CN107257874B

CN107257874B - Irrigation, drainage and/or heating system for a surface and method for heating a surface

Info

Publication number: CN107257874B
Application number: CN201580064688.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 安东尼奥·斯帕拉奇诺; 维托·拉万加
Original assignee: Wei TuoLawanjia
Current assignee: Wei TuoLawanjia
Priority date: 2014-10-03
Filing date: 2015-10-01
Publication date: 2021-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-01
Also published as: WO2016050920A1; EA201790780A1; EP3002369A1; CN107257874A; EA032278B1

Abstract

An irrigation, drainage and/or heating system for a surface, comprising: a tank (215) defined by a waterproof jacket (214) housed in a pot hole in the ground; a water grid (201) located within the tank (215) comprising at least one inlet module (202) and at least one outlet module (203); an outer water reservoir; one or more inlet (260) and outlet (261) connections connecting the water grid (201) to the outer water reservoir; and draining soil to fill the trough; wherein each of said at least two modules comprises an impermeable main pipe (204) from which a series of permeable conduits (205) emerge, wherein said conduits are located on the same horizontal plane of said main pipe. And a method for heating a surface.

Description

Irrigation, drainage and/or heating system for a surface and method for heating a surface

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for irrigation, drainage and/or heating of a surface, comprising:

-a tank (215) defined by a waterproof jacket (214) housed in an excavation (encapsidation) in the ground;

-a water grid (201) located within the tank (215) comprising at least one inlet module (202) and at least one outlet module (203);

-an outer water reservoir;

-one or more inlet (260) and outlet (261) connections connecting the water grid (201) to the outer water reservoir;

-draining soil to fill the tank;

characterized in that each of said at least two modules comprises an impermeable main pipe (204) from which emerges a series of permeable conduits (205), wherein said conduits are located on the same horizontal plane of said main pipe.

Background

There is a strong felt need to have a system for effectively heating the ground, both for sports fields and for agricultural and industrial purposes.

For example, in sports applications, such as football stadiums, snow and ice melt in an efficient manner due to the heating of the lawn playground, so that the ground is usable even during the winter season. Moreover, heating during the winter season prevents damage to the turf that is typically caused by frost formation.

Heatable football fields exist, in which the heating is based mainly on buried cables. Other buried heating installations include systems of pipes in which hot water is circulated. Again, hot water or steam heating solutions are proposed.

Systems for burying cables have the disadvantage that a large amount of higher energy must be used. This solution is therefore not very efficient from an energy point of view and it is particularly expensive.

The use of water-mediated heat admittedly allows a very flexible choice of the energy source. However, it has serious drawbacks related to the risk of leakage from the pipe and the need for challenging maintenance compared to the use of cables.

There is also a very large energy consumption due to the fact that heat does not have to be lost in the soil bottom layer, essentially due to the weight loss of rainwater. In addition, prior art systems based on a pipe in which the cable or hot water flows, can result in uneven heating of the soil, which is reflected in uneven growth of the turf, where the grass flourishes very much at the cable or pipe, and less so at other points, with a unique "wavy" growth.

In addition to the problem of being able to heat the soil uniformly by means of an energy-saving system, another problem strongly felt in the playground is related to emissions.

Us patent No. 3.908.385 discloses a system of pipes buried under a playground which is partially water permeable to facilitate drainage of natural grass playgrounds. The system comprises a water impermeable membrane on a rammed subsoil covered by a sand infill with a drainage network embedded therein and comprising a turf on top. Some of the pipes of the drainage network are fluid permeable and allow drainage by gravity. The mesh may be provided with voids to enable drainage, typically by gravity, for example during heavy rain.

WO96/25035 discloses a grid of pipes buried under a surface, wherein a series of parallel pipes are connected to a series of conduits perpendicular thereto and on top thereof, wherein the conduits are water permeable. Water from the conduit leads to a pipe which is drained by gravity or, if necessary, with the assistance of a vacuum. In one embodiment, some of the pipes have a dual function, i.e. they can be disconnected from the exhaust system and connected in a substantially closed loop, or also connected to the boiler for the permeability of the conduit, so that hot water is also introduced, which will then flow out through the exhaust system, and which will partly return to the boiler.

Again, the need for being able to irrigate the soil without wasting water is strongly felt.

Again, the need is strongly felt for a ground heating system which is efficient from an energy point of view and which allows to maximize the use of the energy produced by renewable energy sources for industrial applications.

The object of the present invention is to provide such a system which allows to have a uniformly heated surface and, in a preferred embodiment, a suitable discharge, characterized by a strong respect to the environment in terms of energy saving and containment of water consumption.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is an irrigation, drainage and/or heating system for soil, wherein said system comprises:

-a tank defined by a waterproof jacket housed in an excavation in the ground;

-a water grid, located within the tank, comprising at least one inlet module and at least one outlet module;

-an outer water reservoir;

-one or more inlet and outlet connections connecting the water grid to the outer water reservoir;

-draining soil to fill the tank;

characterized in that each of said at least two modules (two intersecting combs (comb)) comprises an impermeable main pipe to which a series of permeable conduits are connected by means of joints, wherein said conduits are approximately perpendicular to said pipes and are located on the same horizontal plane, so as to form a comb, wherein said at least two modules fitted to create said water grid are parallel and opposite, i.e. the main pipes are mutually parallel, and the conduits of the inlet module are inserted in the spaces available between the conduits of the outlet module. Thus, in the system of the invention, each module may be represented as a comb, wherein the conduits represent the teeth thereof and the main conduit represents the base. The at least two modules forming the water grid of the present invention, the comb entry module, and the comb exit module are positioned such that the teeth of the comb entry module are inserted into the teeth of the comb exit module flanked by them. In said at least two modules, said duct of a module extends all the way to the main duct of the opposite module.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description and the following drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows a horizontal cross section of a water grid;

FIG. 2 shows a vertical section of soil in which the water grid of the present invention has been positioned;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the outer water reservoir;

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the outer water reservoir;

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of an irrigation, drainage and heating system according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

The irrigation, drainage and/or heating system of the present invention comprises:

-a tank defined by a waterproof jacket housed in an excavation in the ground;

-an outer water reservoir;

-draining soil to fill the tank;

characterized in that each of said at least two modules (two intersecting combs) comprises an impermeable main pipe to which a series of permeable conduits are connected by means of joints, wherein said conduits are approximately perpendicular to said pipes and are located on the same horizontal plane so as to form combs, wherein said at least two modules fitted to create said water grid are parallel and opposite, i.e. the main pipes are mutually parallel, and the conduits of the inlet module are inserted in the spaces available between the conduits of the outlet module.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a horizontal cross section of a water grid 1 consisting of two modules, an inlet module 2 and an outlet module 3. Each of said

modules

2 and 3 comprises a main pipe 4 to which a series of conduits 5 are connected by means of joints 6, wherein said conduits 5 are approximately perpendicular to said main pipe 4 and are located on the same horizontal plane. The conduits 5 are staggered along the length of the main conduit 4. The main conduit 4 is watertight. The conduit 5 is water permeable. The modules assembled to create the water grid are located on a single horizontal plane and they are parallel and opposite to each other. I.e. the modules are positioned so that the main conduits 4 are mutually parallel and the ducts 5 of the inlet module 2 are inserted in the space available between the ducts 5 of the outlet module 3. I.e. the inlet 2 and outlet 3 modules are positioned such that the teeth of the comb (of which the comb represents a module) are interleaved with the teeth of the comb to which it is flanked.

The main conduit 4 has an open end 7 and an opposite end 8 is closed. Once fitted in the water grid, the open end 7 of the main pipe 4 of the inlet module 2 is in a position diametrically opposite the open end 7 of the main pipe 4 of the outlet module 3.

In the

water grid

1, 201 of the invention, the

duct

5, 205 does not intersect

other ducts

5, 205 emerging from the same

main duct

4, 204, nor does it intersect a

duct

5, 205 emerging from a

main duct

4, 204 belonging to another module. The pipe 5 is connected to the main pipe 4 by a joint 6 and does not intersect the same main pipe 4 or other main pipes 4 at other points.

Said main conduit 4 is preferably made of PVC or the like and has a diameter suitable for the extension of the ground to be heated and a length preferably adapted to the entire length or the entire width of the ground on which the system is mounted.

Said ducts 5 are preferably made of PVC or the like and they have a diameter and a permeability suitable for the dimensions of the ground to be conditioned.

By way of example (wherein the soil on which the system is mounted has the dimensions of a football pitch), said main conduit 4 has a length covering the ground over its entire length, of about 100m, and has a diameter in the range between 150mm and 250mm, preferably of about 200 mm. The conduit 5 has a length of about 60m and a diameter in the range between 60mm and 100mm, preferably about 80 mm. When the area to be covered is an area of a football pitch, it is preferred that the grid is formed by a single inlet module and a single outlet module as described above. In this embodiment, each of said main ducts 4 has a duct 5 emerging preferably at a distance of about 10 meters from each other, so that in the two modules of the comb (the inlet module, and the outlet module, which are mutually opposite areas), the duct of the inlet module 2 is located at a distance of about 5 meters from the duct of the outlet module 3.

In fig. 2, a vertical section of the ground is shown, wherein the finding of the present invention has been proposed. A tank 215 containing a water grid 201 (which includes at least one inlet module 202 and at least one outlet module 203) is housed in an excavation in the ground and is defined by a waterproof jacket 214 covering the bottom and side walls of the excavation. The pot hole (and thus the tank 215) has dimensions suitable for the hot regime and the irrigation regime to be achieved. In particular, said grooves 215 have a surface size equal to the surface area in which the object of the invention is to be achieved, and a depth 211 ranging between 30cm and 150cm, preferably between 50cm and 80 cm.

The waterproof jacket 214 is preferably made of PVC, polyethylene, or the like.

The drainage soil is preferably composed of gravel. In the tank 215, the formation conditions of the soil under standard operating conditions are as follows: a gravel layer 218 immersed in water, and a dry gravel layer 219, wherein the dry gravel layer 219 is arranged on top of the gravel layer 218 and the water level filling the tank 215 up to an overflow plane 213, which overflow plane 213 substantially separates the gravel layer 218 from the dry gravel layer 219, keeping the water level in the tank within the overflow plane, thereby keeping the dry gravel layer 219 dry. The water grid 201 is located within the gravel layer 218.

In a preferred embodiment, there is a sand layer 216 on the bottom of the trough 215, below the gravel layer 218, and the water grid 201 is located on top of the sand layer 216. Optionally, a fabric 217, preferably a nonwoven, is present between the sand layer 216 and the water grid 201. When present, the sand 216 and/or the fabric 217 perform the function of: preventing possible edges of sharp stones that may be present in the gravel layer 218 from damaging the jacket 214 on the bottom of the trough 215 when reaching the jacket.

More preferably, the clay lumps and/or clay soil are in direct contact with said jacket 214 on the bottom of the trough 215. When present, the clay lumps and/or clay soil act as a natural waterproof material at the bottom of the trough 215, optimizing the water barrier of the trough 215. The water lattice 201 in the tank 215 is buried in a gravel layer 218, wherein gravel occupies the space left by the modules making up said water lattice 201. Preferably, the grit has a size of from 10mm to 50 mm. Under standard operating conditions, the gravel layer 218 (and thus the water grid 201), and when present, the sand layer 216, is completely immersed in water.

In the embodiment of fig. 2, there is a layer of culture soil 220 on top of the dry gravel layer 219. Preferably, the dry gravel layer 219 and the culture soil layer 220 are separated from each other by a cloth 221. In the embodiment illustrated in fig. 2, lawn 273 is located on top of the layer of cultivation soil 220. When present, the fabric 221, located between the dry gravel layer 218 and the culture soil layer 220, performs the function of: the roots are prevented from passing from the culture soil to the lower gravel layer to exclude the roots from extending up to the overflow plane 213, thereby excluding the same roots from being immersed in water.

On the side walls of the tank 215, at a plane called the overflow plane 213 of the tank 215, there is at least one outlet 221 of at least one overflow duct 222.

Furthermore, on the same side wall, there is an outlet 259 of at least one inlet duct 260 and an outlet 262 of at least one outlet duct 261, wherein said inlet duct 260 consists of at least one pipe inserted on the opening 207 of the main duct 204 of the inlet module 202 and said outlet duct 261 consists of at least one pipe inserted on the opening 207 of the main duct 204 of the outlet module 203. The inlet and outlet conduits connect the water grid to the outer water reservoir. The

outlets

221, 259 and 262 on the side walls do not change the impermeability of the tank and are suitably sealed to allow passage of the duct exclusively.

When present, the sand layer 216 has a thickness of about 20cm, preferably about 10cm, preferably about 5 cm. The gravel layer 218 has a thickness 270 in the range between 10cm and 50cm, preferably about 30 cm. The dry gravel layer 219 has a thickness 271 in the range of between 1cm and 20cm, preferably between 5cm and 15cm, even more preferably about 10 cm. When present, the layer of culture soil 220 has a variable thickness of up to 30cm, preferably about 20 cm. The overflow plane 213 is located on top of the gravel layer 218 within the thickness 271 occupied by the dry gravel layer 218.

In the system of the invention, the water grid is in an aqueous connection (hydraulic connection) with the outer water reservoir. The outer water reservoir (forming an almost closed culture water path with the water grid and the discharge soil, as best described below) is a water reservoir adapted to heat the culture water. Preferably, the external water reservoir heats the culture water by means of a coil (coil) running through it, wherein technical hot water (technical hot water) from a thermal power plant is circulated in the coil. In a preferred embodiment, the

outer water reservoirs

380 and 480 are represented in front and top views in fig. 3 and 4, respectively. The

outer water reservoirs

380 and 480 are water reservoirs preferably in the form of parallelepipeds. The reservoir comprises a

housing

385, 485 containing a

structure

386, 486 therein, which follows the lateral contour thereof, creating a

hollow space

381, 481 between the side walls of the

housing

385, 485 and the walls of the

structure

386, 486. The structure 386 is open on the bottom, so that the

hollow space

381, 481 communicates directly with the inner volume of the housing. The

coil

382, 482 is contained in said

hollow space

381, 481. Hot water circulates in said

coils

382, 482, this water being called technical hot water, provided by the thermal power plant, wherein an inlet pipe 390 opens into the coils and an outlet pipe 391 returns the technical water to said thermal power plant. At least one

outlet conduit

361, 461 from at least one outlet module 205 of the water grid 201 reaches the

hollow space

381, 481; the at least one

outlet conduit

361, 461 ends with an open end in the

hollow space

381, 481, optionally controlled by a valve. This allows water, called culture water, to converge from a water grid arranged in a trough within said

hollow space

381, 481. A

pump

383, 483 is located on the bottom of the housing 385, connected to at least one

inlet conduit

360, 460 exiting the outer water reservoir to connect to the open end 7, 207 of the at least one

inlet module

2, 202 in the

water grid

1, 201. The culture water in contact with the

coils

382, 482 becomes hot and is inserted into the inlet module of the water grid through the

inlet conduits

360, 460 with the aid of the

pumps

383, 483.

At a greater depth than the bottom of the tank of the invention, said outer water reservoir is located in the vicinity of the soil in which the system of the invention is located, so that the culture water collected by the outlet conduit converges in said outer water reservoir by natural fall.

Preferably, the thermal power plant is supplied by a renewable energy source. In an alternative and/or additional embodiment, the technical hot water comes from a boiler.

Preferably, the coil receives technical water from the thermal power plant at a temperature in the range between 20 ℃ and 50 ℃, preferably between 30 ℃ and 45 ℃, even more preferably about 35 ℃.

The culture water leaves the outer water reservoir and enters the water grid at a temperature in the range between 5 ℃ and 40 ℃, preferably between 10 ℃ and 25 ℃, even more preferably about 15 ℃.

The outer water reservoir receives culture water and returns it to the water grid, which in one embodiment may also be used to irrigate culture soil disposed on top of the tank. To this end, in order to allow fine control of the culture conditions, the external water reservoir will contain suitable probes to monitor the pH and concentration of the components of interest. When the need arises, compost and/or fertiliser may be added in the outer water reservoir in appropriate amounts for their subsequent insertion into the soil.

Operating scheme

The culture water of the present invention moves in a substantially closed loop. The circulation loop of the culture water in the system of the present invention is schematically illustrated in fig. 5.

The outer culture water reservoir 501 supplies water into the water grid through a conduit inserted into the open end of the main conduit contained in one or more inlet modules 502 present in the water grid. From the one or more inlet modules 502, the water is passed to the surrounding soil 504, the passage being regulated by permeable conduits present in the inlet modules. In the system of the invention, it can be simply considered that all the water present in the soil 504 re-enters the circulation via the permeable conduits of the outlet module or modules 503 contained in said water grid. Only a normally negligible portion of the culture water is lost by evaporation in the atmosphere 505, through the surface of the tank. The outlet module 503, which returns the water to the outer water reservoir 501, which reintroduces the same water into the inlet module 502, is subjected to the same preheating.

Soil 504 not only releases water to atmosphere 505, but also receives water from atmosphere 505, such as during rainfall. When the exchange of soil water 504 towards the atmosphere 505 is unbalanced and there is an excess of water in the soil 504, the excess water enters the water reservoir 506 via the overflow conduit. The water contained in the reservoir 506 is stored and remains available for future use, e.g. restoring the level of culture water in the outer reservoir 501 when an imbalance to the opposite direction will occur. When the present solution is directed to sports or agricultural cultivation soils requiring irrigation, the water used for irrigation is withdrawn from the same outer cultivation water reservoir, which will re-enter the system once it reaches the soil 504 and thus the outlet module 503.

As indicated in the solution of figure 5 and in the description of the previous paragraph, the culture water of the solution of the invention is characterized in that it is contained in a substantially closed circuit, wherein said water passes from the outer water reservoir to the tank and back to the outer water reservoir to be recirculated again. The outward opening of the system is provided by the trough surface and the overflow opening present in the trough regulates possible excess water in the system.

With reference to fig. 2 and 4, culture water passing from the permeable conduit of the at least one inlet module 202 to the gravel layer 218 fills the trough 215 up to the level of the overflow opening 213, thereby covering the gravel layer 218. The culture water present in the tank and continuously introduced therein through said at least one inlet module 202 will pass through the passage of the permeable conduit of the outlet module 203 as its preferred and only outlet path, through which it enters the conduit 261 and is conveyed into the thickness 481 of the outer water reservoir 480 to be heated. A pump 483 returns water from the outer reservoir to the tank via

conduits

460, 260. The

outer water reservoirs

380, 480 are located at a greater depth of the soil than the bottom of the trough 215 so that water returning to the outer reservoirs through the conduit 261 returns thereto by means of the principle of a communicating vessel. The solution of the invention, which proposes the arrangement of at least two modules (an inlet module and an outlet module) to obtain at least two intersecting comb-like water grids, wherein said modules are immersed in the draining soil, allows the water admitted through the inlet module to converge in the outlet module, filling the tank with water up to the level of the overflow opening. This may be achieved by the particular construction and arrangement of the modules and the stratigraphic conditions of the soil in the tank as proposed in the present invention. From an energy point of view, the water is selected to enter the path of the system having the characteristics described, once it has spread in the tank and has penetrated the gravel layer, leading to the permeable duct of the outlet module. This occurs because the features make the path energetically favorable compared to a dry gravel layer that has to rise to the top. Due to the optimization of the water grid and the conditions of the strata used, the culture water follows a set path that makes it uniformly distributed in the tank, coming from the conduit of the inlet module and directed towards the conduit of the outlet module. The solution of the invention therefore surprisingly allows to make the cell have a uniform temperature in every point thereof. This uniformity is advantageously obtained when a water grid consisting of only one inlet module and only one outlet module with suitable dimensions subtends the entire area to be treated. The trough at uniform temperature transfers heat to the dry gravel layer on top of the water soaked gravel layer. Heat is transferred through the dry gravel layer by conduction and by the action of water vapor generated by water present in the trough. The system of the invention allows the culture soil to be located on a tank insulated from the surrounding rammed subsoil water, wherein said tank is filled with submerged drainage material up to a level known as the overflow level, at a controlled and uniform temperature in the water.

The level of water at a uniform temperature under the cultivation soil ensures that the heat is spread evenly to the same soil. Moreover, the culture soil will have a very good drainage capacity, which is entirely due to the fact that the water level is always controlled by said overflow openings, which do not allow water to reach an excessive and undesired level below the culture soil. The solution of the invention allows a complete and precise control of the level of culture water present in the tank. In a preferred embodiment said system without any energy consuming overflow openings, which normally operate on the principle of a communicating vessel, will be able to be connected to the system of pumps to ensure that a proper level is maintained in the tank, for example also during heavy rain. Moreover, the presence of a tank containing water under the culture soil ensures a continuous and optimal humidification of the soil.

The system of the invention allows to manage both the discharge and the heating of the soil simultaneously through a single water grid, without requiring dedicated pipes for one or the other function, or without requiring valves separating the water grids, when appropriate, so that they are used alternately for the discharge or heating function.

The system of the invention ensures containment of water consumption, since the water grid and the outer water reservoir constitute a substantially closed circuit.

Moreover, the system of irrigation, discharge and heating of the invention allows the optimal use of renewable energy sources. In fact, the temperature of the soil is provided not only by water, but also by water that is not very hot. In fact, compared to the solutions of the prior art, in which hot water is circulated in a coil arranged below the ground, the solution described herein surprisingly allows to use water at a lower temperature than necessary in the coil while keeping the desired temperature at the surface constant. The distribution of water at a uniform temperature and the formation conditions of the soil present in the tank of the present invention allow to obtain a uniform heating of the surface with water at a lower temperature than the temperatures used in the prior art.

This aspect ensures maximum availability of renewable energy sources when applied to devices, in particular solar energy sources.

In a preferred embodiment, the technical water present in the coil, which extends within the thickness of the external water source, is provided by a heat pump at a suitable temperature. Such a heat pump will maximize the use of hot water, for example obtained by solar panels or thermal insulation coatings, as described below. In another embodiment, the hot water produced by the renewable energy source will be able to be stored in a hot well (thermal well) for maximum production time, as described below, for subsequent delivery to a heat pump, for example during the night.

Thermal insulation coating: one or more layers of raised sheaths of suitable thickness are applied on the external walls of the building, wherein at least the first layer has a projection facing the wall to be protected. A ventilation grid is arranged which puts the air gap between the wall and the sheath in communication with the outside air and performs the function of leveling the internal pressure with the atmospheric pressure. Thus, by means of a suitable number of couplers, a plate with a saw-tooth profile is applied, for example a corrugated aluminium plate, with the back of the Greek fret (Greek fret) facing the sheath, and with the Greek fret arranged in the horizontal direction, to create a horizontal channel that prevents the vertical movement (upward flow) of the air contained therein. The conduit containing the heat-carrying fluid is placed in a greek fret, ideally a coil extending through all or a portion of the wall coated by the thermal coating. Subsequently, a thermowelded mesh is applied, shaped according to the necessary thickness, with a suitable number of coupling points, optionally in various applications, with an adhesive function of continuous inert-based plaster (mainly based on sand and concrete, with high thermal conductivity) for a layer of a few centimeters. The desired finishing, application color and coating with appropriate thermal properties then continues. On a surface of a suitable height for satisfying the requirements, a possible application of the cellular translucent support will enhance the absorption function. Proper sizing and finishing of the outer layer will promote sound insulation.

For a detailed description of thermal coating, reference is made to WO 2010/143161.

By applying a thermal barrier coating to the system of the present invention, the heat-carrying fluid circulating in the thermal coating comprises all or a portion of the technical water circulating in the coil present in the culture water source. In one embodiment, a pipe containing a thermal barrier coating carrying a hot fluid (which is heated by sunlight incident on the surface of the thermal barrier coating) is in communication with a hot well, for example by directly infiltrating the fluid into the hot well; alternatively, it is introduced directly into the coil of water that heats the culture water supply.

A hot well is a container of inert material for crushing into suitable size, variable volume and geometry, capable of performing the function of energy storage and/or energy exchange due to a preset surface/volume ratio. Such inert material may be, for example, water soaked gravel or stone, typically a locally inexpensive material, which due to its physicochemical properties gives the assembly a heat capacity substantially equal to that of water, about half the specific heat compared to water, but about twice the density. Another important property of these materials is that they have a higher thermal conductivity, preferably about twice as high or even higher, compared to the thermal conductivity of water.

By way of example, the hot well is a concrete casing, for example consisting of a set of vibrating concrete rings, which are made impermeable and sealed, hermetically closed on the bottom and on the lid. The inclusion of a piece of inert material of variable dimensions (for example 20-30mm) in the casing has a high heat capacity that makes this material preferable for water due to its higher static property advantage and thermal excursion and good thermal conductivity to maximize the conduction of heat outwards through the thermal bridge made of the concrete of the casing and the inert material contained therein, which extends the thermal properties to the surrounding mass.

The heat exchange occurs by water penetrating into the inert substance, preferably withdrawing and releasing the heat-carrying liquid in diametrically opposite points, or creating a tortuous path of the heat-carrying liquid through the inert substance, and the homogenization chamber is preferably arranged by means of placing an inert substance or spacer of larger dimensions, such as for example a formwork for an underground ventilation chamber, in the lower or upper part.

It is important that both the dip pipe and the discharge pipe are submerged below the water level in the hot well to keep the loop closed, thereby reducing or even eliminating the power required by the recirculating pump. The circuit is thus a communicator, not generally using conventional hydraulic techniques for stuffing the recirculation pump with thin mud.

By virtue of the nature of the inert substances involved and of the concrete involved, the manufactured article provides a very good thermal excursion, capable of operating without problems between-50 ℃ and 250 ℃, with the extreme temperatures being limited mainly by the possibility of lowering the freezing limit or raising the boiling point of the heat-carrying fluid by using suitable insulating substances.

The manufactured article has a value of about 1.14 kWh/(m)³Heat capacity of K). Thus, considering a temperature increase of 5 ℃, the system of the invention provides about 5.7kW/m³The theoretical power of (2).

For a detailed description of the thermal wells, reference is made to WO 2011/143161.

One or more renewable heat sources are associated with the thermal well.

In one embodiment of the system of the present invention, one or more thermal barrier coatings and/or one or more solar panels, and optionally thermal wells, are associated with the system. A heat carrying fluid (also called technical water) heated by a renewable energy source will optionally flow into the hot well to keep the temperature level of the water as high as possible. The heat pump directs the technical water to the desired temperature for introduction into the coil present in the culture water supply.

Another aspect of the invention is a method for heating an agricultural and/or industrial and/or sports surface comprising:

-arranging a pot hole in the ground;

-coating the pot with a waterproof jacket to create a trough, arranging overflow openings on the side walls of the trough;

-positioning a water grid comprising at least two modules (an inlet module and an outlet module) within the tank in a lower position with respect to the overflow opening, wherein each module comprises an impermeable main pipe from which a series of permeable conduits, located on the same plane of the main pipe, diverge;

-filling the tank with a draining soil;

-optionally pouring concrete on top of said drainage soil.

The system of the invention is an economical and ecological solution, easy to implement and requiring little maintenance, allowing to respond effectively to three key requirements by a single intervention and a single water grid: irrigation, discharge and heating of the culture soil. The system of the present invention is quick and inexpensive to install, requiring only shallow potholes. The use of evenly distributed water in the tank ensures even heating of the soil, preventing wave growth observed by conventional heating systems with cables or pipes. Moreover, the presence of the slots (where the slots are suitably insulated) prevents heat from leaking outside the strictly necessary areas.

Furthermore, the presence of grit at a higher level with respect to the level at which the overflow opening is located ensures that most of the grit will be dry. This dry grit, by warming up due to the hot water below, will act as a heat sink further optimizing the heating efficiency of the system.

These modules, since they also comprise a water permeable part, are easy to manage and require little maintenance, any leaks, when they should also occur, do not in fact cause any problems in the system as a whole.

In addition to the benefits already mentioned in the previous paragraphs of the present description, the placement of the modules comprising a main duct and ducts arranged in a comb provides the following benefits compared to solutions using permeable ducts described in the prior art:

the main conduit and the duct are arranged on the same plane to facilitate installation;

they do not present the problem of soil settling during the placing step: the bottom of the tank is very flat and once the modules have been arranged and the formation conditions drained, it is possible to set the strength of the material used by sinking the surface by using rollers or the like. Moreover, no further sinking problems occur with the passage of time;

there is no need to place reinforcing plates at the level of the joint, since the joints located between sand and gravel take advantage of the damping effect of the material surrounding them, thus enabling the well to withstand stresses;

the water in the tank filled with the draining material, together with the control system of the same level obtained through the overflow opening, further ensures a very good drainage capacity for the soil, in addition to ensuring its constant humidity. In special climatic conditions, in which the level in the tank drops too much, there is always provided the possibility of restoring this level by entering a water reservoir arranged in the vicinity of the device.

In one embodiment, rainwater collected from the eaves of the surrounding building will also be able to be incorporated into the water reservoir.

The system of the invention is in fact a closed system in which the transfer of water to the atmosphere occurs only by evaporation. The closed system prevents products, such as compost or fertilizers used on the soil and that may otherwise contaminate groundwater, from dispersing into the surrounding environment, such as by spillage.

The system of the present invention lends itself to a variety of applications. In particular, a first application is in sports fields. For these applications, such as, for example, football fields, grass tennis courts, turf seeds are sown on top of a layer of gravel and of culture soil, or alternatively turf or also artificial turf is arranged suitable for the seeds on which the turf is subsequently sown.

In these applications, suitable thermal barrier coatings and/or solar panels would be able to be applied to adjacent structures (e.g., dressing rooms or fitness rooms) to maximize the energy efficiency of the apparatus.

Another application is for cultivating soil. The invention allows a fine control of the water demand of a specific crop and, by virtue of the possibility of heating the soil, it also allows cultivation in climatic areas that would be unfavourable for certain crops at over-season or without the solution of the invention.

The solution of the invention, which is an almost closed system from an aquatic point of view, allows to monitor and continuously adjust the nutrient-fertilizer needed for a specific crop.

Conveniently, for surfaces to be drained, irrigated and heated by the system of the invention, a cover (cover) will be able to be associated, for example, with a football for sports fields, or with a greenhouse, to maintain a certain degree of heating and, when desired, also in the environment, as it will be seen below.

Moreover, the present invention is suitable for industrial applications. In this embodiment, the dry gravel layer is the outermost layer. A greenhouse will for example be able to be built above this soil. The surface of the dry gravel layer will be a walkable surface on which a table holding the pots of plants thereon will be able to be placed at a suitable distance. This embodiment allows to keep the environment at a higher temperature than the outside during cold seasons, due to the heat emitted from the subsoil and the covering, with very low energy consumption. Furthermore, the evaporation of water through the dry gravel layer will also ensure a certain degree of humidity in the greenhouse.

Furthermore, in view of the very high capacity for a surface of square meters below which the system of the invention has been implemented, another embodiment provides a gravel layer having a thickness below 10cm (e.g. 2-4cm) over which the reinforced concrete will be poured. The surface will form the floor of an industrial warehouse, with very favourable energy costs for heating, and it may also depend exclusively on renewable energy sources. In fact, a normal radiant heating floor normally works at temperatures in the range between 28 ℃ and 32 ℃, while with the solution of the invention it is possible to achieve the same result by working at temperatures in the range between 22 ℃ and 26 ℃. The presence of the reinforced concrete covering prevents the water from evaporating, thus avoiding the formation of humidity in the environment, which is undesirable in this particular case.

Claims

1. An irrigation, drainage and/or heating system for a surface, comprising:

-a tank (215) defined by a waterproof jacket (214) housed in a pot hole in the ground;

-a water grid (1, 201) located within the tank (215) comprising at least one inlet module (2, 202, 502) and at least one outlet module (3, 203, 503);

-an outer water reservoir (380, 480, 501) supplying water into the water grid via the at least one inlet module and the at least one outlet module returning water to the outer water reservoir;

-one or more inlet connections (260) and one or more outlet connections (261) connecting the water grid (1, 201) to the outer water reservoir (380, 480, 501);

-draining soil to fill the tank;

characterized in that each of said at least one inlet module and said at least one outlet module comprises an impermeable main pipe (4, 204) from which emerges a series of permeable conduits (5, 205), wherein said conduits are located on the same horizontal plane of said main pipe, wherein said main pipes of said at least one inlet module (2, 202) and said at least one outlet module (3, 203) fitted to produce said water grid (1, 201) are parallel and mutually opposite: the main pipes (4, 204) have open ends (7) and opposite ends (8) are closed, and the main pipes are arranged in parallel to each other in the water grid (1, 201) with the open ends (7) in diagonally opposite positions of the water grid, and the conduits (5, 205) emerging from the at least one inlet module (2, 202) are located in the available space between the conduits (5, 205) emerging from the at least one outlet module (3, 203).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one inlet module (202) and said at least one outlet module (203) fitted to produce said water grid (201) are located on a single horizontal plane, and said ducts (205) are substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to said main duct (204).

3. System according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein on the side wall of the tank (215) there is at least one outlet (221) of at least one overflow duct (222) at the level of an overflow plane (213).

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the drainage soil is gravel, wherein the following formation conditions are observed in the soil: water leaching a gravel layer (218), wherein the water is called culture water; and a dry gravel layer (219) on top of the water soaked gravel layer (218), wherein the water grid (201) is contained in the water soaked gravel layer (218) immersed in culture water, and the overflow plane (213) separates the water soaked gravel layer (218) from the dry gravel layer (219).

5. System according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the draining soil has the following ground conditions, from bottom up respectively:

-a gravel layer (218);

-drying a gravel layer (219);

-a culture soil (220).

6. The system according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the at least one inlet module (2, 202) and the at least one outlet module (3, 203) are made of PVC and the main pipe (4, 204) has a diameter in the range between 150mm and 250mm and the conduit (5, 205) has a diameter in the range between 60mm and 100 mm.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the outer water reservoir (380, 480) is a water reservoir comprising a housing (385) containing a structure (386) therein, said structure following the lateral profile of the housing, creating a hollow space (381, 481) between the lateral walls of the housing (385) and the walls of the structure (386), wherein the hollow space (381, 481) contains a coil (382, 482), wherein technical hot water circulates in the coil (382, 482), provided by a heat plant, and at least one outlet conduit (361, 461) from the at least one outlet module (203) of the water grid (201) reaches the hollow space (381, 481), wherein the at least one outlet conduit ends with an open end in the hollow space; a pump (383, 483) is located on the bottom of the housing (385, 485), the pump being connected to at least one inlet conduit (360, 460) exiting the outer water reservoir to connect to the open end (7, 207) of the at least one inlet module (2, 202) in the water grid (1, 201).

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein in the thermal plant the technical hot water is heated by a renewable energy source.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the renewable energy source is one or more thermal barrier coatings and/or one or more solar panels.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the renewable energy source is associated with at least one thermal well.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the culture water is introduced into the water grid at a temperature of about 35 ℃.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the drainage soil further has clay lumps and/or clayey soil on the bottom of the trough (215) in direct contact with the waterproof jacket (214).

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the drainage soil further has a sand layer (216) located on the bottom of the trough (215) and below the gravel layer (218).

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the drainage soil further has a fabric (217) between the sand layer (216) and the water grid (201).

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the drainage soil further has a fabric thereby separating the dry gravel layer (219) and the culture soil (220) from each other.

16. A playground heated with a system according to one of claims 1 to 15.

17. Industrial warehouse, characterized in that the system according to one of claims 1 to 15 is arranged below the ground of the warehouse, wherein reinforced concrete is poured above the discharge soil, said reinforced concrete being the ground of the warehouse.

18. A method for heating an agricultural and/or industrial and/or sports surface comprising:

-arranging a pot hole in the ground;

-positioning a water grid comprising at least two modules, an inlet module and an outlet module, in a lower position with respect to the overflow opening, inside the tank, wherein each module comprises an impermeable main pipe from which a series of permeable conduits branch off, said conduits lying on the same plane of the main pipe, so that the water entering through the inlet module converges in the outlet module, filling the tank with water up to the level of the overflow opening;

-filling the tank with a draining soil,

wherein the main conduits of the inlet and outlet modules assembled to create the water grid are parallel and mutually opposite: the main pipes have open ends and the opposite ends are closed, and the main pipes are arranged in parallel to each other in the water grid with the open ends in diagonally opposite positions of the water grid, and the conduits emerging from the inlet module are located in the available space between the conduits emerging from the outlet module.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising pouring concrete on top of the drainage soil.