An underground heat exchanger has a bottomed tubular flexible bag body accommodated in an accommodation hole portion in the ground, and an outer tube accommodated in the accommodation hole portion, vertically extending along an outer surface portion of the bag body and communicating in its lower end with a lower end of the bag body. The outer surface portion of the hardening resin bag body can cover an inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion in a closely contact state with the bag body being inflated. The bag body is hardened in the covering state, a lining tubular body formed by the hardening can form a liquid storage tank for storing a heat medium liquid in its internal space, and the outer tube is pinched between the outer surface portion of the bag body and the inner wall portion.

An underground heat exchanger has a bottomed tubular flexible bag body accommodated in an accommodation hole portion in the ground, and an outer tube accommodated in the accommodation hole portion, vertically extending along an outer surface portion of the bag body and communicating in its lower end with a lower end of the bag body. The outer surface portion of the hardening resin bag body can cover an inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion in a closely contact state with the bag body being inflated. The bag body is hardened in the covering state, a lining tubular body formed by the hardening can form a liquid storage tank for storing a heat medium liquid in its internal space, and the outer tube is pinched between the outer surface portion of the bag body and the inner wall portion.

Systems and methods for utilizing fluid produced from a geothermal source to generate electrical power and provide energy for upstream oil processing as part of a binary power generation station. Use of the geothermally-heated fluid continues in an enhanced oil recovery operation. Thermal energy of the geothermally-heated fluid heats a working fluid of a binary power generation plant to operate a turbine and to heat an oil heating medium as part of a gas-oil separation plant. The enhanced oil recovery operation may be a waterflooding operation.

A geothermal pile for harvesting electricity from a gradient of temperature between ambient air and an underground area is provided. The geothermal pile includes an elongated thermally-conductive body, a thermoelectric cell and an electrical output. The elongated thermally-conductive body has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The second end is configured to be introduced, in use, into an underground area. The thermoelectric cell is provided at the first end so as to be exposed to ambient air when the second end is introduced into the underground area. The thermoelectric cell is in thermal contact with the second end of the elongated thermally-conductive body and is configured to generate electricity from a gradient of temperature between a first temperature of the ambient air and a second temperature of the underground area. The electrical output is electrically connected to the thermoelectric cell.

A method for extracting thermal energy in an underground high temperature area of a coalfield fire area, including: determining a thermal extraction target area by a natural potential method and a ground detecting borehole; using an injection borehole to send a gaseous thermal medium to an underground high temperature area of the thermal extraction target area; after the thermal exchange between the gaseous thermal medium and a high temperature coal rock mass, the gaseous thermal medium is extracted through an extraction borehole; continuously monitoring a natural potential of the thermal extraction target area; arranging a casing-type borehole thermal exchanger in a potential anomaly region to complete the thermal exchange between the high temperature coal rocks and a liquid thermal medium; stopping the thermal extraction operations when the temperatures of the extracted gaseous thermal medium and the liquid thermal medium reach 70 C. or below.

A method for utilizing the inner energy of an aquifer fluid includes geothermal thermal water mixed with gas and optionally crude oil in a closed cycle to obtain an environmentally-neutral, carbon-dioxide-free utilization of the aquifer fluid and an environmentally-friendly supply of electric and thermal energy. An aquifer fluid is removed from an aquifer by means of a removal device, gas is separated by degassing the aquifer fluid in a gas-separation device, optionally crude oil is separated if necessary, the heat energy of the thermal water is utilized in at least one system for utilizing the thermal energy, the extracted gas and the optionally separated crude oil is com busted in at least one combustion device and the inner energy of the gas is utilized by operating a generator, the CO.sub.2 being removed from the waste gas and recycled into the aquifer.

The present invention provides improvements for heating and cooling of structures. In the exemplary embodiments reference is made to residential structures though light commercial buildings would be another option. The heat transfer systems of the exemplary embodiments are constructed and arranged as a way to provide supplemental heat transfer for geothermal systems. One improvement provided by the exemplary embodiments relative to current geothermal systems is the utilization of residential wastewater discharge as the heat sink. Another improvement provided by the exemplary embodiments relative to current geothermal systems is the installation method which can be performed at the same time when the geothermal system is being installed. By linking together these two system installations, cost savings should be realized.

The disclosed technology includes methods of extracting geothermal energy, generally comprising the steps of: insertion of a thermal mass into a Heat Absorption Zone, absorbing heat in thermal mass, raising the thermal mass to a Heat Transfer Zone, and transferring the heat from the thermal mass. The acquired heat can be used to generate electricity or to drive an industrial process. The thermal mass can have internal chambers containing a liquid such as molten salt, and can also have structures facilitating heat exchange using a thermal exchange fluid, such as a gas or a glycol-based fluid. In some embodiments, two thermal masses are used as counterweights, reducing the energy consumed in bringing the heat in the thermal masses to the surface. In other embodiments, solid or molten salt can be directly supplied to a well shaft to acquire geothermal heat and returned to the surface in a closed loop system.

The present invention discloses and claims a more efficient and economical method and system for osmotic energy production and capture using responsive compounds and molecules. The present invention is an energy harvest system enabled by stimuli responsive draw solutions that are competent in terms of energy production, geographic location flexibility, and the affordable, efficient and economical production and delivery of osmotic power. Specifically, the present invention is a novel osmotic power system that uses stimuli responsive draw solutions, economically feasible larger permeable membranes, and low grade heat sources to deliver osmotic power more efficiently and economically with less negative environmental impact, greater power output, and located in more geographically diverse areas of the world than previously thought possible for supporting such a power source.

A heat transfer pipe embedded in a prefabricated pipe pile including a plurality of prefabricated pipe piles, a heat transfer pipe component and a pump assembly; the prefabricated pipe pile sealed by closing the bottom thereof and sides of which are provided with inclined holes; a locking pin provided at an inner wall of the pipe pile; a steel plate provided on the locking pin, and a steel bar structure bound on the steel plate; the heat transfer pipe component comprises a horizontal heat transfer pipe communicated with a vertical heat transfer pipe with both pipes communicated with the pump assembly, the horizontal pipe embedded and fixed via the steel bar structure, the vertical heat transfer pipe passes through the inclined holes and fixed in the pipe pile via a steel bar bracket.