Building structures employing coaxial-flow heat transfer structures for thermal regulation

Abstract

A thermally-regulated building structure including a foundation for supporting the thermally-regulated building structure on the surface of the Earth, and one or more coaxial-flow heat exchanging structures installed in the Earth, for facilitating the transfer of heat energy between (i) an heat energy exchanging system maintained within the thermally-regulated building structure and (ii) the Earth environment. Each coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure includes an inner tube section being substantially straight and having an outer wall surface extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a thermally conductive outer tube section, disposed coaxially around the inner tube section, and having an inner wall surface extending between the proximal and distal ends. An outer flow channel is provided between the outer wall surface of the inner tube section and the inner wall surface of the outer tube section. A turbulence generating structure is disposed along a portion of the length of the outer flow channel so as to introduce turbulence into the flow of the heat exchanging fluid flowing along the outer flow channel, thereby improving the transfer of heat energy between the heat exchanging fluid and the Earth along the length of the outer flow channel.

1 . A thermally-regulated building structure comprising:
 a foundation for supporting a building structure on the surface of the Earth, wherein said building structure includes an interior space requiring thermal regulation; and   a heat exchanging subsystem installed above the surface of the Earth, and including   (i) a first heat exchanger installed in said building structure for supporting the flow of a heat conducting stream through said first heat exchanger and exchanging heat energy with the interior space of said building structure, and   (ii) a second heat exchanger for supporting the flow of an aqueous-based heat transfer fluid through said second heat exchanger, wherein said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger are arranged in a heat transfer relationship so as to exchange heat energy between each other;   one or more coaxial-flow heat exchanging structures installed in the material beneath the surface of said Earth, wherein each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure includes:   a proximal end and a distal end;   an input port, provided at the proximal end, and an output port, provided at the proximal end;   an inner tube section being substantially straight and having an outer wall surface extending between the proximal and distal ends, said inner tube section supporting an inner flow channel having a substantially uniform inner diameter along its length between said proximal and distal ends;   a thermally conductive outer tube section, disposed coaxially around said inner tube section, and having an inner wall surface extending between said proximal and distal ends, and a cap portion at said distal end sealing off said thermally conductive outer tube section from fluid leaks at said distal end;   wherein an outer flow channel is formed between the outer wall surface of said inner tube section and the inner wall surface of said thermally conductive outer tube section;   wherein a turbulence generating structure is disposed along a portion of the length of said outer flow channel;   said input and output ports of each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure being arranged in fluid communication with said second heat exchanger so that said second heat exchanger is in fluid communication with said inner and outer flow channels of each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure;   said second heat exchanger and said inner and out flow channels of each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure being filled with a predetermined volume of aqueous-based heat transfer fluid; and   one or more pumps for circulating said predetermined volume of aqueous-based heat transfer fluid so that said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid flows out of said second heat exchanger and into said input port at a first temperature, and then flows down along said inner flow channel in a substantially laminar manner, and then around said cap portion, and then flows along said outer flow channel and out of said output port and back into said second heat exchanger at a second temperature, in a closed-loop fashion, sealed off from the material beneath the surface of said Earth,   wherein said second heat exchanger exchanges heat energy with said first heat exchanger, and said first heat exchanger exchanges heat energy with the interior space of said building structure, for thermal-regulation purposes;   said turbulence generating structure introducing turbulence into the flow of said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid flowing along said outer flow channel, thereby improving the transfer of heat energy between said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid and material beneath the surface of said Earth along the length of said outer flow channel; and   wherein the transfer of heat energy occurring between said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid and the material beneath the surface of said Earth is carried out without a change in state of said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid flowing within and along said inner and outer flow channels of each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure.   
     
     
         2 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanging subsystem is a refrigeration system and said heat conducting stream is a refrigerant flowing through said refrigeration system. 
     
     
         3 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanging subsystem is a heating or cooling coil unit and said heat conducting stream is a heat conducting fluid flowing through said heating or cooling coil unit. 
     
     
         4 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , wherein said turbulence generating structure comprises a helically-arranged fin structure. 
     
     
         5 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 4 , wherein said helically-arranged fin structure is mounted to the outer surface of said inner tube section. 
     
     
         6 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 4 , wherein said helically-arranged fin structure is continuous along said outer flow channel. 
     
     
         7 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , wherein the flow of said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid in a substantially laminar manner provides an insulating effect between said inner flow channel and said outer flow channel. 
     
     
         8 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , which enables sinking of heat energy into the material beneath the surface of the Earth during cooling operations, or the sourcing of heat energy from the material beneath the surface of the Earth during heating operations. 
     
     
         9 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , wherein said thermally conductive outer tube section of said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure is thermally-cemented into said bore. 
     
     
         10 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , wherein said helically-arranged fin structure has a plurality of fin elements arranged at a predetermined pitch. 
     
     
         11 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , wherein said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid includes a heat transfer enhancing additive. 
     
     
         12 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 1 , wherein said heat transfer enhancing additive is selected from the group consisting of biodegradable anti-freeze additives, and micron-sized particles for increasing the heat capacity of said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The thermally-regulated building structure of  claim 1 , wherein said heat energy exchanging system comprises heat energy system selected from the group consisting of a refrigeration unit, a heating unit and a heat pump. 
     
     
         14 . A thermally-regulated building structure comprising:
 a foundation for supporting a building structure on the surface of the Earth, wherein said building structure includes an interior space requiring thermal regulation; and   a heat exchanging subsystem installed above the surface of the Earth, and including   (i) a first heat exchanger installed in said building structure for supporting the flow of a heat conducting stream through said first heat exchanger and exchanging heat energy with the interior space of said building structure, and   (ii) a second heat exchanger for supporting the flow of an aqueous-based heat transfer fluid through said second heat exchanger, wherein said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger are arranged in a heat transfer relationship so as to exchange heat energy between each other;   one or more coaxial-flow heat exchanging structures installed in the material beneath the surface of said Earth, wherein each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure includes:   a proximal end and a distal end;   an input port, provided at the proximal end, and an output port, provided at the proximal end;   an inner tube section being substantially straight and having an outer wall surface extending between the proximal and distal ends, said inner tube section supporting an inner flow channel having a substantially uniform inner diameter along its length between said proximal and distal ends;   a thermally conductive outer tube section, disposed coaxially around said inner tube section, and having an inner wall surface extending between said proximal and distal ends, and a cap portion at said distal end sealing off said thermally conductive outer tube section from fluid leaks at said distal end;   wherein an outer flow channel is formed between the outer wall surface of said inner tube section and the inner wall surface of said thermally conductive outer tube section;   wherein a turbulence generating structure is disposed along a portion of the length of said outer flow channel;   said input and output ports of each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure being arranged in fluid communication with said second heat exchanger so that said second heat exchanger is in fluid communication with said inner and outer flow channels of each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure;   said said second heat exchanger and said inner and out flow channels of each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure being filled with a predetermined volume of aqueous-based heat transfer fluid; and   one or more pumps for circulating said predetermined volume of aqueous-based heat transfer fluid so that said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid flows out of said second heat exchanger and into said input port at a first temperature, and then flows down along said outer flow channel, and then around said cap portion, and then flows along said inner flow channel in a substantially laminar manner and out of said output port and back into said second heat exchanger at a second temperature, in a closed-loop fashion, sealed off from the material beneath the surface of said Earth,   wherein said heat exchanger exchanges heat energy with said first heat exchanger, and said first heat exchanger exchanges heat energy with the interior space of said building structure, for thermal-regulation purposes;   said turbulence generating structure introducing turbulence into the flow of said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid flowing along said outer flow channel, thereby improving the transfer of heat energy between said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid and material beneath the surface of said Earth along the length of said outer flow channel; and   wherein the transfer of heat energy occurring between said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid and the material beneath the surface of said Earth is carried out without a change in state of said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid flowing within and along said inner and outer flow channels of each said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure.   
     
     
         15 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , wherein said heat exchanging subsystem is a refrigeration system and said heat conducting stream is a refrigerant flowing through said refrigeration system. 
     
     
         16 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , wherein said heat exchanging subsystem is a heating or cooling coil unit and said heat conducting stream is a heat conducting fluid flowing through said heating or cooling coil unit. 
     
     
         17 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , wherein said turbulence generating structure comprises a helically-arranged fin structure. 
     
     
         18 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 17 , wherein said helically-arranged fin structure is mounted to the outer surface of said inner tube section. 
     
     
         19 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 17 , wherein said helically-arranged fin structure is continuous along said outer flow channel. 
     
     
         20 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , wherein the flow of said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid in a substantially laminar manner provides an insulating effect between said inner flow channel and said outer flow channel. 
     
     
         21 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , which enables sinking of heat energy into the material beneath the surface of the Earth during cooling operations, or the sourcing of heat energy from the material beneath the surface of the Earth during heating operations. 
     
     
         22 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , wherein said thermally conductive outer tube section of said coaxial-flow heat exchanging structure is thermally-cemented into said bore. 
     
     
         23 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , wherein said helically-arranged fin structure has a plurality of fin elements arranged at a predetermined pitch. 
     
     
         24 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , wherein said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid includes a heat transfer enhancing additive. 
     
     
         25 . The thermally-regulated building structure for  claim 14 , wherein said heat transfer enhancing additive is selected from the group consisting of biodegradable anti-freeze additives, and micron-sized particles for increasing the heat capacity of said aqueous-based heat transfer fluid. 
     
     
         26 . The thermally-regulated building structure of  claim 14 , wherein said heat energy exchanging system comprises heat energy system selected from the group consisting of a refrigeration unit, a heating unit and a heat pump.