Thermal Server Plant Pressure-Driven Balancing for Energy Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional building heating and cooling systems rely on primary high-grade energy sources like electricity and fossil fuels, converting them into low-grade waste heat that is often returned to the environment, necessitating improvements in energy distribution and utilization within cities.
Innovation Solution
A thermal server plant is connected to a thermal energy circuit with a hot and cold conduit, featuring a balancing device with a regulator and heat exchanger that adjusts the flow of heat transfer liquid based on pressure differences between the conduits, allowing for efficient temperature regulation and energy redistribution within the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat transfer liquid flows from hot conduit to cold conduit without pressure regulation, then heat transfer occurs, but uncontrolled flow causes system instability and temperature imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure difference determining device continuously monitors the pressure difference between hot and cold conduits and provides feedback to the regulator. The regulator adjusts the flow resistance dynamically based on this feedback to maintain stable temperature difference and prevent system instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the natural pressure difference that arises from temperature differences between hot and cold conduits to drive the flow control mechanism. The pressure difference itself becomes the controlling signal that regulates further heat transfer, creating a self-regulating system.
2Reliability
If primary high-grade energy sources are used for heating and cooling, then energy supply is reliable, but energy efficiency is low due to conversion to waste heat
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures the waste heat that would normally be discarded and redirects it through the thermal energy circuit to provide useful heating or cooling. The heat exchanger in the balancing device transfers this waste heat to where it is needed, converting what was harmful (waste heat release) into a beneficial resource.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal energy circuit serves multiple functions: it distributes primary energy sources when available, recycles waste heat from various sources, and provides both heating and cooling capabilities through the same infrastructure, reducing the need for separate energy systems.
3Temperature
If waste heat is released to the environment, then heat dissipation occurs, but energy is lost and environmental impact increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of releasing waste heat to the environment where it becomes a loss, the system captures this heat through the heat exchanger and redirects it through the thermal energy circuit to provide useful heating or cooling, converting the harmful waste heat release into a beneficial energy resource.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers waste heat that would otherwise be discarded to the environment. The balancing device with heat exchanger intercepts the heat transfer liquid carrying waste heat and transfers this energy to the thermal energy circuit for reuse, preventing both energy loss and environmental heat discharge.
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 solution maintains temperature differences between hot and cold conduits, optimizing energy reuse and reducing the need for primary energy sources, thereby minimizing waste heat release and lowering the demand for fossil fuel-based grids.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger configured to alter a temperature of the heat transfer liquid flowing through the balancing device by selectively cool heat transfer liquid from the hot conduit or heat heat transfer liquid from the cold conduit
Implementation Method 2
a regulator configured to regulate a flow of heat transfer liquid between the hot and cold conduits based on the local pressure difference
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a thermal server plant (40) arranged to be connected to a thermal energy circuit (10) comprising a hot conduit (12) configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a first temperature to flow therethrough, and a cold conduit (14) configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a second temperature to flow therethrough. The thermal server plant comprises a balancing device (41) arranged to be connected to the hot conduit and to the cold conduit for selectively allowing heat transfer liquid to flow from the hot conduit, via a regulator (42) and a heat exchanger (44), into the cold conduit or allowing heat transfer liquid to flow from the cold conduit, via the regulator and the heat exchanger, into the hot conduit. The flow direction is determined by a pressure difference between the hot and cold conduits. The heat exchanger is configured to alter the temperature of the heat transfer liquid flowing through the balancing device by selectively cool heat transfer liquid from the hot conduit or heat transfer liquid from the cold conduit.