ITPD20100269A1 - PLANT OF EXPLOITATION OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY FOR BUILDING - Google Patents

Description

TITLE

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY EXPLOITATION PLANT

FOR BUILDING

DESCRIPTION

This patent relates to geothermal energy exploitation plants and in particular concerns a new geothermal energy exploitation plant for buildings, integrated with other renewable and non-renewable energy sources.

Low enthalpy geothermal heating systems for civil use are known, which recover the heat of the ground from the subsoil and, by means of heat pumps, produce thermal energy for heating sanitary water and for heating buildings.

In the winter months, the heat is transferred from the ground to the sanitary water, while in the summer the excess heat, present in the buildings, can be transferred to the ground.

To transfer heat from the ground, the plant includes geothermal probes consisting of U-shaped pipes made of materials with high thermal conductivity, in which a heat exchange fluid, typically glycol, circulates.

Vertical type probes and horizontal type probes are known.

The vertical type probes are installed vertically in the ground and reach depths where the temperature is 10-15 ° C throughout the year.

For their installation, special machinery is required for drilling and coring the soil.

The horizontal probes are laid horizontally in excavations at a shallow depth, even on the bottom of an artificial or natural lake, exploiting, in this case the heat of the water, and therefore require sufficiently flat and extended ground.

Heating and cooling systems are known which exploit geothermal energy in combination with solar energy supplied by a solar thermal system, as a source of additional energy.

Document KR758820 concerns a heating system that uses geothermal energy and solar energy in a combined way, and where the plant is equipped with a control device that modulates the energy contribution given by the solar thermal according to the parameters of operation of the geothermal circuit.

The solar thermal exchange fluid is totally introduced into a water tank, which can be used for the direct use of the utilities and / or to recover heat for the geothermal circuit.

Patent WO2009 / 134271 relates to a system where the thermal energy of a geothermal fluid is increased by exploiting solar energy, by means of at least one heat exchanger between the fluids coming from the solar thermal circuit and the geothermal circuit.

The two circuits are used alternatively or in combination according to the operating parameters controlled by specific units.

US patent 4062489 relates to a heating system comprising a solar collector and a plurality of geothermal probes, a heat pump and an exchanger into which the fluids coming from said solar collector and from said geothermal probes converge.

The drawback of known systems is substantially their complexity, since heat exchange tanks are often used between the different circuits, in addition to the heat pump, occupying space and requiring high installation and maintenance times and costs.

Furthermore, the thermal energy supplied by the geothermal circuit and by the solar thermal circuit is often not sufficient to justify the costs incurred for the installation and management of the system.

The subject of this patent is a new type of geothermal energy exploitation plant, integrated with other sources of supplementary energy. The main task of the present invention is to exploit the low temperature energy, made available by the ground and other available sources, increasing the efficiency of the plant and minimizing costs.

In fact, the new system increases the efficiency of the heat pump by exploiting the thermal energy exchanged with alternative and additional sources to geothermal power only or solar thermal only.

Another object of the present invention is to exploit also the low temperatures with integrated collectors coming from other energy sources. Another object of the present invention is to be able to optimize the operation of the system as a function of the temperature parameters detected.

Another purpose is to reduce the overall dimensions, reducing the number of heat exchange tanks to the sanitary water tank of the solar thermal circuit only.

These and other direct and complementary purposes are achieved by the new plant for the exploitation of geothermal energy for buildings, integrated with other sources of supplementary energy comprising in its main parts: - at least one heat pump for geothermal energy, connected to the users - at least a geothermal circuit, with one or more geothermal probes, of the horizontal and / or vertical type, connected to said heat pump, - at least one solar thermal circuit comprising at least one solar panel, exchange fluid circulation pipes, at least one storage tank hot water storage connected to utilities,

- one or more temperature probes in said geothermal circuit and in said solar circuit,

and where said solar thermal circuit is connected to said geothermal circuit in one or more collectors and by means of one or more solenoid valves, able to be open or closed to conduct the exchange fluid of said solar thermal circuit in said collectors and / or in said storage tank, according to the temperature parameters detected by said temperature probes and processed by at least one control unit.

In particular, when said exchange fluid of the solar thermal circuit is at a temperature higher than the temperature of the water stored in said water storage tank and higher than 30 ° C, said fluid is introduced into said tank so as to effectively heat the water that can be used by the users, for example in the sanitary system and / or in the heating system of the building.

It can be envisaged that said tank is also connected to a further source of renewable thermal energy, for example from biomass, boiler, stove, etc., to further heat said water in the tank.

On the contrary, in case of exchange fluid temperature lower than 30 ° C or lower than the water temperature in the tank, the thermal energy of said fluid is exchanged with the fluid of said geothermal circuit, to increase its efficiency.

The heat exchange preferably takes place in said collectors.

Alternatively, it is possible to provide that said solar thermal exchange fluid is directly introduced into said geothermal circuit and into said heat pump.

The new plant is also expected to include one or more additional integrated circuits to provide additional thermal energy to the plant, recovering it from other sources.

In particular, the new plant includes at least one further integrated circuit for the recovery of thermal energy from rainwater, said circuit being connected to said geothermal circuit in manifolds and through one or more solenoid valves, and where said control unit opens or closes said solenoid valves , according to the temperature values detected by one or more temperature probes, to open or exclude said integrated circuit. In the preferred solution, said integrated circuit comprises a rainwater tank and / or a rainwater collection network in said tank, at least one probe for heat exchange in said tank and / or at least one probe for heat exchange in said network. collection, said probes being connected to said geothermal circuit in said manifolds.

The new system can also comprise at least one further integrated circuit for the recovery of thermal energy from the grease condensate tank, said circuit being connected to said geothermal circuit in manifolds through one or more solenoid valves, and where said control unit opens or closes said solenoid valves , according to the temperature values detected by one or more temperature probes, to open or exclude said integrated circuit.

In the preferred solution, said integrated circuit comprises a grease condensate tank, at least one probe for heat exchange with said tank, said probe being connected to said geothermal circuit in said manifolds. In the preferred solution, said heat exchange probes in said grease condensate tank or in said rainwater tank comprise at least one pipe or probe wrapped around the tank or the tank itself and embedded in a thermal insulating and protective layer on the walls of the tank or of the tank.

In the preferred solution, said heat exchange collectors of the solar thermal circuit and / or of the grease condensate and / or rainwater circuits comprise at least one exchange joint where the solar thermal or integrated circuit piping is inserted into the geothermal probe in so as to be coaxial to the geothermal probe itself for at least a length sufficient for heat exchange.

The characteristics of the new invention will be better clarified by the following description with reference to the drawing tables, attached by way of non-limiting example.

Figure 1 shows the general scheme of the system, with geothermal circuit (1), heat pump (P), solar thermal circuit (2) and integrated circuits (3, 4, 5), with relative collectors (C1, C2), connections to integrated circuits (41, 42, 51, 52) and control units (G1, G2).

Figure 2 schematically shows the joint for the heat exchange between the pipes (21) of the solar thermal circuit (2) and the geothermal probe (Gv, Go).

In figure 3 a vertical geothermal probe (Gv) is schematized in section. Figure 4 schematically shows a section of a geothermal probe of the horizontal type (Go).

Figure 5 shows the integrated circuit (3) of the rainwater, while in figures 5a and 5b a well (36) for rainwater with a probe (35) immersed in the well (36) and a probe wrapped in the well are shown in detail (36).

Figure 6 schematically shows the rainwater tank (33) with a heat exchange probe (35) immersed in the tank (33).

Figure 7 schematically shows the rainwater tank (33) with a heat exchange probe (35) wrapped around the tank (33).

Figure 8 shows the integrated circuit (5) of the grease condensate, while figures 9 and 10 illustrate the grease condensation tray (53) with the heat exchange probe (55) respectively immersed in the tray (53) and wrapped around to the tub (53).

The new geothermal energy exploitation plant includes a geothermal circuit (1), schematized in part in figure 2, comprising at least one geothermal heat pump (P), connected to the users (U), one or more geothermal probes, of the horizontal (Go) and / or vertical (Gv) type, shown in Figures 3 and 4, and circulation ducts (11, 12) of the exchange fluid.

The new plant also includes at least one solar thermal circuit (2), connected to said geothermal circuit (1) by means of pipes (21, 22) and joints (V1, V2, V3, V4), visible in figure 1.

As shown in figure 1, the fluid circulating in the geothermal circuit (1), coming from the heat pump (P), can be introduced into the geothermal probes (Gv, Go), exchanging heat with the ground, to be then reintroduced into the heat pump. heat (P).

Alternatively, said fluid leaving the heat pump (P) can be introduced directly into said solar circuit (2).

Said solar thermal circuit (2) includes at least one solar panel (S), pipes (21, 22, 23, 24) for the circulation of the exchange fluid and at least one hot water storage tank (T) connected to the users (U) .

Said solar circuit (2) also includes one or more temperature probes (F1, F2, F3), suitable for controlling the temperature parameters of said exchange fluid leaving said panel (S), of the water contained in said tank (T) and water leaving the tank (T).

The new system includes at least one control unit (G2) which, according to the temperature values detected by these probes (F1, F2, F3), opens and closes one or more solenoid valves (B1, B2) to conduct the exchange fluid. said solar thermal circuit (2) in said storage tank (T) and / or in said geothermal circuit (1), towards said joints (V1, V2, V3, V4).

In detail, when the temperature of the exchange fluid of the solar thermal circuit (2) coming from the solar panel (S) is at a temperature higher than the temperature of the water stored in said water storage tank (T) and higher at 30 ° C, said solenoid valve (B2) is open and said exchange fluid is introduced into the supply duct (24) to said tank (T), so as to effectively heat the water.

It can be envisaged that said tank (T) is also connected to a further source of renewable thermal energy (R), for example from biomass, boiler, stove, etc., to further heat said water in the tank (T). On the contrary, when the temperature of the exchange fluid coming from said solar panel (S) is lower than 30 ° C and / or lower than the temperature of the water in the tank, said solenoid valve (B2) is closed and said fluid is sent towards said geothermal circuit (1), in which the heat exchange takes place with the fluid of the geothermal circuit (1) itself.

It can be foreseen that, when the temperature of the water contained in said tank (T) has reached the preset value, for example 60 ° C, the fluid coming from said solar panel (S) will in any case be sent to the geothermal circuit (1), to the geothermal probes (Gv, Go).

An example of a preferred embodiment of the joint (V) for heat exchange between the fluid of the solar circuit (2) and the fluid of the geothermal circuit (1) is shown in figure 2, with coaxial pipes.

The pipe (21) of the solar thermal circuit, in which the fluid coming from said solar circuit (2) circulates, is coupled and coaxial to the geothermal probe (Gv, Go) for at least a length sufficient for heat exchange, for example U .

In these joints (V1, V2, V3, V4), the solar thermal fluid (2), taken downstream of the solar panel (S) and upstream of the storage tank (T), can be sent to preheat the circuit fluid geothermal (1) at the inlet to the heat pump (P), increasing the thermal load and therefore the efficiency, and therefore containing energy costs, or it can be sent to the geothermal probes (Go, Gv), to exchange with the ground.

The new plant includes at least one further integrated circuit (3) for the recovery of thermal energy from rainwater, said circuit being connected to said geothermal circuit (1) through circulation ducts (31, 32, 41, 42) of the exchange fluid flowing into at least one manifold (C1, C2) with one or more solenoid valves (A3, A4), controlled by at least one control and management unit (G1).

As shown in figures 5, 5a and 6, said integrated circuit (3) comprises a rainwater collection network (34), one or more wells (36), a rainwater tank (33) and at least one probe or pipe ( 35) for the heat exchange with said tank (33) and / or with said collection network (34) and / or with one or more of said wells (36).

Said control unit opens or closes said solenoid valves (A3, A4) of the manifolds (C1, C2) to open or exclude said integrated circuit, according to the operating parameters.

When one or more of said solenoid valves (A3, A4) are open, the exchange fluid circulating in said probes (35), after having recovered heat from rainwater, exchanges heat with the fluid of the geothermal circuit (1). Alternatively, it is possible to provide that said exchange fluid of the integrated circuit (3) is directly introduced, through said manifold (C2), to the inlet duct (11) of the heat pump (P).

As shown in Figure 6, it can be envisaged that said probe (35) for heat exchange in said rainwater tank (33) is immersed inside the tank (33).

As shown in figures 5a and 7, it can be envisaged that said probe (35) for heat exchange with said tank (33) or with said wells (36) for rainwater comprises at least one pipe wound in a serpentine around the tank (33) or the well (36), with a layer of insulating and protective material in which the probe (35) is embedded.

Said tank (33) and said wells (36) can be made of concrete or more conveniently of plastic, with shaped walls with grooves or housing seats for said probes (35).

The new plant includes at least one further integrated circuit (5) for the recovery of thermal energy from the grease condensate tank (53), said circuit (5) being connected to said geothermal circuit (1) through circulation ducts (51, 52) of the exchange fluid flowing into said manifolds (C1, C2), with one or more solenoid valves (A5).

As shown in figure 8, said integrated circuit (5) comprises one or more grease condensate tanks (53), with relative discharge line to the sewer (54), at least one probe or pipe (55) for the heat exchange with each of said tanks (53), one or more further probes or exchangers with said discharge line (54).

Said control unit opens or closes said solenoid valve (A5) to open or exclude said integrated circuit (5), according to the operating parameters.

When said solenoid valve (A5) is open, the exchange fluid circulating in said probes (55), after having recovered heat from the grease condensate, exchanges heat with the fluid of the geothermal circuit (1).

Alternatively, it is possible to provide that said exchange fluid of the integrated circuit (5) is directly introduced, through said manifold (C2), to the inlet duct (11) of the heat pump (P).

As shown in Figure 9, said probe (55) is for example immersed in said grease condensate tank (53).

As shown in Figure 10, it can be envisaged that said probe (55) of heat exchange with said tank (53) comprises at least one pipe wound in a serpentine around the tank (53), possibly with a layer of insulating and protective material in which it is drowned the probe (55).

Said tank (55) can be made of concrete or more conveniently of plastic, with shaped walls with grooves or housing seats for said probes (55).

One or more additional thermal energy recovery integrated circuits can be provided, including one or more probes for heat exchange with other sources of thermal energy, such as ventilation ducts for stoves and fireplaces, collection wells in general, etc.

These are the schematic modalities sufficient for the skilled person to realize the invention, consequently, in concrete application there may be variations without prejudice to the substance of the innovative concept.

Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached tables, the following claims are expressed.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS 1.Geothermal energy exploitation plant for buildings comprising a geothermal circuit (1), with at least one geothermal heat pump (P), connected to the users (U), one or more geothermal probes (G), of the horizontal type and / or vertically connected to said pump (P), and circulation ducts (11, 12) of the exchange fluid, and also includes at least one solar thermal circuit (2) with at least one solar panel (S), and at least one tank (T) of water storage connected to the users (U), characterized by the fact of including: â € ¢ one or more temperature probes (F1, F2, F3) in the solar thermal circuit (2), designed to control the temperature parameters of the exchange fluid and / or of the water contained in said tank (T), â € ¢ one or more joints (V1, V2, V3, V4), ducts (21, 22) and solenoid valves (B1, B2) for connection between said solar thermal circuit (2) and said geothermal circuit (1); and where at least one control unit (G2), depending on the temperature values detected by said probes (F1, F2, F3), opens and closes one or more of said solenoid valves (B1, B2) to introduce the exchange fluid said solar thermal circuit (2), taken downstream of said solar panel (S), in said storage tank (T) or in said joints (V1, V2, V3, V4) of the geothermal circuit (1). 2. Plant, as per claim 1, characterized by the fact that said joints (V1, V2, V3, V4) connecting said solar thermal circuit (2) and said geothermal circuit (1) perform the heat exchange between the circulating fluid in said solar circuit (2) and the fluid circulating in said geothermal circuit (1), where at least a section of said duct (21) of the solar thermal circuit (2), in which the fluid coming from said solar panel (S) circulates, It is inserted and coaxial to the geothermal probe (Gv, Go) at the heat pump inlet (P) 3. Plant, as per claims 1, 2, characterized in that said solar thermal circuit (2) comprises at least one solenoid valve (B2) in the duct (24) for supplying the exchange fluid to said tank (T) and where, when the temperature of said exchange fluid of the solar thermal circuit (2) coming from the solar panel (S) is at a temperature higher than the temperature of the water stored in said water storage tank (T) and higher than 30 ° C, said solenoid valve (B2) is open and said exchange fluid is introduced into said tank (T) so as to effectively heat the water. 4. System, as per claim 3, characterized by the fact that, when the temperature of the exchange fluid coming from said solar panel (S) is lower than 30 ° C and / or lower than the temperature of the water in the tank (T) , said solenoid valve (B2) is closed and said fluid is sent to at least one of said joints (V1, V2, V3, V4) with the geothermal circuit (1) and fed into one or more of said geothermal probes (Go, Gv) or directly in said heat pump (P). 5. Plant, as per claim 3, characterized in that, when the temperature of the water in said tank (T) is higher than a predefined value, said solenoid valve (B2) is closed and said fluid is sent into at least one of said joints (V1, V2, V3, V4) with the geothermal circuit (1) and inlet to one or more of said geothermal probes (Go, Gv) or directly into said heat pump (P). 6. Plant, as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said tank (T) is connected to at least one further source of renewable thermal energy (R) to heat the water inside. 7. Plant, as per claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one further integrated circuit (3) for the recovery of thermal energy from rainwater, said circuit being connected to said geothermal circuit (1) through circulation ducts (31, 32, 41, 42) of the exchange fluid flowing into at least one manifold (C1, C2) with one or more solenoid valves (A1, A3, A4, A5), and where said control unit opens or closes said solenoid valves to open or exclude said integrated circuit (3), as a function of the operating parameters. 8. Plant, as per claim 7, characterized in that said integrated circuit (3) comprises a rainwater collection network (34), one or more wells (36), a rainwater tank (33), at least one probe or pipe (35) for the heat exchange with said tank (33) and / or with said collection network (34) and / or with one or more of said wells (36), where said probes flow into said manifolds (C1 , C2). 9. Plant, as per claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one further integrated circuit (5) for the recovery of thermal energy from the waste water, said circuit (5) being connected to said geothermal circuit (1) by means of ducts circulation (51, 52) of the exchange fluid flowing into one or more manifolds (C1, C2), with one or more solenoid valves (A1, A3, A4, A5), and where said control unit opens or closes said solenoid valve (A5 ) to open or exclude said integrated circuit (5), according to the operating parameters. 10. System, as per claim 8, characterized by the fact that said integrated circuit (5) comprises one or more grease condensate tanks (53), with relative discharge line to the sewer (54), at least one probe or pipe (55) for the heat exchange with each of said tanks (53) and / or with said discharge line (54), where said probes flow into said manifolds (C1, C2). 11. Plant, as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said manifolds (C1, C2) perform the heat exchange between the fluid circulating in said integrated circuits (3, 4, 5) and the fluid circulating in said geothermal circuit (1) . 12. Plant, as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said probe (35, 55) for heat exchange in said tank (33) and / or in said wells (36) of rainwater and / or in said grease condensation tank ( 53) comprises at least one pipe wound in a serpentine around the walls or immersed inside. 13. Plant, as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said tank (33) and / or said tank (53) and / or said wells (36) comprise walls made of concrete or plastic, with or without an external covering of insulation and protection, where said probes are embedded (35, 55).