Underground storage heating and cooling (ushc) system

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods for the underground storage of heated or cooled fluid in order to preserve the temperature of the fluid. The systems described herein utilize one or more porosity storage reservoirs for heated or cooled fluid storage, in effect creating cold and or heat reservoirs in the subsurface. The reservoirs are hydrologically separated from the surrounding natural groundwater regime and, at least in part, thermally insulated from the natural environment by the walls creating the underground reservoirs. The walls may be actively or passively heated or cooled to provide better performance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An energy storage system comprising:
 an underground porosity storage reservoir containing at least some fluid, the underground porosity storage reservoir including an underground vessel defined at least in part by one or more substantially fluid-impermeable, man-made barriers and an aquiclude, the vessel defining a volume of subsurface material such that the volume is substantially hydrologically separate from an environment exterior to the volume;   a plurality of wells providing access to locations within the underground porosity storage reservoir, each location associated with one or more known thermal characteristics specific to that location;   temperature sensors monitoring fluid temperature at one or more locations; and   a control system that selectively transfers heat to or from different wells based on current fluid temperature at each location and the one or more known thermal characteristics specific to each location.   
     
     
         2 . The energy storage system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an building heat transfer system adapted to transfer heat between fluid and a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system associated with a building.   
     
     
         3 . The energy storage system of  claim 2 , wherein the control system further controls the heat transfer system selectively transfers heat between fluid from a selected one or more wells and the HVAC system associated with the building. 
     
     
         4 . The energy storage system of  claim 3 , wherein the control system selects the one or more wells based on an energy load associated with the HVAC system, current fluid temperature at each location and the one or more known thermal characteristics specific to each location. 
     
     
         5 . The energy storage system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an ambient heat transfer system adapted to transfer heat between fluid and an ambient environment.   
     
     
         6 . The energy storage system of  claim 4 , wherein the control system further controls the heat transfer system selectively transfers heat between fluid from a selected one or more wells and the HVAC system associated with the building. 
     
     
         7 . The energy storage system of  claim 6 , wherein the control system selects the one or more wells based on an energy load associated with the HVAC system, current fluid temperature at each location and the one or more known thermal characteristics specific to each location.