Method for operating heating systems, heating system for carrying out the method and use thereof

Abstract

A method for operating solar and/or solar-operated and/or heat absorbing and/or heat accumulating heating systems includes exchanging at least one fluid for at least one operating function such as a protective function or heat function and/or maintaining the fluid in a standby position. This enables a direct heat exchange to occur between media such as fluids, gas and fluid, emulsion and fluid, whereby the standby state can occur without any exchange of fluid. This enables the heating system to be protected e.g. from frost or from boiling, and enables heat functions such as storage, production and heating to be performed in a more economic manner involving a reduced number of components. Solar collectors with various height loops can also be operated directly in a heating system.

1 . A method for operating a heating system using media, the heating system being selected from the group consisting of a solar heating system, a substance-operated heating system, a heat-absorbing heating system, a heat-storing heating system, and a combination heating system formed of a combination of the aforementioned heating systems, which comprises the steps of: 
 exchanging, in at least part of the heating system, at least part of one additional fluid for at least one thermal function for a fluid located in the part of the heating system; and    keeping a remainder of the additional fluid on standby.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein protective functions keep the fluid and/or corrosion protection in a liquid state.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises selecting water to be the fluid and oil to be the additional fluid.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a direct heat exchange can take place between the media, including fluids, gas and fluid or emulsion and fluid, and the direct heat exchange takes place in heat exchange circulation without fluid exchange in a standby state.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises keeping at least one of the media on standby and/or exchanged in at least one media-storing area of the heating system.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises keeping the additional fluid on standby by floating and/or being immersed in the fluid.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the standby performs at least one of the following functions: 
 flow conduction;    flow shaping;    charging;    provision on standby;    media collection; and    media separation.    
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an exchange of the media takes place by stored forms of energy and/or pressure differences and/or forms of energy that are not generated.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises performing the exchanging step by receiving at least one of the fluids in a tank.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , which further comprises performing the exchanging step by the additional fluid being drawn in the place of the fluid and/or displacing the fluid.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises performing the exchange step with an exchange flow which counteracts an upward lift of a lighter medium in a denser medium.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises: 
 completing the exchanging of the fluids step when the additional fluid exceeds a defined point in a heat exchange system; and    detecting the additional fluid by a density sensor and/or by a method of collecting a defined amount of the additional fluid.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein by the exchanging step of at least one media, gas can also be exchanged.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one line of a heat exchange system can be immersed or introduced in or connected to a stored fluid.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises performing the exchanging step by use of at least one compliant element selected from the group consisting of a membrane and a gas area.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing heat exchange systems or parts thereof for raising and/or storing a temperature, so that critical temperatures are avoided.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein actions for safe exchange, such as establishing a connection from an area to be protected to the additional fluid functioning also as a protective fluid, include positioning standby devices or valve actuations at heat exchange systems and using the stored forms of energy and/or the pressure differences and/or the forms of energy that are not generated.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises monitoring for a presence and/or an absence of the fluids in a heating system for achieving a safe exchange.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein for safe fluid exchange, the exchanging step is safely performed using redundant measures, including redundant elements, redundant operations and autonomous additional devices.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises providing an activating voltage for actuators relevant to safety, including pumps, exchange devices and valves, to take place by use of concatenation via at least one redundant system, including a control or thermostat, and the activating voltage is enabled by all systems, and a transfer to a safe state of the activating voltage takes place even if only one system withdraws enablement.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises performing a heat exchange by use of at least one flow and/or by use of at least one storing area of the media.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises carrying out and/or intensifying heat exchange by at least one flow conduction and/or flow shaping.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises conducting at least one flow of the media freely in a medium and/or partly freely, such as at directing plates, directing channels, directing sheets, and/or embedded in other media, such as in flexible connections.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises conducting free or partly free flows through fluid-storing areas.  
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 23 , which further comprises changing a flow conduction and/or a flow introduction in an inclination with respect to a horizontal, such as by being set or subjected to closed-loop or open-loop control.  
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 25 , which further comprises forming the flow conduction to take place in a meandering and/or spiral form through a media-storing area.  
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the flow conduction and/or flow introduction effects flow-influencing.  
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises providing at least one element selected from the group consisting of standby devices, collection devices, flow shaping devices, forms of flow devices, flow conduction devices, diversion devices, flow deflection devices, flexible conduction devices, sensors and media separation devices, all being flow directing devices providing at least one thermal function.  
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 28 , which further comprises shaping at least one flow to be a centered flow and/or a distributed flow.  
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a flow conduction and/or flow takes place variably with regard to form and/or in a number of forms, such as with flow curtains of variable extent and/or variable number or dispersed forms.  
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein orifices and/or flow shaping devices of media lines are rotatable and/or pivotable, predominantly driven by a fluid flow.  
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises promoting an emulsification reversal in a heating system and/or an emulsion formation is avoided, such as by use of collecting areas, rest periods for fluids before renewed circulation or separating devices.  
   
   
       33 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein charging and/or provision of media on standby takes place with positionable flow deflections and/or with fixed flow deflections, which are subjected to flow by the flow conduction.  
   
   
       34 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises minimizing a flow during the charging and/or provision on standby, by use of flow measurement in a temperature space or by spatial expansion of the flow.  
   
   
       35 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises using at least one positionable standby device or collecting device for providing the media on standby and/or for charging media-storing areas at appropriate temperatures.  
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises introducing at least one external and/or internal medium selected from the group consisting of exhaust gases, air, water and oil, into and/or discharged from the heating system.  
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein introduced and/or discharged media are introduced into and/or discharged from a flow and/or a storing area.  
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises introducing and/or discharging of internal and/or external media in an area of the heating system and/or of an external system where similar pressure conditions prevail.  
   
   
       39 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises exchanging and/or circulating of the media within the heating system with different pressure conditions and/or fluid levels takes place in areas where similar pressure conditions prevail, the media possibly being passed on.  
   
   
       40 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises using at least one medium for performing high-temperature thermal functions.  
   
   
       41 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein operating devices of the heating system, selected from the group consisting of collectors, heat exchange systems and protective devices, can be used for normal-temperature functions and for high-temperature functions.  
   
   
       42 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises integrating a high-temperature storage reservoir or a storage heat exchanger in a normal-temperature storage reservoir or a storage heat exchanger, predominantly in a thermally insulated manner.  
   
   
       43 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises using a heat transfer oil and/or solid substance, selected from the group consisting of scrap metals, concrete and a mixture of crushed stone and sand, as a heat transfer medium for an exchange and/or for high-temperature storage.  
   
   
       44 . The method according to  claim 3 , which further comprises selecting the oil from the group consisting of paraffin oil and synthetic oil.  
   
   
       45 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises using the additional fluid for performing the thermal function selected from the group consisting of heat exchange, heat transfer, and heat storage.  
   
   
       46 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the stored forms of energy include fluid level differences; and    the forms of energy that are not generated include gravitational forces, upward lifts and downward drifts.    
   
   
       47 . The method according to  claim 5 , which further comprises selecting the media-storing area from the group consisting of partitions and vessels with openings with or without a vale in media-containing tanks.  
   
   
       48 . The method according to  claim 27 , which further comprises selecting the flow-influencing from the group consisting of vortexing flows, path-extending flows and or surface-enlarging flows.  
   
   
       49 . A heating system, comprising: 
 at least one apparatus selected from the group consisting of: 
 a fluid exchange device for drawing one fluid after another;  
 a fluid standby device for keeping a fluid on standby against an upward lift or a downward drift; and  
 a device for direct heat exchange between media, said device selected from the group consisting of media standby devices and devices for introducing and/or discharging external media.  
   
   
   
       50 . The heating system according to  claim 49 , wherein said fluid exchange device includes a fluid receiving tank and a pump.  
   
   
       51 . The heating system according to  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 a storage reservoir;    a heat exchange system; and    valves separating/connecting said fluid receiving tank, said heat exchange system, and/or said storage reservoir.    
   
   
       52 . The heating system according to  claim 51 , wherein: 
 said fluid receiving tank is a separate tank and/or a fluid-storing area of the heating system, selected from the group consisting of a fluid heat storage reservoir and a heating boiler.    
   
   
       53 . The heating system according to  claim 49 , further comprising at least one heat exchanging system and said fluid exchange device serving said at least one heat exchange system.  
   
   
       54 . The heating system according to  claim 49 , wherein said media standby device includes partitions.  
   
   
       55 . The heating system according to claims  49 , wherein in a case of said standby devices, one of said standby devices overlapping over at least another one of said standby devices and/or over at least one flow, so that overflows of the media and/or inflows are safely collected and/or said standby devices can be positioned in one another.  
   
   
       56 . The heating system according to  claim 49 , wherein said media standby device has at least one of the following devices: an overflow pipe, a valve, a collecting area, an opening formed therein, a storing area, a flexible flow line, an integrated flow conduction, a connection to a heat exchange system, a sensor, a conduction, a coupling, a fluid exchange area, a gas removal device, a flow shaping device or a flow shaping storing area.  
   
   
       57 . The heating system according to  claim 49 , further comprises devices for controlled ventilation and/or for regenerative use of heat.  
   
   
       58 . The heating system according to  claim 54 , wherein said partitions are selected from the group consisting of plates and vessels.  
   
   
       59 . A method of operating a system, which comprises the steps of: 
 providing the heating system according to  claim 49;  and    using the heating system for controlled ventilation and/or for regenerative use of heat.