Ground Air Intake Pipe With Conductive Inserts for Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air supply systems for heat pumps face inefficiencies in heat or cold transfer from the ground to the supply air, particularly in terms of material conductivity and length, which affects heating and cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
A supply air line with a tube and heat-conducting elements that penetrate the tube wall, allowing for efficient heat or cold transfer between the outer and inner areas, enabling the use of inexpensive non-conductive materials like plastic for the tube and conductive metals for the elements, with designs that optimize heat exchange and minimize air resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the tube is made of plastic (non-conductive material), then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the heat transfer efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The supply air line combines plastic tube material with integrated metal heat-conducting elements to create a composite structure that leverages the cost advantage of plastic while compensating for its poor thermal conductivity through metal elements
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer function is segmented from the tube wall material, with dedicated heat-conducting elements (such as metal plates or ribs) integrated into the plastic tube to perform the thermal conduction function separately from the structural containment function
2Loss of energy
If heat-conducting elements are integrated into the tube, then the heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-conducting elements are merged with the tube structure during manufacturing, creating an integrated component rather than separate parts that would require assembly, thereby reducing installation complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated heat-conducting elements serve multiple functions: they conduct heat from the ground to the supply air, provide structural reinforcement to the plastic tube, and can be designed to maintain appropriate spacing between tube sections
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 configuration enhances the coefficient of performance of air heat pumps by improving heat transfer efficiency, reducing pressure loss, and allowing for shorter system lengths, thus minimizing excavation effort and fan power requirements while effectively exchanging heat with a larger area of the ground.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of heat-conducting elements 205, the heat-conducting elements 205 piercing the pipe wall 202 in order to transfer heat between the pipe outer area 204 and the pipe inner area 203
Implementation Method 2
The heat can then be conducted into the interior of the pipe via the heat-conducting elements. In the interior of the pipe, the heat can then be given off by the heat-conducting elements to the supply air
Implementation Method 3
Due to the thermally conductive elements, heat can not only be extracted from the soil directly adjacent to the pipe of the supply air line or heat can be transferred to it, but also soil that is further away from the pipe is included via the thermally conductive elements
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A system (100) is disclosed, having a building (101) and soil (102), which is arranged around the building (101), the system (100) also having a supply air line (104) for heating or cooling supply air or has an air heat pump (103) with an air supply line (104), the air supply line (104) having: a pipe (200) with a central pipe axis (201) and a pipe wall (202) which separates a pipe inner area (203) from a pipe outer area (204 ) separates, and a plurality of thermally conductive elements (205), wherein the thermally conductive elements (205) pierce the pipe wall (202) in order to conduct heat between the pipe outer area (204) and the pipe inner area (203), and the supply air line (104) through the soil (102) runs.