CH712934A2 - Urban heat exchange network. - Google Patents

Abstract

The urban heat exchange network (10) of the invention comprises a unit (14) for producing thermal energy and several user devices (15) for thermal energy. To increase the storage capacity of the surrounding environment in which the heat exchange network (10) is located, each user device (15) is associated with a circuit called a thermal energy storage circuit, consisting on the one hand of a forward duct (18a) and a return duct (18b), substantially parallel to each other and traversed by a heat transfer fluid, and secondly a set of thermal energy storage baskets (19), coupled between said forward duct (18a) and said return duct (18b). Means for storing thermal energy and, where appropriate, for transferring to said user (15) a part of this energy stored in said thermal energy storage circuit comprise said bins (19) which are arranged in cavities vertical, located below the trenches which house each distribution loop (16) of thermal energy corresponding to a user (15). In one embodiment, the bins (19) are composed of a spiral made of a winding of a tube and which has an inlet connected to the corresponding feed duct (18a) and an outlet connected to the return duct (18b) corresponding.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an urban heat exchange network of the anergy type, comprising at least one thermal energy production unit, at least a first loop called thermal energy distribution loop, comprising a duct arranged to convey a heat transfer liquid between a so-called hot output of said thermal energy production unit and a so-called cold return input of said thermal energy production unit, a plurality of thermal energy user devices, each of said devices users having a supply loop connected to said thermal energy distribution loop and equipped with a heat transfer fluid withdrawal point for extracting thermal energy and an injection point for reinjecting said heat transfer fluid into said supply loop, after a withdrawal of thermal energy by said user, said supply loop being deposited in a trench formed in the surrounding terrain and filled with backfill materials.

PRIOR ART [0002] The urban heat exchange networks called anergy networks, convey, in a circuit consisting of one or more loops, a heat-transfer liquid at low temperature so that it can capture heat energy in the medium. in which he is lodged. Indeed, when the average temperature of the soil in which are placed the loops which convey the coolant is greater, even if only a few degrees, the temperature of the heat transfer liquid, the heat exchange is in the soil-led direction and no longer in the duct-ground direction, as in conventional heat distribution circuits, in which there is a loss of heat, ie a loss of energy, while the previous corresponds to a supply of energy. Of course, the calorie intake must be done via a heat pump. This is well known, but only the anergy networks are able to solve it.

However, it was found that the natural thermal energy storage capacity was not unlimited and that the heat produced for example in summer, by solar radiation, was exhausted very quickly and could not be kept very long . It is therefore obvious that all the natural means for storing a thermal energy of solar origin, available for free during the short summer period or natural means for storing a heat energy of industrial origin, available during periods of hollow consumption, are effective in increasing the profitability of an urban network of the type anergy, distribution of thermal energy.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0004] The present invention proposes to overcome all the disadvantages mentioned above by developing a remote heating network of the anergy type, namely, in which the coolant is conveyed at a lower temperature. at the average temperature of the environment in which the conduits are arranged. The invention also proposes to increase the thermal energy storage capacity of this environment in order to extend the duration of capture of naturally available thermal energy temporarily and to lengthen the period during which this thermal energy is recoverable when it is is naturally injected into the anergy network.

These aims are achieved by the district heating network, as defined in the preamble and characterized in that each user device of said plurality of user devices is associated with a circuit called thermal energy storage circuit, said circuit of thermal storage being constituted on the one hand by a forward duct and a return duct, substantially parallel to each other and traversed by a coolant, and on the other hand by a set of thermal energy storage baskets coupled between said forward conduit and said return conduit, said forward conduit and said return conduit having means for transferring thermal energy taken from said thermal energy storage circuit to said user.

[0006] Said means for transferring to said user of the thermal energy taken from said thermal energy storage circuit advantageously comprise a heat exchanger with which said go duct and said return duct of said storage circuit are coupled. thermal energy, to enable disconnection of circuits for maintenance and repairs.

According to a preferred embodiment, said go duct and said return duct of each of the storage circuits are closed at one of their ends and connected to said heat exchanger, the connections between the two ducts being effected at through said baskets.

[0008] Said thermal energy storage bins each comprise, preferably at least one spiral of a thermally conductive tube, said spiral being traversed by said heat transfer fluid circulating in said go circuit and in said return circuit.

[0009] Said thermal energy storage bins of the same thermal energy storage circuit assigned to a user are spaced apart from one another by a distance substantially between 2 and 5 m, advantageously between 3 and 4 m, and substantially close to 3.5 m.

Said spiral of a thermally conductive tube of each of said thermal energy storage bins is advantageously housed in a vertical cavity formed in the ground, below said thermal energy distribution loop.

Preferably, at least one thermal energy storage circuit is associated with at least one portion of the supply loop of said heat exchange network, and at least one thermal energy storage circuit is associated with at least one section of a thermal energy distribution loop of said heat exchange network.

According to an alternative embodiment, said thermal energy storage bins can be housed in a substantially cylindrical passenger compartment made of a thermally conductive material, said passenger compartment being placed in said vertical cavity formed in the ground, below said loop. thermal energy distribution.

Said thermal energy storage bins are advantageously each disposed in a vertical cavity, disposed substantially in the center of said trench in which is housed said thermal energy distribution loop.

Brief Description of the Drawings [0014] The present invention and its main advantages will become more apparent in the description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic view of part of the urban heat exchange network according to the invention, illustrating in particular the thermal energy storage circuit associated with each of the user devices, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view that illustrates the thermal energy storage bins and their connection with the user device. fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a trench in which is installed an anergy duct of a thermal energy distribution loop to a user and a thermal energy storage bin, according to the invention, and FIG. 4 is a partial view in longitudinal section of a trench in which is installed an anergy conduit of a thermal energy distribution loop to a user, and storage bins of thermal energy.

BEST WAY (S) TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION [0015] Referring to the figures, in particular FIG. 1, the heat exchange network 10 comprises at least one thermal energy production unit 14 and at least one so-called supply loop 12 of thermal energy, comprising a conduit 11 arranged to convey a coolant liquid 13 between an outlet said hot said unit 14 for producing thermal energy and a so-called cold return input of said unit 14 for producing thermal energy. Said supply loop 12 is connected to a plurality of thermal energy user devices, each of said user devices comprising a thermal energy distribution loop 16 connected to said supply loop 12 and equipped with a draw-off point. heat transfer fluid for extracting thermal energy and an injection point for reinjecting said heat transfer fluid 13 into said supply loop, after a withdrawal of thermal energy by said user. In practice, the withdrawal and the reinjection are carried out by means of a heat exchanger 17, in principle a plate heat exchanger which is mounted on the distribution loop 16. Each distribution loop 16 of thermal energy corresponding to one user 15 comprises an arrival conduit 16a in said user and a starting conduit 16b. The inlet duct 16a is equipped with a heat exchanger 17. The inlet duct 16a and the outlet duct 16b are respectively connected to an inlet and an outlet of said heat exchanger 17.

In order to improve the storage capacity of the surrounding environment in which the heat exchange network 10 is located, each user device 15 of said plurality of user devices 15 is associated with a circuit called thermal energy storage circuit. 18, said thermal storage circuit 18 being constituted on the one hand by a forward duct 18a and a return duct 18b, substantially parallel to each other and traversed by a heat-transfer fluid 131, and on the other hand of a set thermal energy storage baskets 19, coupled between said forward duct 18a and said return duct 18b. Said thermal storage circuit 18 comprises means for storing thermal energy and, where appropriate, for transferring to said user 15 a part of this energy stored in said thermal energy storage circuit 18. These means comprise said bins 19 which are arranged in vertical cavities 20, located below the trenches 50 which house each distribution loop 16 of thermal energy corresponding to a user 15. The bins 19 are composed of a spiral 19a made of a winding a tube 19b and which has an inlet 19c connected to the corresponding duct 18a and an outlet 19d connected to the corresponding return duct 18b, as shown more precisely in FIG. 2.

Claims (10)

Figs. 3 and 4 show sectional views, respectively transverse and longitudinal supply loops 18 being deposited in a trench 50 formed in the surrounding terrain. The ducts 16a and 16b of the distribution loop 16 assigned to a user, are placed near the bottom of the trench 50 and covered with at least one layer of filling materials 51, thin such as sand, or more voluminous, such as gravel or crushing products. The conduits 16a and 16b have a single-walled tube shape made of a thermally good conductive material. They convey a coolant 13 and exchange heat energy with the surrounding materials and in particular the materials contained in the trench 50. [0018] On the bottom of the trench 50 are also placed two ducts 18a and 18b which constitute the two branches. of the thermal energy storage circuit 18 assigned to each user 15. The bins 19 are connected in parallel to the two ducts 18a and 18b. As shown in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 4, the baskets 19 are spaced apart from one another by a relatively regular distance which is between 2 and 5m, advantageously between 3 and 4m and preferably of the order of 3.5m, depending on the nature of the terrain. The gap between the bins 19 is necessary so that a sufficient amount of heat energy can be efficiently stored by the soil around the pipe spiral 19a 19b. All this accumulated thermal energy can subsequently be restored by the thermal energy storage circuit 18 to the thermal energy distribution circuit 16 corresponding to the user concerned. Various variants could be devised by those skilled in the art, as regards the construction and layout of the conduits that constitute the network, but they remain included in the features defined by the claims. claims 1. Urban heat exchange network of the anergy type (10), comprising at least one unit (14) for producing thermal energy, at least a first loop called thermal energy supply loop, comprising a conduit (11) arranged to convey a coolant liquid (13) between a so-called hot outlet of said thermal energy production unit (14) and a so-called cold return inlet of said thermal energy production unit (14), a plurality of devices users (15) of thermal energy, each of said user devices comprising a thermal energy distribution loop connected to said supply loop and equipped with a heat transfer fluid withdrawal point (16) for extracting energy from it and an injection point (17) for reinjecting said heat transfer fluid (13) into said supply loop, after a withdrawal of heat energy by said uti the user, said supply loop being deposited in a trench (20) formed in the surrounding terrain and filled with backfill materials, characterized in that each user device (15) of said plurality of user devices (15) is associated a circuit known as a thermal energy storage circuit (18), said thermal storage circuit (18) consisting on the one hand of a feed duct (18a) and a return duct (18b), substantially parallel to each other and traversed by a coolant (131), and on the other hand a set of thermal energy storage baskets (19), mounted in parallel between said forward conduit (18a) and said conduit said return duct (18b), said return duct (18a) and said return duct (18b) having means for transferring to said user (15) thermal energy taken from said thermal energy storage circuit (18); ). 2. Urban heat exchange network of the anergy type (10), according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for transferring to said user (15) thermal energy taken from said thermal energy storage circuit ( 18) comprise a heat exchanger (17) to which said forward duct and said return duct of said thermal energy storage circuit are coupled. 3. Anergy-type urban heat exchange network (10), according to claim 2, characterized in that said go duct (18a) and said return duct (18b) of each of the storage circuits (18) are closed at one end and connected to said heat exchanger (17). 4. Anergy exchange urban heat exchange network (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said thermal energy storage bins (19) each comprise a spiral (19a) of a tube (19b) thermally conductor, said spiral (19a) being traversed by said coolant (131) flowing in said circuit go (18a) and in said return circuit (18b). 5. Urban heat exchange network anergy type (10), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said thermal energy storage bins (19) of the same thermal energy storage circuit (18) assigned to a user (15), are spaced apart by a distance substantially between 2 and 5 m, preferably between 3 and 4 m and substantially close to 3.5 m. 6. urban heat exchange network of the type anergy (10), according to claim 1, characterized in that said spiral (19a) of a thermally conductive tube of each of said thermal energy storage bins (19) is housed in a vertical cavity formed in the ground, below said loop (16) of thermal energy distribution. 7. Urban heat exchange network of the anergy type (10), according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one thermal energy storage circuit (18) is associated with at least one section of the loop. supply (12) of said heat exchange network (10). 8. Urban heat exchange network of the anergy type (10), characterized in that at least one thermal energy storage circuit (18) is associated with at least one section of a thermal energy distribution loop (16) of said network (10) of heat exchange. 9. Urban heat exchange network of the anergy type (10), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said thermal energy storage bins (19) are housed in a substantially cylindrical passenger compartment of a thermally material conductor, said passenger compartment being placed in said vertical cavity (20) formed in the ground, below said loop (16) of thermal energy distribution. 10. Anergy-type urban heat exchange network (10), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said thermal energy storage bins (19) are each disposed in a vertical cavity, disposed substantially at center of said trench (50) in which is housed said distribution loop (16) of thermal energy.