A heat pump network is described. In one aspect a distributed heat pump network used in a district heating architecture is described.

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 system for utilizing waste heat of data center, which includes a first heat exchange module, a second heat exchange module, a heat storage and extraction flow path, a heat supply flow path and a buried pipe; both the heat storage and extraction flow path and the heat supply flow path are connected with the first heat exchange module, the second heat exchange module is connected in the heat storage and extraction flow path and the heat supply flow path, the buried pipe is arranged in the heat storage and extraction flow path, and the buried pipe is configured to be buried below a ground surface and store the heat transferred by the data center heat dissipation system into soil below the ground surface, or transfer heat stored in the soil below the ground surface to the heat supply flow path through the second heat exchange module.

A heat pump assembly (100) is presented. The heat pump assembly (100) comprises a heat pump (110) having a primary side inlet (122) and a primary side outlet (124); a primary side inlet valve assembly (126) comprising: a primary side inlet connection (126a) connected to the primary side inlet (122), a primary side inlet valve first conduit connection (126b) configured to be connected to a first conduit (12) of a thermal energy grid (10), and a primary side inlet valve second conduit connection (126c) configured to be connected to a second conduit (14) of the thermal energy grid (10); a first conduit temperature determining device (105a) configured to measure a local temperature, t.sub.1, of heat transfer liquid of the first conduit (12); a second conduit temperature determining device (105b) configured to measure a local temperature, t.sub.2, of heat transfer liquid of the second conduit (14); and a controller (108). The controller is configured to: receive hand t.sub.2 from the first and second conduit temperature determining devices (105a; 105b), receive information pertaining to whether the heat pump (110) is a heating mode heat pump or a cooling mode heat pump. The controller is configured to upon the heat pump (110) is the heating mode heat pump and upon t.sub.2>t.sub.1 set the primary side inlet valve assembly (126) to fluidly connect the primary side inlet valve first conduit connection (126b) and the primary side inlet connection (126a), primary side inlet valve assembly (126) to fluidly connect the primary side inlet valve or upon the heat pump (110) is the heating mode heat pump and upon t.sub.1>t.sub.2, set the second conduit connection (126c) and the primary side inlet connection (126a). The controller is configured to upon the heat pump (110) is the cooling mode heat pump and upon t.sub.1>t.sub.2, set the primary side inlet valve assembly (126) to fluidly connect the primary side inlet valve second conduit connection (126c) and the primary side inlet connection (126a), or upon the heat pump (110) is the cooling mode heat pump and upon t.sub.2>t.sub.1, set the primary side inlet valve assembly (126) to fluidly connect the primary side inlet valve first conduit connection (126b) and the primary side inlet connection (126a).

A control system for controlling an adjustable output voltage provided to a heater includes a controller configured to determine an input parameter based on an electrical characteristic of the heater, where the heater includes a resistive heating element that is operable to emit heat and as a sensor. The controller is further configured to determine an output voltage for the heater based on the input parameter and a desired setpoint, and to transmit a signal to a power converter to generate the output voltage. The desired setpoint is based on an operational state of the heater, and the input parameter includes data indicative of a temperature of the resistive heating element that is determined based on the electrical characteristic.

A control system includes a power converter being a step-down voltage converter and including a power switch. The power converter is operable to generate an adjustable output voltage and includes a sensor circuit configured to measure at least one of a voltage and an electric current of the heater. The control system includes a controller connected to the power converter and the sensor circuit. The controller is configured to determine an input parameter based on the at least one of the voltage and the electric current. The input parameter is indicative of a temperature of the heater. The controller is configured to set the output voltage applied for the heater based on the input parameter and a desired setpoint. The desired setpoint is based on an operational state of the heater. The controller is configured to operate the power switch of the power converter to generate the output voltage.

A system for utilizing waste heat of data center, which includes a first heat exchange module, a second heat exchange module, a heat storage and extraction flow path, a heat supply flow path and a buried pipe; both the heat storage and extraction flow path and the heat supply flow path are connected with the first heat exchange module, the second heat exchange module is connected in the heat storage and extraction flow path and the heat supply flow path, the buried pipe is arranged in the heat storage and extraction flow path, and the buried pipe is configured to be buried below a ground surface and store the heat transferred by the data center heat dissipation system into soil below the ground surface, or transfer heat stored in the soil below the ground surface to the heat supply flow path through the second heat exchange module.

A method includes selecting a state model control, as an operational state of the heater, from among a plurality of state model controls, measuring an electrical characteristic of the heater, where the electrical characteristic includes at least one of an electric current and a voltage, and controlling power to the heater based on the selected operational state and based on the measured electrical characteristic.

The present disclosure generally describes a method and system for converting power to operate a load being supplied by line power having a line energy. The method includes rectifying the line power, bucking the rectified line power to generate a desired voltage output such that current is drawn from the line power in phase with the desired voltage output, and bypassing switching energy created during the bucking of the rectified line power.