Trench-conformable geothermal heat exchange reservoirs and related methods and systems
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25B-030/06
F03G-007/00
F24J-003/08
출원번호
US-0788495
(2013-03-07)
등록번호
US-9284952
(2016-03-15)
발명자
/ 주소
Peele, Gary Scott
출원인 / 주소
Peele, Gary Scott
대리인 / 주소
Myers Bigel & Sibley, P.A.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
3인용 특허 :
25
초록▼
The disclosure describes trench-confirmable geothermal reservoirs that can snugly abut trench walls (that may be of virgin, compacted earth) for facilitating heat exchange and flow liquid from one lower end to an opposing top end, and vice versa, depending on desired heat exchange. The direction can
The disclosure describes trench-confirmable geothermal reservoirs that can snugly abut trench walls (that may be of virgin, compacted earth) for facilitating heat exchange and flow liquid from one lower end to an opposing top end, and vice versa, depending on desired heat exchange. The direction can be reversed for summer and winter heat/cooling configurations. A series of the reservoirs may be used for appropriate heat transfer. The water volume of the reservoirs is relatively large and slow moving for good earth heat conduction.
대표청구항▼
1. A geothermal heat exchanger for a ground trench, comprising: a substantially rectangular reservoir body having external flexible walls and is configured to selectively heat or cool liquid therein, depending on flow direction therethrough, the reservoir body having width, height, and length dimens
1. A geothermal heat exchanger for a ground trench, comprising: a substantially rectangular reservoir body having external flexible walls and is configured to selectively heat or cool liquid therein, depending on flow direction therethrough, the reservoir body having width, height, and length dimensions, wherein the width dimension is between 1-12 inches and the length dimension is between 10-100 feet, wherein the reservoir body has at least one inlet port on an upper end portion and at least one exit port on an opposing lower end portion that is longitudinally spaced apart from the at least one inlet port on the upper end portion in the length dimension, and wherein the reservoir body is sufficiently flexible to be rolled and/or folded for shipment; anda jig comprising an upper rigid rectangular frame with downwardly extending sidewalls enclosing an upper portion of the reservoir body and releasably attached to an upper surface of the reservoir body to suspend a major portion of the reservoir body below the rectangular frame of the jig, wherein the jig terminates at the rectangular frame and leaves the bottom of the reservoir body exposed and free. 2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the width dimension is between about 4-6 inches, and wherein the length dimension is at least two times greater than the height dimension. 3. The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising a length of pipe or conduit that extends a distance inward into the reservoir body from the inlet and exit ports, each with open free ends sized and configured to be under liquid level during operation to facilitate cross flow. 4. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the substantially rectangular reservoir body has four spaced apart external flexible side walls bounding a rectangular chamber, including (i) opposing front and back walls as long sides of the Chamber defining the length dimension of the reservoir body and (ii) opposing left and right end walls as short sides of the chamber defining the width dimension of the reservoir body, and wherein the reservoir body is configured to expand from a pre-installation shape to a liquid-filled post-installation shape and retain the filled shape during operation over successive closed loop water flow heat exchange cycles. 5. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the inlet and exit ports comprise pipe or conduit fittings that engage pipe or conduit in a closed geothermal loop that extends into a residence or building and is adapted to be in fluid communication with a water source heat pump or water-cooled condenser. 6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising at least one substantially rigid elongate external support member that is attached to the reservoir body and has increased rigidity relative to the reservoir body , wherein the at least one substantially rigid external support member comprises a vertical beam, rib or rod attached to one or both of the ends of the rectangular body and extending a distance thereabove. 7. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the reservoir body is sized and configured to reside in a horizontal trench at a depth below ground surface Of between 2-6 feet, wherein the reservoir body external flexible walls include primary front and rear walls and a bottom wall that expand outward to conform to respective sidewalls and a bottom of a trench of compacted virgin earth, and wherein the reservoir body width dimension is between about 4-6 inches, and wherein the length dimension is at least two times greater than the height dimension. 8. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the external flexible walls are defined by a thin, water-impermeable material. 9. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the width dimension is between about 4-6 inches and the height dimension is between about 2-6 feet. 10. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the width dimension is between about 4-6 inches, the height dimension is between about 2-4 feet, and the length width dimension is between about 20-30 feet. 11. The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of spaced apart internal partitions alternating to define upper and lower reduced open flow spaces along the length dimension of the reservoir body. 12. The heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising a thin, flexible external cover that holds at least a portion of the reservoir body therein, and wherein the cover abuts the flexible walls of the reservoir body and can expand outwardly in response to filling of the reservoir body. 13. A geothermal closed loop heat exchange system, comprising: at least one geothermal heat exchange reservoir having at least one inlet port and at least one exit port, residing in a horizontal trench a distance below ground surface, wherein the heat exchange reservoir has front and rear primary external flexible walls with a shape that changes from a pre-installation shape to have an expanded liquid-filled shape in the horizontal trench such that at least the front and rear primary external flexible walls expand outward to conform to respective adjacent trench walls;a heat pump or water condenser in communication with the geothermal heat exchange reservoir; anda closed loop flow path having a flow direction connecting the inlet port and the exit port of the reservoir to the heat pump or water condenser to define a closed loop geothermal heat exchange system, wherein the closed loop flow path is configured to operate in a first direction where liquid enters the inlet port and leaves through the exit port to geothermally heat liquid flowing therethrough and operate in an opposing second direction where liquid enters the exit port and leaves through the inlet port to geothermally cool liquid flowing therethrough. 14. The geothermal closed loop heat exchange system of claim 13, wherein the at least one reservoir is substantially rectangular with the front and rear primary walls configured as opposing long sides of the reservoir connected with left and right end walls configured as opposing short sides, the short sides defining a reservoir width dimension of between 1-12 inches, and wherein the inlet port and exit ports reside on opposing longitudinally spaced apart end portions of the reservoir, one at an upper portion and the other at a lower portion. 15. The geothermal heat exchange system of claim 13, wherein the at least one reservoir is a plurality of geothermal heat exchange reservoirs in fluid communication, wherein the reservoirs have upper and lower fluid ports on opposing end portions thereof as the inlet and/or exit ports, and wherein (i) for winter and/or cold weather, water serially flows in the flow path into a respective lower port of a first reservoir, then out of corresponding upper port, then into the lower port on a next reservoir and out of a corresponding upper port and (ii) for summer and/or warm weather, water serially flows in the flow path into a respective upper port of the first reservoir, then out of the lower port, then into the upper port of the next reservoir and out of the corresponding upper port. 16. The geothermal heat exchange system of claim 13, wherein the at least one reservoir has a substantially rectangular body with a width dimension that is between about 4-6 inches, and a length dimension that is between about 10-100 feet. 17. The geothermal heat exchange system of claim 13, wherein the reservoir has a liquid-filled post installation shape that is substantially rectangular with a length dimension between about 10-100 feet that is greater than a width and a height dimension and is sufficiently flexible to be able to be rolled and/or folded for shipment. 18. The geothermal heat exchange system of claim 13, wherein the inlet and exit ports comprise pipe or conduit that extends a distance into the reservoir to facilitate cross flow, and at least one support member that is attached to the reservoir to provide increased rigidity to help hold a shape for an installation, and wherein the reservoir has a length dimension that is in a range of between about 2-20 times greater than a height dimension and is sufficiently flexible to be able to be rolled and/or folded for shipment. 19. The geothermal heat exchange system of claim 13, wherein the reservoir body is substantially rectangular with a width, length and height and is sized and configured so that a top thereof resides in a horizontal trench at a depth below ground surface of between 2-6 feet, wherein the front and rear external flexible walls are formed of a thin, water-impermeable material, and wherein the width is between about 4-6inches, the height is between about 2-4 feet, and the length is between about 20-30 feet. 20. The geothermal heat exchange system of claim 13, further comprising a thin, flexible external cover that holds at least a portion of the reservoir body therein, and wherein the cover is sufficiently flexible to expand outwardly in response to the outward expansion of the reservoir flexible walls when filled with liquid. 21. The geothermal heat exchange system of claim 13, further comprising a jig comprising an upper rigid rectangular frame with downwardly extending sidewalls enclosing an upper portion of the reservoir body and releasably attached to an upper surface of the reservoir body to suspend a major portion of the reservoir body below the rectangular frame of the jig, wherein the jig terminates at the rectangular frame and leaves the bottom of the reservoir body exposed and free. 22. A method of installing a geothermal heat transfer system, comprising: placing a geothermal heat exchange reservoir with flexible or semi-flexible external walls and at least one inlet port and at least one spaced apart outlet port in a horizontal trench having a floor and upwardly extending trench walls, wherein the reservoir is sufficiently flexible to be rolled and/or folded;filling the heat exchange reservoir with liquid causing the reservoir external walls to expand outward to contact and conform to the trench walls;placing a second geothermal heat exchange reservoir with flexible or semi-flexible external walls and at least one inlet port and at least one spaced apart outlet port in a different horizontal trench having a floor and upwardly extending trench walls, wherein the second reservoir is sufficiently flexible to be rolled and/or folded prior to the placing step;filling the second heat exchange reservoir with liquid causing the reservoir external walls to expand outwardly to contact and conform to the trench walls; andconnecting a closed loop flow path from the reservoirs to a heat pump or water cooled condenser. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the reservoir is substantially rectangular and has a length that is between about 10-100 feet and a width between about 2-4 inches, and wherein the placing is carried out to position a top surface of the reservoir at between 4-6 feet sub-surface. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein the flexible external walls include longitudinally extending front and rear walls and a bottom wall, wherein the placing is carried out to place the reservoir in a compacted, virgin-earth horizontal trench that places a top surface of the reservoir between 4-6 feet sub-surface and the filling is carried out to cause the bottom wall and the front and rear flexible external walls to expand outward to be able to take on a bowed shape and conform to the virgin compacted earth Of a respective trench bottom and upwardly extending trench walls to facilitate heat transfer. 25. The method of Claim 22 wherein the reservoirs have upper and lower fluid ports on opposing end portions thereof, and wherein flow in the closed loop flow path is in a first direction in cold weather and in an opposing direction in warm weather such that (i) for winter and/or cold weather, water serially flows in the flow path into a respective lower port of a first reservoir, then out of corresponding upper port, then into the lower port on a next reservoir and out of a corresponding upper port and (ii) for summer and/or warm weather, water serially flows in the flow path into a respective upper port of the first reservoir, then out of the lower port, then into the upper port of the next reservoir and out of the corresponding upper port. 26. The method of claim 22, wherein the reservoir resides inside a flexible outer cover, the method further comprising expanding the cover outward in response to filling the reservoir and the expanding of the flexible external walls of the reservoir. 27. A method of installing a geothermal heat transfer system, comprising: placing a geothermal heat exchange reservoir with flexible or semi-flexible external walls and at least one inlet port and at least one spaced apart outlet port in a horizontal trench having a floor and upwardly extending trench walls, wherein the reservoir is sufficiently flexible to be rolled and/or folded:filling the heat exchange reservoir with liquid causing the reservoir external walls to expand outward to contact and conform to the trench walls; andreleasably attaching a jig comprising an upper rigid rectangular frame with downwardly extending sidewalls to an upper portion of the reservoir so that the upper portion of the reservoir is enclosed in the jig before the filling step, wherein the rectangular frame is only attached to an upper portion of the reservoir, suspending the lower portion of the reservoir so that a bottom of the reservoir is free and contacts virgin compacted soil of the floor of the trench during the placing step, then removing the jig from the reservoir after the filling step while leaving the filled reservoir in the trench. 28. A method of geothermal heat transfer, comprising: flowing water from a pump associated with a heat exchanger or water-cooled condenser in a closed geothermal loop in a first direction during summer and in an opposing second direction during winter so that the water flows through at least one flexible or semi-flexible geothermal heat exchanger reservoir in both the first and second directions, the reservoir having a width dimension that is between about 1-12 inches, a height dimension that is between 1-4 feet and a length dimension that is between about 10-100 feet, wherein the height dimension is greater than the width dimension and a length dimension is greater than the height dimension, wherein the reservoir resides in a horizontal compacted soil trench a distance below ground surface with primary rear and front walls that snugly contact and conform to a trench wall shape thereat, and wherein the flexible or semi-flexible reservoir is sufficiently flexible so as to be unable to hold its operative shape outside the trench without structural support. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the reservoir resides inside a thin, flexible external cover that abuts the reservoir when in the horizontal trench, and wherein, pre-installation, the external cover and the reservoir are sufficiently flexible to be rolled or folded. 30. A geothermal heat exchanger for a ground trench, comprising: a substantially rectangular reservoir body having external flexible walls and is configured to selectively heat or cool liquid therein, depending on flow direction therethrough, the reservoir body having width, height, and length dimensions, wherein the width dimension is between 1-12 inches and the length dimension is between 10-100 feet, wherein the reservoir body has at least one inlet port on an upper end portion and at least one exit port on an opposing lower end portion that is longitudinally spaced apart from the at least one inlet port on the upper end portion in the length dimension, and wherein the reservoir body is sufficiently flexible to be rolled and/or folded for shipment; anda length of pipe or conduit that extends a distance inward into the reservoir body from the inlet and exit ports, each with open free ends sized and configured to be under liquid level during operation to facilitate cross flow,wherein the pipe or conduit with the open free end at the inlet port extends straight down inside the reservoir body and the pipe or conduit with the open free end at the exit port extends straight up inside the reservoir body. 31. The geothermal heat exchange system Of claim 18, wherein during summer flow, the inlet port is positioned at a top portion Of the reservoir and the exit port is positioned at a bottom portion of the reservoir on a longitudinally spaced apart opposing end portion, and wherein the pipe or conduit at the inlet port has a lower end that extends straight down inside the reservoir to define an open free end for flowably discharging or intaking fluid, and wherein the pipe or conduit at the exit port has an upper end portion that extends straight up inside the reservoir to define an open free end for flowably discharging or intaking fluid. 32. The method of claim 28, wherein the reservoir has an external flexible bottom wall and an external flexible top wall attached to four external flexible planar upwardly extending sidewalls therebetween, wherein the sidewalls include (i) opposing first and second long walls defining the length dimension and (ii) opposing first and second short end walls defining the width dimension, and wherein the flowing water through the at least one flexible or semi-flexible geothermal heat exchange reservoir is carried out so that the reservoir has substantially laminar water flow and water in a respective reservoir is exchanged in between 30-90 minutes. 33. A method of geothermal heat transfer, comprising: flowing water from a pump associated with a heat exchanger or water-cooled condenser in a closed geothermal loop in a first direction during summer and in an opposing direction during winter so that the water flows through at least one flexible or semi-flexible reservoir with a width dimension that is between about 1-12 inches, a height dimension that is between 1-4 feet and a length dimension that is between about 10-100 feet, wherein the height dimension is greater than the width dimension and a length dimension is greater than the height dimension, wherein the reservoir resides in a horizontal compacted soil trench a distance below ground surface with primary rear and front walls that snugly contact and conform to a trench wall shape thereat, wherein the flexible or semi-flexible reservoir is sufficiently flexible so as to be unable to hold its operative shape outside the trench without structural support,wherein the reservoir resides inside a thin, flexible external cover that abuts the reservoir when in the horizontal trench, and wherein, pre-installation, the external cover and the reservoir are sufficiently flexible to be rolled or folded, and wherein the external cover is permeable and/or biodegradeable. 34. The method of claim 29, wherein a respective flexible or semi-flexible geothermal reservoir comprises at least one inlet port and at least one spaced apart exit port, each of the at least one inlet and exit ports comprising conduit fittings sealably attached thereto, and wherein the cover comprises apertures, slots, ports and/or open regions extending about the inlet and exit ports to expose at least one segment of at least one of a wall, floor or ceiling of the reservoir that allow access for plumbing connections to the inlet and outlet ports of the reservoir. 35. A geothermal closed loop heat exchange system, comprising: at least one geothermal heat exchange reservoir residing in a horizontal trench a distance below ground surface, wherein the reservoir has an external flexible bottom and an external flexible top attached to four external flexible planar upwardly extending sidewalls therebetween, wherein the sidewalls include (i) opposing first and second long walls defining a length dimension in a range of about 10-100 feet and (ii) opposing first and second short end walls defining a width dimension in a range of about 3-9 inches, wherein the reservoir comprises at least one inlet port and at least one exit port, and wherein the at least one reservoir is sufficiently flexible to be able to be rolled or folded prior to installation;a heat pump or water condenser in fluid communication with the at least one reservoir; anda closed loop flow path having reversible flow directions and connecting the inlet port and the exit port of the at least one reservoir to the heat pump or water condenser to define a closed loop geothermal heat exchange system, wherein the reversible flow directions include a heating flow direction and a cooling flow direction.
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