Building heating and/or cooling methods of the present disclosure can include continuously distributing fluid from within conduits within a concrete floor of a building to conduits within grounds surrounding and/or supporting the building.

A geothermal heat utilization system includes a heat source well facility, a heat source device having a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expanded portion, and an evaporator, a primary refrigerant circuit that is connected to a first unit which is one of the condenser and the evaporator of the heat source device, heat exchange being able to be performed between the first unit and the well-side pipe, a secondary refrigerant circuit that is connected to a second unit which is the other of the condenser and the evaporator of the heat source device, heat exchange being able to be performed between the second unit and a load, and a mode switching unit that switches between a cold heat storage operation mode in which the primary refrigerant circuit is connected to the evaporator and the secondary refrigerant circuit is connected to the condenser and a cold heat discharge operation mode in which the primary refrigerant circuit is connected to the condenser and the secondary refrigerant circuit is connected to the evaporator.

The method and apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a low-temperature or high temperature heating system, comprising a primary heat releasing unit (i.e. cogeneration unit with fuel cell (FC) or internal combustion engine (ICE)) for co-generation of the heat and power, and at least one secondary heat releasing unit (i.e. heat pump (HP)) for utilization of at least one of the available waste/renewable energy heat sources (HS) from the ambient (A), where the heat generated by said heat pump is preferably used for preheating the heat transfer medium in the return line of the closed loop heating system, wherein a primary heat releasing unit is used to heat the heat transfer medium to the required temperature level of the heat distribution network. The apparatus according to the invention may comprise one or more heat pumps (HP) of the same or different types, and one or more primary heat releasing units in serial, parallel or cascade connection circuits.

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.

An electronic signals processing facility which includes 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.

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.

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 distributed heating network comprising a plurality of individual heat pumps. Each heat pump is individually coupled to a common heat source of the network, the common heat source of the network comprising a liquid loop within the network, the liquid of the loop being maintained at close to ambient temperature through active heat management of the common heat source. The common heat source is further coupled to at least one energy source. A controller is configure to thermally decouple the energy source from the heat.

A heat transfer system includes a conduit having open first and second ends, first and second thermal exchange segments disposed in-between and in fluid communication with the ends, and a means for adding fluid to the first end. The first thermal exchange segment is disposed underneath and in thermal communication with the ground, a body of water, or other location with a different temperature. The first and second ends are arranged above all other section of conduit and relative to one another so that they are communicating vessels and a change in fluid level in one changes the fluid level in the other. The means for adding fluid to the first end of the conduit causes fluid to flow freely from the first end to the second end and fluid level to rise in the second overcoming any hydrostatic pressure in the system without a pump disposed along the conduit.

A system and method for providing useable source fluid from a thermal exchange unit and/or one or more thermal exchange and storage units is disclosed. Topologies described allow operation in an air source, a ground source, a preconditioning, a parallel and a simultaneous mode. In the air source mode conditioned source fluid is obtained exclusively from an air-to-liquid heat exchanger. In the ground source mode source fluid is obtained exclusively from a ground heat exchanger. In the preconditioning mode source fluid from the air-to-liquid heat exchanger is used to condition a ground heat exchanger. In the parallel mode source fluid is obtained from both the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and a ground heat exchangers. In the simultaneous mode, source fluid from the air-to-liquid heat exchanger is used to improve the thermal condition of a ground heat exchanger while source fluid for the heat pump is obtained from another ground heat exchanger.