Ground Thaw Coils Using Geothermal Preheating and Heat Pump Boost
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for thawing ground are energy-consuming, especially when thawing high water content frozen ground, and lose energy to the surroundings due to cold weather, wind, and humidity, making them inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A heating device that utilizes a geothermal heat pump and anti-freeze liquid, with a control system to selectively use low temperature heat from an energy well and high temperature heat from a heat pump, along with thaw coils and a heat exchanger, to efficiently thaw ground by optimizing heat transfer and reducing energy loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If ground placed electrical coils or geothermal heat pumps are used for thawing ground, then the ground can be thawed, but energy consumption is high due to the high melting heat of ice (80 cal/gram) and heat loss to the surroundings in cold weather
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the ground before the main thawing operation. The ground is pre-heated using stored thermal energy from the energy well, which reduces the total energy required during active thawing operations and minimizes heat loss to surroundings during critical thawing phases
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the cold surrounding environment, which normally causes heat loss, into a beneficial storage medium. The energy well stores thermal energy that would otherwise be lost to the cold surroundings, and this stored energy is then reused for pre-heating and maintenance heating, turning the harmful cold environment into a useful thermal reservoir
2Ease of manufacture
If geothermal heat pumps with anti-freeze liquid are used instead of electrical coils, then cost is reduced, but energy efficiency is still insufficient due to heat loss in cold, windy, and humid conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump system is designed to perform multiple functions: active thawing, pre-heating, and maintenance heating. The same heat pump and anti-freeze liquid circulation system are used for all these purposes, reducing overall system cost while improving energy efficiency through optimized operation in different modes
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous useful thermal action through the energy well, which stores thermal energy and provides continuous low-temperature heat for pre-heating and maintenance phases. This continuous action eliminates idle time and reduces the frequency of high-power heating cycles, thereby reducing overall energy loss
3Productivity
If high power extraction device and heat exchanger are added to the system, then thawing speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into distinct functional components: the energy well for thermal storage, the heat pump for active heating, the heat extraction device for high-power extraction, and the heat exchanger for heat transfer to the thaw coils. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies control and maintenance while achieving high thawing speed
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
The solution enables energy-efficient thawing by minimizing energy consumption and heat loss, particularly suitable for areas with mild weather conditions, where it can provide timely and cost-effective maintenance heating and rapid thawing.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pump which is adapted to take up and transfer heat from the energy well by the aid of a line from the energy well to the heat pump for transport of anti-freeze liquid
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger connected to the heat extraction device adapted to selectively transfer heat to the thaw coils by the aid of the heat extraction device
Implementation Method 3
thaw coils for thawing ground surrounding the thaw coils
Implementation Method 4
The melting heat for ice is high (80 cal/gram) and frozen ground, especially at a high water content therefore requires also much energy for thawing
Implementation Method 5
a line from the energy well to the heat pump for transport of anti-freeze liquid
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~1e
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
A heating device (1)comprising: an energy well (2), a heat pump (3) which is adapted to take up and transfer heat from the energy well (2) by the aid of a line from the energy well to the heat pump (3) for transport of anti-freeze liquid, a heat extraction device (4) connected to a heat pump (3) which selectively can be brought into a connected and a disconnected position, thaw coils (5) for thawing ground surrounding the thaw coils (5), in which the anti-freeze liquid is transportable, which thaw coils (5) selectively can be connected and disconnected to the line from the energy well to the heat pump (3),a heat exchanger (7) connected to the heat extraction device (4) adapted to selectively transfer heat to the thaw coils (5) by the aid of the heat extraction device (4),a control system (6) which is adapted for controlling the heating device (1) whereby low temperature heat from the energy well (2) alternatively high temperature heat from the heat pump (3) and the heat extraction device (4) selectively can be used for pre- heating, thawing, or maintenance heating ground surrounding the thaw coils (5).