Underground Rock Heat Storage for Building Heating and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing commercial HVAC systems are expensive, energy-intensive, and environmentally harmful, and geothermal systems are not cost-effective in varying climates due to reliance on constant thermal differentials.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a radiant heating and cooling circuit with pipes in both the building and underground rock layers, circulating a fluid to extract or deposit thermal energy from rock as a heat storage medium, allowing for efficient heating and cooling by leveraging seasonal temperature variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional HVAC systems are used for heating and cooling buildings, then heating and cooling functions are provided, but energy consumption and operational costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores thermal energy in the rock formation during periods when heating or cooling is not needed (e.g., nighttime or mild weather periods), so that the stored energy is available for later use when heating or cooling is required. This preliminary storage action reduces the need for high-energy conventional HVAC operation during peak demand periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The rock formation acts as a natural thermal battery that passively stores and releases thermal energy without requiring active mechanical systems. The earth's thermal mass naturally absorbs excess heat during cooling periods and releases stored heat during heating periods, reducing dependence on external energy sources and conventional HVAC equipment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If geothermal heating and cooling systems are used to leverage temperature differentials, then heating and cooling is provided, but the systems require heat pumps and have limited cost-effectiveness in varying climates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the heat pump component from the traditional geothermal system, using only the underground rock formation as a passive thermal storage medium. The radiant heating and cooling circuits directly exchange thermal energy with the rock without requiring mechanical heat pumping, thereby simplifying the system while maintaining climate adaptability through the rock's natural thermal properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The rock formation serves multiple functions: it acts as both a heat source during heating periods and a heat sink during cooling periods. The same underground thermal mass provides year-round thermal regulation without requiring separate systems for heating and cooling, enhancing versatility across different climate conditions.
3Use of energy by moving object
If conventional geothermal systems heat or cool air in forced air systems, then heating and cooling is provided, but the heat capacity of air is low reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a liquid-based radiant heating and cooling circuit instead of air-based forced air systems. Liquid (typically water or antifreeze solution) circulating through pipes embedded in or near the rock formation has much higher heat capacity than air, enabling more efficient thermal energy transfer between the rock and the building interior.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If commercial HVAC systems are used, then heating and cooling is provided, but greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact are significant
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the natural thermal energy stored in the earth's rock formation into a beneficial resource for building climate control. By tapping into the earth's natural thermal reservoir through radiant exchange, the system eliminates the need for fossil fuel combustion and refrigerant-based cooling, transforming a passive natural resource into an active environmental solution.
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
Reduces operational costs and environmental impact by using rock as a heat capacitor, storing excess thermal energy for later use, and reducing reliance on electricity and greenhouse gas emissions.
Implementation Method 1
circulating the fluid through the radiant heating and cooling circuit in the first direction while the ambient temperature is in a cooler ambient temperature range has the effect of heating the building and extracting thermal energy from the heat storage medium sufficient enough to substantially lower the temperature of the heat storage medium
Implementation Method 2
circulating the fluid through the radiant heating and cooling circuit in the second direction while the ambient temperature is in a warmer ambient temperature range that is higher than the cooler ambient temperature range has the effect of cooling the building and adding thermal energy to the heat storage medium sufficient enough to substantially increase the temperature of the heat storage medium
Implementation Method 3
at least one pump for circulating the fluid through the radiant heating and cooling circuit, wherein the fluid can be circulated in a first direction through the radiant heating and cooling circuit or in a second direction through the radiant heating and cooling circuit
Data Source
AI summary
A system for heating and cooling buildings using geothermal heat storage includes a heat exchange system coupled to a heat storage medium including rock. The heat exchange system comprises pipes running through boreholes in the rock. The pipes of the heat exchange system are connected to pipes used within the building for heating and cooling the building. The system stores excess heat collected during the summer in the rock and discharges heat from the rock during the winter.