Underground heat exchange type cooling and heating system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing underground heat exchange devices for geothermal cooling and heating systems face challenges in maximizing heat exchange efficiency, ease of manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and cost due to their integral pipe design and limited length, which affects their ability to achieve sufficient heat exchange and requires replacement if defects occur.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a reverse-return type module underground heat exchange device with a supply pipe, reverse pipe, and spiral heat exchange pipe, along with an interval maintaining member, to enhance heat exchange efficiency, facilitate modular design for easier installation and maintenance, and allow partial replacement, while maintaining mechanical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If an integral pipe design is used for underground heat exchange devices, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but heat exchange efficiency is insufficient and the device cannot be easily extended or maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The underground heat exchange device is divided into multiple modular sections that can be connected in series. Each module contains inlet pipes, outlet pipes, and heat exchange pipes as separate components, allowing flexible assembly and extension while maintaining manufacturing simplicity and improving heat exchange efficiency through increased total length.
2Reliability
If the underground heat exchange device is made longer to improve heat exchange efficiency, then heat exchange performance increases, but installation difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the device into standardized modules, the system achieves extended total length for improved heat exchange efficiency while keeping each individual module manageable for installation. Modules can be assembled on-site and connected through simple coupling mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchange pipes are configured in a three-dimensional arrangement including vertical and horizontal sections, allowing the device to achieve sufficient heat exchange length without requiring excessively long horizontal installations, thereby reducing installation complexity.
3Reliability
If the underground heat exchange device is made longer to improve heat exchange efficiency, then heat exchange performance increases, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Modular segmentation enables standardized mass production of individual modules, reducing per-unit manufacturing costs. The system achieves required heat exchange efficiency through multiple standard modules rather than one custom-long device, lowering overall cost.
4Device complexity
If integral pipe design is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but maintenance and repair become difficult requiring complete replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The modular segmented design maintains overall structural simplicity while enabling individual module replacement for maintenance. When a defect occurs in one module, only that specific module needs to be excavated and replaced, not the entire device, significantly reducing maintenance costs and complexity.
5Ease of operation
If the heat exchange pipes are arranged in a simple configuration, then installation is easier, but heat exchange efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchange pipes are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration with vertical and horizontal sections, maximizing contact with surrounding soil for improved heat exchange efficiency. This spatial arrangement maintains installation feasibility by using standard burial depths and angles.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchange pipes include spiral or curved sections that increase the effective heat exchange length within a compact horizontal footprint, improving heat exchange efficiency without significantly increasing installation 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
This configuration improves heat exchange efficiency, reduces costs, and enhances the system's applicability and usability by allowing for selective extension or reduction based on environmental and capacity needs, while preventing deformation and maintaining efficiency even when buried underground.
Implementation Method 1
an underground heat exchange device which is buried under the ground to allow heat to be exchanged between a first heat medium flowing therein and the geothermal heat
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of heat pump units which allows heat to be exchanged between the first heat medium and the second heat medium to change the second heat medium to have a setting temperature for cooling or heating
Data Source
AI summary
An underground heat exchange type cooling and heating system includes an underground heat exchange device to allow heat to be exchanged between a first heat medium and a geothermal heat; a plurality of cooling and heating units which cools or heats an indoor space by means of a second heat medium; a plurality of heat pump units which allows heat to be exchanged between the first heat medium and the second heat medium; a first transfer line which transmits the first heat medium to the plurality of heat pump units and transmits the first heat medium having undergone heat exchange in the plurality of heat pump units to the underground heat exchange device; and a second transfer line which transmits the second heat medium to the plurality of cooling and heating units.