CH712934B1 - Urban heat exchange network. - Google Patents

Abstract

The urban heat exchange network (10) of the invention comprises a thermal energy production unit (14) and several thermal energy user devices (15). To increase the storage capacity of the surrounding environment in which the heat exchange network (10) is arranged, each user device (15) is associated with a circuit called the thermal energy storage circuit, consisting of a part of a go duct (18a) and a return duct (18b), substantially parallel to each other and through which a heat transfer fluid passes, and on the other hand a set of baskets (19) for storing thermal energy, coupled between said go duct (18a) and said return duct (18b). Means for storing thermal energy and, if necessary, for transferring to said user device (15) part of this energy stored in said thermal energy storage circuit comprise said baskets (19) which are arranged in cavities vertical (20), located below trenches (50) which house a thermal energy distribution loop (16) corresponding to a user device (15). In one embodiment, the baskets (19) are composed of a spiral (19a) made from a winding of a tube (19b) and have an inlet connected to the corresponding outward duct (18a) and an outlet connected to the return duct (18b) corresponding.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to an urban heat exchange network of the anergy type, comprising at least one thermal energy production unit, at least one first loop called the thermal energy supply loop, comprising a conduit arranged to convey a heat transfer fluid between a so-called hot outlet of said thermal energy production unit and a so-called cold return inlet of said thermal energy production unit, a plurality of thermal energy user devices, each of said user devices comprising a thermal energy distribution loop connected to said thermal energy supply loop, this distribution loop being equipped with a heat transfer fluid draw-off point to extract thermal energy therefrom and an injection point to re-inject said heat transfer fluid in said distribution loop, after withdrawal of thermal energy by said device used sator, said distribution loop being deposited in a trench in the surrounding land and filled with backfilling materials.

Prior technique

[0002] Urban heat exchange networks called anergy networks convey, in a circuit consisting of one or more loops, a low-temperature heat transfer liquid so that it can capture heat energy in the medium in which he is housed. Indeed, when the average temperature of the ground in which the loops which convey the heat transfer liquid are placed is higher, if only by a few degrees, than the temperature of the heat transfer liquid, the heat exchanges take place in the ground-pipe direction. and no longer in the duct-ground direction, as in conventional heat distribution circuits, in which there is a loss of heat, or a loss of energy, whereas the previous one corresponds to an energy input. Of course, the calorie extraction must be carried out via a heat pump. This observation is well known, but only anergy networks are able to solve it.

[0003] It has however been found that the natural thermal energy storage capacity was not unlimited and that the heat produced, for example in summer, by solar radiation, ran out very quickly and could not be stored for very long. . It is therefore obvious that all natural means of storing thermal energy of solar origin, available free of charge during the short summer period or natural means of storing thermal energy of industrial origin, available during off-peak consumption periods, are effective in increasing the profitability of an urban network of the anergy type, for the distribution of thermal energy.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention proposes to overcome all the drawbacks mentioned above by developing a remote heating network of the anergy type, namely, in which the heat transfer fluid is conveyed at a temperature below 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 thermal energy capture naturally available temporarily and to lengthen the period during which this thermal energy is recoverable when it is is naturally injected into the anergy network.

[0005] These objects 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 coupled to a circuit called a thermal energy storage circuit, said thermal energy storage circuit. thermal energy consisting on the one hand of an outward conduit and of a return conduit, substantially parallel to each other and traversed by a heat transfer fluid, and on the other hand of a set of thermal energy storage baskets , mounted in parallel between said outward conduit and said return conduit, said outward conduit and said return conduit comprising means for transferring to said user device thermal energy taken from said thermal energy storage circuit.

[0006] Said means for transferring to said user device thermal energy taken from said thermal energy storage circuit advantageously comprises a heat exchanger to which said outward conduit and said return conduit of said thermal energy storage circuit are coupled. , to allow circuits to be disconnected for maintenance and repairs.

Said thermal energy storage baskets each preferably comprise at least one spiral of a thermally conductive tube, said spiral being traversed by said heat transfer fluid which circulates in said outward conduit and in said return conduit.

[0008] Said thermal energy storage baskets of the same thermal energy storage circuit assigned to a user device are spaced apart by a distance substantially between 2 and 5 m, advantageously between 3 and 4 m and substantially close to 3.5 m.

[0009] Said spiral of a thermally conductive tube of each of said thermal energy storage baskets 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 coupled to at least one section of the thermal energy supply loop of said heat exchange network, and at least one energy storage circuit thermal is coupled to at least one section of a thermal energy distribution loop of said heat exchange network. Said thermal energy storage baskets are each advantageously arranged in a vertical cavity, arranged substantially in the center of said trench in which said thermal energy distribution loop is housed.

[0011]According to a variant embodiment, said thermal energy storage baskets can be housed in a substantially cylindrical compartment made of a thermally conductive material, said compartment being placed in said vertical cavity formed in the ground, below said loop thermal energy distribution.

Brief description of the drawings

The present invention and its main advantages will appear better in the description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of part of the urban heat exchange network according to the invention, illustrating in particular a thermal energy storage circuit associated with user devices, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view which illustrates thermal energy storage baskets and their connection with the user device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a trench in which is installed an anergy conduit of a thermal energy distribution loop to a user device and a thermal energy storage basket, according to the invention, and Figure 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 thermal energy storage baskets.

Best way(s) to carry out the invention

Referring to the figures, in particular Figure 1, the heat exchange network 10 comprises at least one unit 14 for producing thermal energy and at least one so-called supply loop 12 of thermal energy, comprising a conduit 11 arranged to convey a heat transfer fluid 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. Said supply loop 12 is connected to a plurality of thermal energy user devices 15, 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 to extract thermal energy and an injection point to reinject said heat transfer fluid 13 into said distribution loop, after withdrawal of thermal energy by said user device. In practice, withdrawal and reinjection are carried out via 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 a user device 15 comprises an incoming conduit 16a to said user device and an outgoing 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 arranged, each user device 15 of said plurality of user devices 15 is associated with a circuit, called an energy storage circuit. thermal energy 18, said thermal energy storage circuit 18 being constituted on the one hand by an outward conduit 18a and a return conduit 18b, substantially parallel to each other and traversed by a heat transfer fluid, and on the other hand by a set of baskets 19 for storing thermal energy, coupled between said go duct 18a and said return duct 18b. Said thermal energy storage circuit 18 comprises means for storing thermal energy and, if necessary, for transferring to said user device 15 part of this energy stored in said thermal energy storage circuit 18. These means comprise said baskets 19 which are arranged in vertical cavities 20, located below trenches 50 which house each thermal energy distribution loop 16 corresponding to a user device 15. The baskets 19 are composed of a spiral 19a made of a winding of a tube 19b and which has an inlet 19c connected to the corresponding outward conduit 18a and an outlet 19d connected to the corresponding return conduit 18b, as shown more precisely in Figure 2.

Figures 3 and 4 show sectional views, respectively transverse and longitudinal distribution loops 16 deposited in a trench 50 in the surrounding terrain. Ducts 16a and 16b of distribution loop 16 assigned to a user device are laid close to the bottom of trench 50 and are covered with at least one layer of backfilling material 51, fine such as sand, or larger , such as gravel or crushed material. The conduits 16a and 16b have the shape of a single-walled tube made of a thermally good conductive material. They convey heat transfer fluid 13 and exchange thermal energy with the surrounding materials and in particular the materials contained in the trench 50.

On the bottom of the trench 50 are also placed two conduits 18a and 18b which constitute the two branches of the thermal energy storage circuit 18 assigned to each user device 15. The baskets 19 are connected in parallel on the two conduits 18a and 18b. As shown in the longitudinal sectional view of Figure 4, the baskets 19 are spaced from one relative to the next by a relatively regular distance which is between 2 and 5m, advantageously between 3 and 4m and preferably l order of 3.5m, depending on the nature of the terrain. The gap between the baskets 19 is necessary so that a sufficient quantity of thermal energy can be effectively stored by the ground around the spiral 19a of the tube 19b. All this accumulated thermal energy can subsequently be returned by the thermal energy storage circuit 18 to the thermal energy distribution loop 16 corresponding to the user device concerned.

[0017] Various variants could be imagined by those skilled in the art, as regards the production and arrangement of the conduits which constitute the network, but they remain included in the characteristics defined by the claims.

Claims (9)

1. Urban heat exchange network (10) of the anergy type, comprising at least one unit (14) for producing thermal energy, at least one first loop called the supply loop (12) for thermal energy, comprising a conduit (11) arranged to convey a heat transfer fluid (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 thermal energy user devices (15), each of said user devices comprising a thermal energy distribution loop (16) connected to said thermal energy supply loop (12), this distribution loop (16) being equipped with a heat transfer fluid withdrawal point for extracting thermal energy therefrom and with an injection point for reinjecting said heat transfer fluid (13) into said distribution loop (16), after a withdrawal of thermal energy p ar said user device (15), said distribution loop (16) being deposited in a trench (50) made in the surrounding ground and filled with backfilling materials (51), characterized in that, each user device (15) of said plurality of user devices (15) is coupled to a circuit, called a thermal energy storage circuit (18), said thermal energy storage circuit (18) being constituted on the one hand an outward duct (18a) and a return duct (18b), substantially parallel to each other and through which a heat transfer fluid passes, and on the other hand a set of baskets (19) for storing thermal energy , mounted in parallel between said outward duct (18a) and said return duct (18b), said outward duct (18a) and said return duct (18b) comprising means for transferring thermal energy to said user device (15) taken from said thermal energy storage circuit (18). 2. Urban heat exchange network (10), according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for transferring to said user device (15) thermal energy taken from said thermal energy storage circuit (18) comprise a heat exchanger (17) to which said forward conduit (18a) and said return conduit (18b) of said thermal energy storage circuit (18) are coupled. 3. Urban heat exchange network (10), according to claim 1, characterized in that said thermal energy storage baskets (19) each comprise a spiral (19a) of a thermally conductive tube (19b), said spiral (19a) being traversed by said heat transfer fluid which circulates in said outgoing conduit (18a) and in said return conduit (18b). 4. Network (10) urban heat exchange, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said baskets (19) of thermal energy storage of the same thermal energy storage circuit (18) assigned to a user device (15), are spaced apart by a distance of between 2 and 5 m, advantageously between 3 and 4 m and close to 3.5 m. 5. Network (10) urban heat exchange, according to claim 3, characterized in that said spiral (19a) of a thermally conductive tube (19b) of each of said baskets (19) for storing thermal energy is housed in a vertical cavity (20) formed in the ground, below said distribution loop (16) of thermal energy. 6. Network (10) urban heat exchange, according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one thermal energy storage circuit (18) is coupled to at least one section of the supply loop (12 ) into thermal energy of said heat exchange network (10). 7. Network (10) urban heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one thermal energy storage circuit (18) is coupled to at least one section of a distribution loop (16) of thermal energy from said heat exchange network (10). 8. Network (10) urban heat exchange, according to claim 7, characterized in that said baskets (19) for storing thermal energy are each disposed in a vertical cavity (20) disposed substantially at the center of said trench ( 50) in which said thermal energy distribution loop (16) is housed. 9. Network (10) urban heat exchange, according to claim 8, characterized in that said baskets (19) for storing thermal energy are housed in a substantially cylindrical compartment made of a thermally conductive material, said compartment being placed in said vertical cavity (20) formed in the ground, below said distribution loop (16) of thermal energy.