Thermal And Moisture Enhanced Gradient Strata For Heat Exchangers

Abstract

Thermal Moisture Enhanced Gradient Strata (TMEGS) for Heat Exchangers optimizes the performance of energy flows for building heating, cooling, hot water, and industrial processes. TMEGS are temperature and moisture control layers which reduce the cost of closed loop ground heat exchangers and increase heat exchanger performance by improving energy transfer between solar, geothermal, process heat and renewable energy exchangers. Circuit optimized thermally active building structures (COTABS) configure heat exchangers and thermal energy strata for application specific requirements. TMEGS integrated with COTABS is a scalable and interoperable carbon-free, planet friendly architecture for net zero energy buildings. Embodiments include the use of recycled materials, waste tire derived aggregate, nanofluids, phase change materials, cathodic protection, and integrated microprocessor and client-server controls.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a temperature of a first heat transfer fluid entering into an at least one heat exchanger, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) configuring an at least one ground heat exchanger in thermal contact with a first earthen stratum;   (b) configuring a moisture permeable stratum relative to the at least one ground heat exchanger to allow moisture penetration and to limit penetration by soil fines;   (c) configuring a thermally resistive stratum in thermal contact with the at least one ground heat exchanger;   (d) configuring the thermally resistive stratum in thermal contact with a second earthen stratum; and   (e) circulating the first heat transfer fluid into the at least one ground heat exchanger and into the at least one heat exchanger with an at least one heat transfer device in fluid connection with the at least one ground heat exchanger and the at least one heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein configuring steps (b) and (c) further comprise the step of:
 configuring the moisture permeable stratum and the thermally resistive stratum to comprise a same material selected from the group consisting of tire derived aggregate, organic material, inorganic material, recycled material, manufactured material, homogenous material, and heterogeneous material. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 orienting the at least one ground heat exchanger in at least a one of a horizontal orientation, a vertical orientation, or an orientation between horizontal and vertical. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the first heat transfer fluid is selected from the group consisting of refrigerant, water, deionized water, glycol/water solution, dielectric fluids, polyalphaolefin, fluorocarbons, antifreeze mixture, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, brine, and nanofluid. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one heat transfer device is selected from the group consisting of a single speed pump, a multi-speed pump, a variable speed pump, a single speed compressor, a multi-speed compressor, and a variable speed compressor. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one heat exchanger is selected from the group consisting of a hydronic heat exchanger, a refrigerant heat exchanger, a solar thermal heat exchanger, a thermally active building structure, a snow melt heat exchanger, a process heat exchanger, a water-to-air heat exchanger, a thermal storage device, a boiler, a chiller, a cooling tower, a combined heat and power unit, an air conditioner, an absorption chiller, a direct exchange ground source heat pump, an air source heat pump, a water-to-water ground source heat pump, a water-to-air ground source heat pump, and a dual source heat pump. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one ground heat exchanger is selected from the group consisting of a horizontal ground heat exchanger, a horizontal slinky heat exchanger, a vertical slinky heat exchanger, a horizontal trench heat exchanger, a horizontal heat exchanger configured with serpentine piping, a horizontal heat exchanger configured with counterflow piping, a horizontal heat exchanger configured with parallel piping, a ground heat exchanger configured with vertical helical coils, a ground heat exchanger configured with horizontal helical coils, a below grade thermally active building structure, and a horizontal components of a vertical ground heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 augmenting the first earthen stratum with at least one additive material improving the thermal performance of the first earthen stratum. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8  wherein the at least one additive material comprises at least one of:
 a material with a higher thermal conductivity; 
 a material with a higher thermal diffusivity; 
 a material with a higher heat transfer coefficient; 
 a material with a higher specific heat capacity; and 
 a material with a higher moisture retention capacity. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein the at least one additive material is selected from the group consisting of recycled tire steel cord, glass, graphite, metal shavings, mineral aggregates, blast furnace slag, fly ash, silica sand, bentonite clay, igneous material, and ceramics. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one ground heat exchanger is selected from the group consisting of a ground heat exchanger constructed on-site, a ground heat exchanger as a pre-manufactured assembly, and a combination of a ground heat exchanger constructed on-site and a pre-manufactured assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 configuring the at least one ground heat exchanger at a depth below a surface of the ground not exceeding four meters. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 configuring the at least one ground heat exchanger below a body of water. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 configuring a second moisture impermeable stratum between the at least one ground heat exchanger and the first earthen stratum. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the second moisture impermeable stratum comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of mineral, soil, natural material, manufactured material, organic material, and inorganic material. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 configuring the second moisture impermeable stratum to fully contain an interior volume of the at least one ground heat exchanger for impeding a circulation of a fluid outside of and in thermal connection with the at least one ground heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 configuring at least one moisture control valve in fluid connection with a moisture source; and 
 controlling the at least one moisture control valve to open and to close to increase a moisture in the at least one ground heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 controlling the at least one heat transfer device with at least one controller. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein the at least one controller is a microprocessor controller. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein the microprocessor controller is selected from the group consisting of a microprocessor controller integral to the heat transfer device, a microprocessor controller with a self-contained algorithm, a microprocessor controller operated through a user interface, a software algorithm, and a cloud-based algorithm. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19  further comprising the steps of:
 configuring at least one sensor in signal communication with the microprocessor controller and at least one moisture control valve in fluid connection with a moisture source; and 
 controlling the at least one moisture control valve to open and to close to increase a moisture in the at least one ground heat exchanger, wherein the at least one moisture control valve controlled to open and to close is based on at least one control signal received from the microprocessor controller. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of temperature and moisture sensors within the at least one ground heat exchanger, a temperature sensor within the at least one ground heat exchanger, a moisture sensor within the at least one ground heat exchanger, and an entering temperature sensor into the at least one heat transfer device. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 19  further comprising the step of:
 sending by the microprocessor controller a control signal to the at least one heat transfer device causing the at least one heat transfer device to circulate the first heat transfer fluid to the at least one heat exchanger at a flow rate calculated by the microprocessor controller. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising the step of:
 sending by the microprocessor controller, using an open loop control means based on an optimized system model, the flow rate to the at least one heat transfer device. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising the step of:
 sending by the microprocessor controller, using a closed loop control means in which the result of an input is fed back to the microprocessor controller as an input for a system model optimization, the flow rate to the at least one heat transfer device. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising the step of:
 calculating the flow rate by the microprocessor controller using at least one of: 
 an entering water temperature into the at least one heat exchanger, 
 a leaving water temperature from the at least one heat exchanger, 
 a change in a temperature between the entering water temperature and the leaving water temperature passing through the at least one heat exchanger, 
 at least one weather datum, 
 at least one climate datum, 
 a heating load, and 
 a cooling load. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 19  further comprising the step of:
 enabling a communication between the microprocessor controller and at least one device selected from the group consisting of a communications module, a user interface, an weather climate external device communicating weather data, an weather climate external device communicating climate data, a heat cool communications device communicating a heating load, and a heat cool communications device communicating a cooling load. 
 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein the microprocessor controller is a component of an at least one client-server architecture. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28  wherein the at least one client-server architecture is selected from the group consisting of BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks, a wireless client-server architecture, a client-server architecture using a user interface, a client-server architecture using a web browser, a client-server architecture using a web server, a client-server architecture using a cloud-based server, a client-server architecture of a remote building controls system, and a client-server architecture controlling a plurality of microprocessor controllers. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 configuring a thermally conductive stratum between the thermally resistive stratum and the at least one ground heat exchanger with the thermally conductive stratum in thermal contact with the at least one ground heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein the thermally conductive stratum is selected from the group consisting of a thermally conductive stratum with a phase change material and a thermally conductive stratum with a phase change material in a moisture impermeable enclosure. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31  wherein the phase change material is selected from the group consisting of bee's wax, paraffin, crystalline paraffin, salt hydrates, crystalline polymers, naphthalene, glycol mixture, stable nanofluid, paraffin-based nanofluid, and paraffin-aluminum nanofluid. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 30  further comprising the steps of:
 configuring the thermally conductive stratum with a second heat exchanger; and circulating a second heat transfer fluid between the second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger with a second heat transfer device in fluid connection with the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33  wherein the third heat exchanger is selected from the group consisting of a hydronic heat exchanger, a refrigerant heat exchanger, a solar thermal heat exchanger, a thermally active building structure, a snow melt heat exchanger, a process heat exchanger, a water-to-air heat exchanger, a thermal storage device, a boiler, a chiller, a cooling tower, a combined heat and power unit, an air conditioner, an absorption chiller, a direct exchange ground source heat pump, an air source heat pump, a water-to-water ground source heat pump, a water-to-air ground source heat pump, and a dual source heat pump. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 33  wherein the second heat exchanger and third heat exchanger are selected from the group consisting of a hydronic heat exchanger, and a refrigerant heat exchanger. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 33  wherein the second heat transfer fluid circulating between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger is selected from the group consisting of water, deionized water, glycol/water solution, dielectric fluids, polyalphaolefin, fluorocarbons, antifreeze mixture, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, brine, and nanofluid, and a refrigerant. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 33  wherein the second heat transfer device is selected from the group consisting of a single speed pump, a multi-speed pump, a variable speed pump, a single speed compressor, a multi-speed compressor, and a variable speed compressor. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 33  further comprising the steps of:
 configuring at least one temperature sensor in thermal connection with the second heat transfer fluid and in signal communication with a microprocessor controller; and 
 sending by the microprocessor controller at least one control signal to the second heat transfer device causing the second heat transfer device to circulate the second heat transfer fluid to the third heat exchanger at a flow rate calculated by the microprocessor controller. 
 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 configuring an electrically conductive stratum in contact with the first earthen stratum; 
 bonding the electrically conductive stratum to at least one electrical conductor means; and 
 bonding the electrical conductor means to at least one building electrode. 
 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39  wherein the electrically conductive stratum is selected from the group consisting of a cathode material, an anode material in electrical circuit connection to an impressed current, and an anode material in electrical circuit connection to an impressed current generated by a solar photovoltaic array. 
     
     
         41 . A method for controlling a temperature of a heat transfer fluid entering into an at least one second heat exchanger, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) configuring an at least one first heat exchanger in thermal connection with and in between a phase change material stratum and a thermally resistive stratum;   (b) configuring a heat transfer device to circulate the heat transfer fluid in the at least one first heat exchanger and in fluid connection to the at least one second heat exchanger; and   (c) configuring an at least one temperature sensor in thermal connection with the heat transfer fluid and in signal communication with a microprocessor controller which sends at least one control signal to the heat transfer device to circulate the heat transfer fluid into the at least one first heat exchanger fluidly connected to the at least one second heat exchanger at a flow rate calculated by the microprocessor controller.   
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41  further comprising the steps of:
 configuring the at least one first heat exchanger as a solar thermal heat exchanger; 
 configuring the heat transfer fluid as a direct absorption nanofluid; 
 configuring the at least one heat exchanger in step (b) to contain the heat transfer fluid in an enclosed volume without internal piping attached to a thermal collector; and 
 configuring a fluid connection between the heat transfer device in step (c) and the heat transfer fluid within the enclosed volume of the at least one first heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein the phase change material stratum is selected from the group consisting of bee's wax, paraffin, crystalline paraffin, salt hydrates, crystalline polymers, naphthalene, glycol mixture, stable nanofluid, paraffin-based nanofluid, and paraffin-aluminum nanofluid. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein the at least one first heat exchanger is selected from the group consisting of a hydronic heat exchanger, a refrigerant heat exchanger, a solar thermal heat exchanger, a thermally active building structure, a snow melt heat exchanger, a process heat exchanger, a water-to-air heat exchanger, a thermal storage device, and a cooling tower. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein the at least one second heat exchanger is selected from the group consisting of a hydronic heat exchanger, a refrigerant heat exchanger, a solar thermal heat exchanger, a ground heat exchanger, a thermally active building structure, a snow melt heat exchanger, a process heat exchanger, a water-to-air heat exchanger, a thermal storage device, a boiler, a chiller, a cooling tower, a combined heat and power unit, an air conditioner, an absorption chiller, a direct exchange ground source heat pump, an air source heat pump, a water-to-water ground source heat pump, a water-to-air ground source heat pump, and a dual source heat pump. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein the heat transfer device is selected from the group consisting of a single speed pump, a multi-speed pump, a variable speed pump, a single speed compressor, a multi-speed compressor, and a variable speed compressor. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein the heat transfer fluid is selected from the group consisting of refrigerant, water, deionized water, glycol/water solution, dielectric fluids, polyalphaolefin, fluorocarbons, antifreeze mixture, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, brine, and nanofluid. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein the microprocessor controller is selected from the group consisting of a microprocessor controller integral to the heat transfer device, a microprocessor controller with a self-contained algorithm, a microprocessor controller operated through a user interface, a software algorithm, and a cloud-based algorithm. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 41  wherein the at least one first heat exchanger is selected from the group consisting of a heat exchanger configured with internal piping containing the heat transfer fluid attached to a thermal collector and configured in a serpentine pattern, and a heat exchanger configured with internal piping containing the heat transfer fluid attached to a thermal collector and configured in a serpentine pattern. 
     
     
         50 . A method for preventing corrosion of a ground heat exchanger and a building structure, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) configuring an electrically conductive stratum in contact with a first earthen stratum;   (b) configuring a ground heat exchanger in thermal contact with the first earthen stratum;   (c) configuring an electrical circuit connection between the electrically conductive stratum and at least one electrical conductor;   (d) configuring an electrical circuit connection between the electrical conductor and at least one of:
 (i) at least one electrode in the building structure, 
 (ii) the ground heat exchanger, and 
 (iii) the at least one electrode in the building structure and the ground heat exchanger; and 
   (e) configuring the ground heat exchanger in contact with a second earthen stratum.   
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50  wherein the electrically conductive stratum is selected from the group consisting of a cathode material, an anode material in electrical circuit connection to an impressed current, and an anode material in electrical circuit connection to an impressed current generated by a solar photovoltaic array. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 50  wherein configuring step (d) further comprises the step of:
 bonding the electrical conductor to at least one of:
 at least one electrode in the building structure, 
 the ground heat exchanger, and 
 the at least one electrode in the building structure and the ground heat exchanger. 
 
 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 50  wherein the electrically conductive stratum is selected from the group consisting of a cathode material, an anode material in electrical circuit connection to an impressed current, and an anode material in electrical circuit connection to an impressed current generated by a solar photovoltaic array. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 50  further comprising the step of:
 augmenting the first earthen stratum with at least one additive material improving the electrical conductivity of the first earthen stratum. 
 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54  wherein the at least one additive material is selected from the group consisting of tire steel cord, metal shavings, graphite, glass, sand, mineral, salt, clay, moisture retention material, and electrolyte.