Local Heat Pump Assembly for Low-Temperature District Heating Grids
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing district heating systems face inefficiencies and high construction costs, making them unsuitable for low-density building areas and modern, well-insulated buildings, which require reduced heating demands.
Innovation Solution
A local energy distributing system with a central heat exchanger and local heat extracting assemblies, including a heat pump and heat exchanger, that circulates heat transfer fluid between a feed and return conduit, allowing for efficient heating and cooling by controlling the temperature and flow of heat transfer fluid, reducing the need for insulation and simplifying installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If district heating systems are used in low-density areas, then heating coverage is provided, but system efficiency deteriorates and construction costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the heating network into district heating segments connected via local energy distributing grids. Each local grid serves a specific low-density area with its own heat extracting assemblies, allowing the district heating system to cover broad areas while maintaining efficiency in each segmented local network through optimized heat extraction and circulation.
2Ease of operation
If traditional district heating systems are used, then heating is provided to buildings, but construction costs increase due to required insulation and system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the temperature parameters of the heat transfer fluid, circulating fluid at lower temperatures (10-30°C) in the local energy distributing grid. This parameter change reduces heat losses to the surrounding ground, eliminating the need for extensive insulation and simplifying construction while maintaining effective heating through the heat pump's heat extraction capability.
3Productivity
If heat transfer fluid is circulated at high temperature, then heating efficiency is improved, but heat losses to ground increase requiring more insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes the temperature parameter of the heat transfer fluid by circulating it at lower temperatures (10-30°C) through the local energy distributing grid. This parameter change reduces the temperature difference between the fluid and surrounding ground, minimizing heat losses while the heat pump maintains heating efficiency through effective heat extraction from the fluid.
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 system improves efficiency and reduces heat losses, allowing for effective heating and cooling in low-density areas and well-insulated buildings, with reduced construction complexity and energy consumption, by utilizing the ambient ground temperature to aid heat transfer.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pump configured to pump heat from the local heat transfer fluid of the local energy distributing system to a heating liquid of a heating circuit
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger configured to extract heat from local heat transfer fluid of the local feed conduit to a heating liquid of a heating circuit
Implementation Method 3
by utilizing the ambient ground temperature to aid heat transfer
Implementation Method 4
a pump configured to pump local heat transfer fluid from the local feed conduit via the heat pump and the heat exchanger to the local return conduit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A local heat extracting assembly (200) connectable to a local energy distributing grid (20) comprising a local feed conduit (22) and a local return conduit (23), wherein the local heat extracting assembly (200) comprises: a local heat pump (220) having a heat pump feed conduit (221) connectable to the local feed conduit (22) and a heat pump return conduit (222) connectable to the local return conduit (23), the local heat pump (220) being configured to pump heat from local heat transfer fluid of the local energy distributing grid (20) to a heating fluid of a heating circuit (230) configured to circulate the heating fluid in a building (40) for providing comfort heating and/or tap hot water.