Geothermal heat exchange system and method

Abstract

Provided is a geothermal heat exchange system and method including a plurality of heat depots, each including a sealed container filled with a heat exchange fluid and further including an input heat transfer line and an output heat transfer line for carrying the heat transfer fluid. The input line proceeds through a top surface of the container at least a minimal distance into the container, and the output heat transfer line originates immediately at the upper surface of the container. Multiple heat depots connected to one another in a continuous unbroken chain are also provided.

1 . A geothermal heat exchange system comprising
 a plurality of heat depots, wherein a heat depot comprises a sealed container filled with a heat exchange fluid, the container composed of a material allowing efficient heat transfer between the heat exchange fluid and a geothermal mass external to the container, and each heat depot also comprising an input heat transfer line and an output heat transfer line for carrying the heat exchange fluid, the input line proceeding through a top surface of the container at least a minimal distance into the container, and the output heat transfer line originating immediately at the upper surface of the container,   the heat depots connected to one another in a continuous unbroken chain having a first heat depot and a last heat depot, such that the output heat transfer line from one depot is the input heat transfer line for another depot, the input heat transfer line for the first depot originating at an output from a pump from a user heat exchanger, the output heat transfer line for the last depot terminating at an input for the user heat exchanger; and   the heat exchange depots being buried in a geothermal mass such that the top surface of the containers of the heat depots are below the frost line; and   wherein the heat exchange fluid being heat transfer fluid is pumped into the first heat depot through its input heat transfer line, which then overflows through its output heat transfer line which is the input heat transfer line for the next heat depot in the chain, which then overflows into the next heat depot, and so on until the heat transfer fluid flows into the last heat depot in the chain, from which it overflows through its output heat transfer line to the user heat exchanger, and on to the pump, completing the cycle in an amount of time measured by flow rates greater than two hours.   
     
     
         2 . The geothermal heat exchange system according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is water with antifreeze in a separate heat transfer unit. 
     
     
         3 . A geothermal heat exchange system comprising
 a plurality of heat depots, wherein each heat depot comprises a sealed container filled with a heat exchange fluid, the container composed of material(s) allowing efficient heat exchange between the heat exchange fluid and a geothermal mass external to the container, and each heat depot also comprising an input heat transfer line and output heat transfer line for carrying the heat transfer fluid, the input and output heat transfer lines running from a user heat exchanger fluid output line , through a series of heat depots and to a heat depot fluid input line to transfer heat between the user heat exchanger and the heat exchange fluid;   the heat depots interconnected by heat transfer lines, such that the output heat transfer line from one depot is the input heat transfer line for another depot, the input heat transfer line for the first depot originating at an output heat transfer line from a pump from a user heat exchanger, the output heat transfer line for the last depot terminating at an input for the user heat exchanger; and   the heat exchange depots being placed in effective heat transfer contact with a geothermal mass.   
     
     
         4 . The geothermal heat exchange system according to  claim 3 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is refrigerant, and in heating mode, the liquid refrigerant from a user heat exchanger is connected to one or multiple small diameter heat transfer lines to allow sufficient heat transfer, depending on the scale of the user heat exchanger, the multiple heat transfer lines bundled into one or more multiples with a length of 50-250 feet, serving as a heat transfer line passing through multiple heat depots, then merging into one vapor line serving as an input to a user heat exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . The geothermal heat exchange system according to  claim 4 , wherein in cooling mode, the input of the user heat exchanger is the output of the system and the output of the user heat exchanger is the input. 
     
     
         6 . The geothermal heat exchange system according to  claim 3 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is water with antifreeze in a closed loop, and output from a user heat exchanger is entering into the input heat transfer line of the heat depot in heating and cooling mode. 
     
     
         7 . The geothermal heat exchange system according to  claim 6 , wherein, after passing through a series of heat depots, the heat exchange fluid is circulated by water pumps. 
     
     
         8 . The geothermal heat exchange system according to  claim 4 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is water in a separate heat transfer unit embedded in the heat depot having a size of one or several gallon(s) of heat transfer fluid, and output from a user heat exchanger entering into the input heat transfer line of the heat depot in heating and cooling mode. 
     
     
         9 . The geothermal heat exchange system according to  claim 8 , wherein the heat exchange fluid is circulated by water pumps after passing through a series of heat depots. 
     
     
         10 . A geothermal heat exchange method comprising
 pumping heat exchange fluid into a first heat depot through its input heat transfer line, which then overflows through its output heat transfer line, which is the input heat transfer line for a next heat depot, which then overflows into another heat depot, and so on until the heat transfer fluid flows into a last heat depot, from which it overflows through an output heat transfer line to the user heat exchanger, and on to the pump, completing the cycle in an amount of time measured by flow rates greater than two hours;   wherein the first last and other heat depots each comprises a sealed container filled with the heat exchange fluid, the container composed of a material allowing efficient heat transfer between the heat exchange fluid and a geothermal mass external to the container, and each heat depot also comprising an input heat transfer line and an output heat transfer line for carrying the heat exchange fluid, the input line proceeding through a surface of the container at least a minimal distance into the container, and the output heat transfer line originating immediately at the upper surface of the container,   the heat depots connected to one another in a continuous unbroken chain having a first heat depot and a last heat depot, such that the output heat transfer line from one depot is the input heat transfer line for another depot, the input heat transfer line for the first depot originating at an output from a pump from a user heat exchanger, the output heat transfer line for the last depot terminating at an input for the user heat exchanger; and   the heat exchange depots being buried in a geothermal mass such that the surface of the containers of the heat depots are below the frost line.   
     
     
         11 . The geothermal heat exchange method according to  claim 10 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is water with antifreeze in a separate heat transfer unit. 
     
     
         12 . A geothermal heat exchange method comprising
 pumping heat transfer fluid through a plurality of heat depots, wherein each heat depot comprises a sealed container filled with a heat exchange fluid, the container composed of material(s) allowing efficient heat exchange between the heat exchange fluid and a geothermal mass external to the container, and each heat depot also comprising an input heat transfer line and output heat transfer line for carrying the heat transfer fluid, the input and output heat transfer lines running from a user heat exchanger fluid output line , through a series of heat depots and to a heat depot fluid input line to transfer heat between the user heat exchanger and the heat exchange fluid;   the heat depots interconnected by heat transfer lines, such that the output heat transfer line from one depot is the input heat transfer line for another depot, the input heat transfer line for the first depot originating at an output heat transfer line from a pump from a user heat exchanger, the output heat transfer line for the last depot terminating at an input for the user heat exchanger; and   the heat exchange depots being placed in effective heat transfer contact with a geothermal mass.   
     
     
         13 . The geothermal heat exchange method according to  claim 12 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is refrigerant, and in heating mode, the liquid refrigerant from a user heat exchanger is connected to one or multiple small diameter heat transfer lines to allow sufficient heat transfer, depending on the scale of the user heat exchanger, the multiple heat transfer lines bundled into one or more multiples with a length of 50-250 feet, serving as a heat transfer line passing through multiple heat depots, then merging into one vapor line serving as an input to a user heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . The geothermal heat exchange method according to  claim 12 , wherein in cooling mode, the input of the user heat exchanger is the output of the system and the output of the user heat exchanger is the input. 
     
     
         15 . The geothermal heat exchange method according to  claim 12 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is water with antifreeze in a closed loop, and output from a user heat exchanger is entering into the input heat transfer line of the heat depot in heating mode, or the heat transfer fluid is entering into the output heat transfer line of the heat depot in cooling mode. 
     
     
         16 . The geothermal heat exchange method according to  claim 13 , wherein, after passing through a series of heat depots, the heat exchange fluid is circulated by water pumps. 
     
     
         17 . The geothermal heat exchange method according to  claim 13 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is water within a separate heat transfer unit embedded in the heat depot in a size of several gallons of heat transfer fluid, and output from a user heat exchanger entering into the input heat transfer line of the heat depot in heating and cooling mode. 
     
     
         18 . The geothermal heat exchange system according to  claim 1  utilizing different thermal mass not excluding geothermal mass. 
     
     
         19 . The geothermal heat exchange method according to  claim 9  utilizing different thermal mass not excluding geothermal mass.