Methods and systems for recovering and redistributing heat

Abstract

The disclosed system includes heat exchangers to recover and redistribute heat from and within a building heating and ventilation system and/or a steam system. Certain implementations of the system enable hybrid heating systems that merge existing combustion-based heating systems with systems that produce heat with electricity from renewable energy sources. Implementations of the disclosed system enable the conversation of energy and use of environmentally clean energy sources. In one illustrative implementation, heat is removed from an air conditioning system and redistributed into a steam generation system.

1 . A system for recovering and redistributing heat, comprising:
 a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with an air conditioner system, the first heat exchanger removing heat from the air conditioner system;   a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and in fluid communication with a stream of water being supplied to a steam generation system, the second heat exchanger receiving heat from the first heat exchanger and conveying heat to the stream of water;   a heater in fluid communication with an air stream of a ventilation system, the heater supplying heat to the air stream; and   a third heat exchanger in fluid communication with the heater and in fluid communication with a stream of steam condensate, the third heat exchanger removing heat from the steam condensate and conveying heat to the air stream, thereby cooling the steam condensate.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and an auxiliary heat source. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , the auxiliary heat source being a non-combustion-based heat source. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , the auxiliary heat source comprising a collider chamber apparatus, the collider chamber apparatus including:
 a stator including an inner wall, the inner wall defining a plurality of collider chambers; and   a rotor disposed for rotation relative to the stator, about an axis, an outer wall of the rotor being proximal to the inner wall of the stator, rotation of the rotor in a first direction relative to the stator causing a fluid in each of the collider chambers to rotate within the collider chamber in a second direction opposite to the first direction, rotation of the rotor causing the temperature of the fluid in the collider chambers to increase.   
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , the fluidic communication between the fourth heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat source comprising a liquid-filled closed loop. 
   
   
       6 . A method for recovering and redistributing heat, comprising:
 removing heat from an air conditioner system;   supplying a portion of the heat removed from the air conditioner system to a stream of water being supplied to a steam generation system;   removing heat from a stream of steam condensate; and   supplying a portion of the heat removed from the stream of steam condensate to an air stream of a ventilation system.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , furthering comprising supplying heat from an auxiliary heat system to the steam of water being supplied to the steam generation system. 
   
   
       8 . A system for recovering and redistributing heat, comprising:
 a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with a stream of boiler blow-down liquid and in fluid communication with a stream of water being supplied to a steam generation system, the first heat exchanger removing heat from the boiler blow-down liquid and conveying heat to the stream of water being supplied to a steam generation system; and   a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the stream of water being supplied to the steam generation system and in fluid communication with an auxiliary heat system, the second heat exchanger receiving heat from the auxiliary heat system and conveying heat to the stream of water being supplied to the steam generation system.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , the second heat exchanger being downstream from the first heat exchanger relative to the flow of the stream of water being supplied to the steam generation system. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , the auxiliary heat system being a non-combustion-based heat system. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 8 , the auxiliary heat system comprising a collider chamber apparatus, the collider chamber apparatus including:
 a stator including an inner wall, the inner wall defining a plurality of collider chambers; and   a rotor disposed for rotation relative to the stator, about an axis, an outer wall of the rotor being proximal to the inner wall of the stator, rotation of the rotor in a first direction relative to the stator causing a fluid in each of the collider chambers to rotate within the collider chamber in a second direction opposite to the first direction, rotation of the rotor causing the temperature of the fluid in the collider chambers to increase.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , the fluidic communication between the second heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat system comprising a liquid-filled closed loop. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a flash steam generation system, the flash steam generation system including a third heat exchanger in fluid communication with the auxiliary heat system, the third heat exchanger receiving heat from the auxiliary heat system and conveying heat to the flash steam system for the generation of steam. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , the auxiliary heat system including a fourth heat exchanger in fluid communication with the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger in fluid communication with an auxiliary heat source, the fourth heat exchanger receiving heat from the auxiliary heat source and conveying heat to the third heat exchanger. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , the auxiliary heat source, the second heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger being in fluid communication via a liquid-filled closed loop. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 13 , the flash steam generation system further including:
 a flash steam valve for producing flash steam and flash steam condensate;   a flash steam tank for receiving flash steam and flash steam condensate from the flash steam valve; and   a condensate receiver in fluid communication with the flash steam tank for receiving flash steam condensate from the flash steam tank, and the condensate receiver in fluid communication with the third heat exchanger for recycling the flash steam condensate to the third heat exchanger.   
   
   
       17 . A method for recovering and redistributing heat, comprising:
 removing heat from a stream of boiler blow-down liquid; and   supplying a portion of the heat removed from the boiler blow-down liquid to a stream of water being supplied to a steam generation system.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising supplying heat from an auxiliary heat system to the steam of water being supplied to the steam generation system after supplying the portion of the heat removed from the boiler blow-down liquid to the stream of water being supplied to a steam generation system.