refrigerant circuit of this heat pump runs through a condenser heat exchanger (17, 18, 19)
Implementation Method 4
at least one condenser heat exchanger (17, 18, 19) that forms a condenser for the refrigerant
Implementation Method 5
The supply air is routed through the other channel of this condenser heat exchanger
Implementation Method 6
an air heat exchanger (7) for transferring heat from the exhaust air to the supply air
Data Source
AI summary
An air heat-exchanger (7) transfers heat from outgoing air onto incoming fresh air. A heat pump (13) (HP) has a circuit (27) for a heat-carrier medium (HCM) fed by a circulating pump (29) through the circuit in a geothermal exchanger (28) for transferring geothermal heat onto the HCM and in a vaporizer heat-exchanger (15) in the HP for transferring heat from the HCM onto a coolant in the HP.