Underground heat exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional underground heat exchangers face inefficiencies in heat transfer due to temperature gradients, leading to reduced performance in both heating and cooling applications, and the insertion of inner tubes into flexible bag bodies is hindered by water pressure, requiring extensive workspace and complex installation processes.
Innovation Solution
A bottomed tubular flexible bag body made of hardening resin, accommodated in a vertical hole, with an outer tube pinched between the bag body and the hole's inner wall, forming a liquid storage tank for heat medium, and an inner tube connected to a heat absorbing and radiating tube for efficient heat transfer, utilizing a core member with high thermal conductivity to enhance heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the inner tube is inserted into the flexible bag body through the borehole, then the liquid storage tank is formed, but the insertion is hindered by water pressure and requires extensive workspace
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of inserting the inner tube into the flexible bag body through the borehole (conventional method), the patent inverts the sequence by first inserting the flexible bag body into the borehole, then inserting the inner tube into the bag body from the ground surface after the bag body is positioned. This inversion eliminates the need to push the inner tube through water-filled borehole while the bag body is being installed, thereby reducing water pressure resistance and workspace requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by first installing the flexible bag body into the borehole and filling it with heat medium liquid before inserting the inner tube. The bag body is preliminarily positioned and stabilized in the borehole, creating a ready-receiver structure for the inner tube insertion, which simplifies the subsequent installation process and reduces complexity.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the heat medium liquid flows through the inner tube to the bottom of the liquid storage tank, then heat exchange occurs, but heat transfer efficiency is reduced due to temperature gradients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different functional zones within the liquid storage tank. The upper portion of the tank serves as the primary heat exchange zone where the inner tube is immersed, while the lower portion serves as a reservoir. This spatial differentiation optimizes heat transfer efficiency by concentrating heat exchange activities in the upper region where temperature gradients are more favorable, thereby reducing energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a conventional vertical flow configuration to a configuration where the inner tube extends horizontally from the ground surface into the upper portion of the liquid storage tank. This dimensional change allows the heat medium liquid to flow horizontally through the inner tube, increasing the heat exchange surface area in contact with the liquid storage tank and improving heat transfer efficiency while reducing the impact of temperature gradients.
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 efficiency by optimizing heat transfer in both heating and cooling seasons and simplifies the installation process by allowing the bag body to envelop the outer tube, reducing the need for extensive workspace and enhancing the structural integrity of the heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
the bag body is made of a hardening resin, the outer surface portion of the bag body can cover an inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion in a closely contact state in a state in which the bag body is inflated, the bag body is structured such as to be hardened in the covering state
Implementation Method 2
heat transfer is generated in an entire circumference surface s of the inner tube e from the heat medium liquid j within the liquid storage tank n toward the heat medium liquid j within the inner tube e
Data Source
AI summary
An underground heat exchanger has a bottomed tubular flexible bag body accommodated in an accommodation hole portion in the ground, and an outer tube accommodated in the accommodation hole portion, vertically extending along an outer surface portion of the bag body and communicating in its lower end with a lower end of the bag body. The outer surface portion of the hardening resin bag body can cover an inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion in a closely contact state with the bag body being inflated. The bag body is hardened in the covering state, a lining tubular body formed by the hardening can form a liquid storage tank for storing a heat medium liquid in its internal space, and the outer tube is pinched between the outer surface portion of the bag body and the inner wall portion.