There is herein described energy storage systems. More particularly, there is herein described thermal energy storage systems and use of energy storable material such as phase change material in the provision of heating and/or cooling systems in, for example, domestic dwellings.

A heat pump system includes a compressor coupled to a first variable speed motor, a first heat exchanger, a geothermal heat exchanger, a fan coupled to a second variable speed motor, and an expansion device. The heat pump system also includes a refrigerant loop which fluidly couples the compressor, the geothermal heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the first heat exchanger. The heat pump system also includes a controller configured to adjust a first speed of the first variable speed motor, a second speed of the second variable speed motor, and an operation of the expansion device based upon a thermal energy demand.

A refrigeration and/or heat transfer device includes a heating section and cooling section, a release member, and a one-way check valve affixed together in a continuous loop so working fluid may flow in one direction therein. The heating section absorbs heat and transfers such heat to the working fluid, thereby heating, expanding and increasing pressure upon the working fluid therein. The pressurized working fluid is released in a regulated manner from the heating section to the cooling section, thereby carrying the heat away. The released working fluid cools and transfers its heat to the surroundings within the cooling section. As released working fluid enters the cooling section, such fluid displaces already cooled working fluid, pushing such fluid through the one-way check valve back into the heating section to absorb heat. The working fluid may undergo a phase change or remain in a single phase throughout to enhance heat transfer.

A district energy system includes at least one energy provisioning unit, an energy management controller; a thermal distribution network coupled to the energy provisioning units and to a plurality of coupling interfaces connectable to the associated HVAC system of buildings within a district, and an electrical distribution network coupled to the energy provisioning units and to the coupling interfaces. The coupling interfaces may include both heat pumps and heat exchangers at each building, to provide heating, cooling and enable harvesting of normally wasted thermal energy from the buildings for re-distribution. The controller can manage the selection and number of energy provisioning units (and their operational set points) coupled to the district thermal distribution network and the electrical distribution network to meet the thermal and electrical demands of the district while satisfying other operational goals such as the minimization of greenhouse gas emissions.

A heat delivery system for agricultural applications, the system including: piping including alternate heat insulated segments and heat transferring segments, the piping being configured with a fluid flow path extending through the alternating heat insulated segments and heat transferring segments; and a fluid propelling arrangement configured for motivating flow of heat accommodating fluid within the fluid flow path.

Heat pump system (100) comprising at least one heat medium circuit (210,220,230,240,250,310,320,410,420,430,440,450,460) in turn comprising a compressor (211), an expansion valve (232,242), at least two different primary heat sources or sinks selected from outdoor air, a water body, the ground or exhaust air, at least one of two different secondary heat sources or sinks selected from indoors air, pool water and tap water, a respective temperature sensor (412,432) at each of said primary heat sources or sinks, a valve means (421,431,451) for selectively directing the primary-side heat medium to at least one of said primary heat exchanging means, and a control means (500). The invention is characterised in that, in a secondary-side heating operating mode, the temperature of said primary heat sources or sinks is measured, and in that the primary-side heat medium is directed only to available primary heat exchanging means associated with the heat sources or sinks with the highest temperature. The invention also relates to a method.

An intelligent heat pump system having a dual heat exchanger structure includes a heat source side heat exchange member, a heat pump, an external expansion valve, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger, a heat storage tank, and a target side end unit. A refrigerant flows through the heat pump, the refrigerant-water heat exchanger, and the target side end unit, and in a non-air-conditioning state for the target site, circulates between the heat pump and the refrigerant-water heat exchanger, so that cooled or heated water is stored in the heat storage tank. In an air-conditioning state for the target site, the heat pump and the heat storage tank supply cooling and heating to the target site, so that the power consumption for normal operation is reduced in order to improve the operation efficiency of the intelligent heat pump system.

A method and arrangement for conditioning a building space of a building includes extracting heat energy from the building space to heat pump working fluid with a primary heat exchange connection of a heat pump and releasing heat energy from the heat pump working fluid with a secondary heat exchange connection of the heat pump to geothermal working fluid of a geothermal heat exchanger. The method further includes releasing heat energy from the geothermal working fluid to ground at lower part of the ground hole having depth at least 300 meters, producing solar energy with a solar energy apparatus provided to the building, and supplying the solar energy to the heat pump or to the geothermal heat exchanger.

A method of processing electrical data and signals which comprises locating a site with a geothermal hot water resource which feeds hot water to an on-site heat engine that drives an on-site electricity generator which provides electrical power to an array of microprocessors, located in an enclosure structure, that processes data transmitted from a remote location at high speeds. The processed data is transmitted back to the remote locations at high speeds.

A refrigeration and/or heat transfer device includes a heating section and cooling section, a release member, and a one-way check valve affixed together in a continuous loop so working fluid may flow in one direction therein. The heating section absorbs heat and transfers such heat to the working fluid, thereby heating, expanding and increasing pressure upon the working fluid therein. The pressurized working fluid is released in a regulated manner from the heating section to the cooling section, thereby carrying the heat away. The released working fluid cools and transfers its heat to the surroundings within the cooling section. As released working fluid enters the cooling section, such fluid displaces already cooled working fluid, pushing such fluid through the one-way check valve back into the heating section to absorb heat. The working fluid may undergo a phase change or remain in a single phase throughout to enhance heat transfer.