Energy Room as an Energy Center

Abstract

An energy room for providing energy to a building that is physically separate from the energy room. The energy room contains on the one side service connections from public utilities and services and on the other side service connections to service lines that run to the building. The energy room becomes an energy center for the building by housing energy generation equipment and energy storage devices. The energy center generates energy that is supplied to the building, but also receives energy that is generated at the building and uses that energy to generate another form of energy and/or stores that energy to be delivered at a later time to the building.

Claims

1: An energy room for providing energy to a building that is physically separate from the energy room, the energy room comprising: a body having walls and a floor; a cover that is placed across an upper face of the body; an access opening provided in the cover that allows a person access to an interior of the body; an access door that opens and closes the access opening; at least one public utilities pass-through and at least one building services pass-through in the body for supply lines that lead into and out of the energy room; and at least one storage device for storing energy that is supplied to the building upon demand; wherein the cover is attached to the body by means of releasable fasteners that are fire and explosion-proof; and wherein the access door in the access opening serves as an overpressure relief valve that opens automatically when an overpressure builds up inside the body beyond a specified limit value.

2: The energy room of claim 1, wherein the cover is connected to the walls by means of turnbuckles.

3: The energy room of claim 1, wherein a water-tight seal is provided between the walls and the cover.

4: The energy room of claim 1, wherein the body has connection means for receiving lifting gear connectors.

5: The energy room of claim 4, wherein the connection means for lifting gear connectors includes a plurality of threaded sleeves that are horizontally oriented and open into vertical surfaces of the body, for releasably receiving the lifting gear connectors.

6: The energy room of claim 1, wherein the cover has connection means for receiving lifting gear connectors.

7: The energy room of claim 1, further comprising: a stairway with a handrail that is accessible from outside the body via the access opening.

8: The energy room of claim 1, further comprising: an air vent in the cover and a ventilation device in the body, to provide an air exchange within the body.

9: The energy room of claim 1, wherein the body is made up of at least two end segments, each end segment having three walls and a floor.

10: The energy room of claim 9, wherein the body includes one or more extension segments, each extension segment having two opposing walls and a floor, and wherein the one or more extension segments are placed between the two end segments, so as to achieve a desired length of the body.

11: The energy room of claim 9, wherein the end segment and the extension segment have the same basal area, wherein a cover segment fits across the end segment or the extension segment; and wherein the cover over the body includes a plurality of cover segments equal in number to the total number of the end segments and extension segment(s).

12: The energy room of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the walls and/or floor are made of self-compacting concrete.

13: The energy room of claim 1, wherein the cover is made of self-compacting concrete.

14: An energy center for providing energy to a building, the energy center comprising: an energy room having a body with walls and a floor; a cover that is placed across an upper face of the body; an access opening provided in the cover that allows a person access to an interior of the body; an access door that opens and closes the access opening; at least one public utilities pass-through and at least one building services pass-through are provided in the body for supply lines that lead into and out of the energy room; and at least one storage device for storing energy that is supplied to the building on demand; wherein the cover is attached to the body by means of releasable fasteners that are fire and explosion-proof safety elements; and wherein the access door in the access opening serves as an overpressure relief valve that opens automatically when an overpressure builds up inside the body beyond a specified limit value.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. The drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0052] FIG. 1 is a perspective view through a vertical cross-section into a first embodiment of an energy room according to the invention, showing a stairway, various technical devices, installations, and conduits.

[0053] FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of the body of a second embodiment of an energy room according to the invention that is in the process of being installed at a construction site, showing pre-assembled storage devices and conduits.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a perspective view obliquely from above of an energy center according to the invention, with two walls and the cover removed, illustrating various devices and equipment installed within the energy center.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0055] The present invention will now be described more fully in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention should not, however, be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0056] FIG. 1 shows an energy room 1 according to the invention that is installed in the ground 2. The energy room 1 is an enclosed space formed by a body 3 that has a floor 4 and walls 5, and a cover 6. An access opening 7 having a hinged hatch or access door 6 is provided in the cover 6. The access door 6 is dimensioned sufficiently large to allow a person and equipment to pass through the access opening 7 and is secured in place by means of a lock device (not shown) which prevents unauthorized persons from accessing the interior of the body 3, but which is mechanically weak enough, that in the event of an explosion occurring inside the body 3, the pressure build-up will force the access door 6 open. In this way, the access door 6 also serves as an overpressure relief valve. A stairway 9 is installed within the body 3. The stairway 9 also has a handrail 15, which is not shown in this illustration for reasons of clarity.

[0057] FIG. 1 illustrates various kinds of technical equipment that may be installed within the energy room 1, which, when such equipment is installed is then referred to as an energy center 1A, an embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 3. The kinds of equipment typically installed in the energy center include conduits, shut-off valves, meters, an electronic controller, and energy storage devices, for example, a large rechargeable battery for storing electrical energy, and storage tanks, for example, a tank for storing hydrogen gas and a hot water tank for storing heat.

[0058] FIG. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the energy room 1 in which the body 3 is made up of three separate body segments, two end segments 16, and an extension segment 17 that is placed between the end segments 16. FIG. 2 also shows the rear end segment 16 still suspended from a lifting means 11, in the process of being lowered into its final position. A plane view from above onto either one of the end segments 16 would show a structure having three walls 5 that form a U-shape. In fact, none of the segments 16 and 17 has four walls. Each end segment 16 and extension segment 17 also includes the floor 4, which is not visible in this illustration.

[0059] This segmented construction of the body 3 allows the size of the energy room 1 to be easily adapted to accommodate the particular needs of each individual energy center. The appropriate number of extension segments 17 are placed between two end segments 16 to obtain the desired dimensions of the body 3. The cover 6 may also be manufactured in segments so that each end segment 16 and each extension segment 17 has its own cover 6.

[0060] The end segments 16 and extension segments 17 preferably have the same footprint or surface area, i.e., the same width and length, because then one size of the cover 6 will fit over each type of body segment 16 and 17. This also means that only three components, the end segment 16, the extension segment 17, and the cover 6 need be provided in order to construct the body 3 of the energy room 1 that is adapted to the required size.

[0061] The body 3 of the energy room 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 shows that the technical devices and equipment that are to be housed within the energy center 1A, i.e., storage tanks, electrical devices, conduits, etc., have been pre-assembled in two respective end segments 16 and an extension segment 17. This pre-assembly is done in an industrial setting, prior to bringing the segments 16 and 17 to the construction site. The pre-assembled segments 16 and 17 are then transported to the construction site and lowered by a crane into the ground 2. The end segments 16 are then fastened to the extension segment 17 in a manner that creates a water-tight connection between the segments. The technical devices and equipment installed within the body 3 are then hooked up to the corresponding electrical lines, conduits, and, as required, to other devices within the body. Also shown in FIG. 2 is the stairway 9, with handrails 15 mounted on each side.

[0062] Alternatively to the pre-assembled segments shown in FIG. 2, the technical devices and equipment that are to be assembled in the energy room 1 may be pre-assembled on a frame or rack. In this case, the frame or rack is either set up as a free-standing installation in the body 3 or is secured at several points to the walls 5, to prevent tipping.

[0063] Still referring to FIG. 2, one can see that the lifting means 11 includes lifting traverses 12 and chains 14 that are attached to connecting elements 10 that are provided in the upper face of the walls 5. A crane (not shown) is used in a manner known per se to lift the body 3 or, should the body include several separate segments, each respective end segment 16 and extension segment 17.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above of an embodiment of the energy center 1A according to the invention. To better illustrate the interior of the energy center 1A, two walls and the cover have been eliminated in this illustration. Two buffer storage tanks 18 for a heating system stand on the floor 4 at one end of the body 3. A cabinet for an electrical sub-distribution panel 19 is mounted on the rear wall. A pressure compensation tank 20 for the heating system is set up on the floor 4, and above it is a peak load boiler 21 for the heating system, which is mounted on what would be the front wall of the body 3, but which is not shown in this view. Two hydrogen combination units 22 are set up on the floor 4, each of these combination units 22 containing an electrolyser for electrically generating hydrogen, a hydrogen storage tank for the generated hydrogen gas, and a fuel cell to generate on demand electrical energy or heat from the stored hydrogen.

[0065] An energy storage device 23 is set up beneath the stairs 9. This energy storage device 23 serves as intermediate storage for electrical energy that is generated, for example, by a photovoltaic system that is located on the roof of a building that is associated with this energy center 1A. A system control panel 24 is mounted on the wall 5 beneath the stairs 9. This system control panel 24 controls the functional interaction of the devices within the energy center 1A and the interaction of these devices with other technical devices that are connected to them, for example, the photovoltaic system on the building. A meter panel 25 is also mounted on the wall 5 beneath the stairs 9, at eye level. A controller that regulates the energy that is fed to individual residential units may also be included in the meter panel 25, but such a controller may also be mounted in the cabinet for the system controller 24.

[0066] It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention. Variations in the construction of the energy room and the energy center may be contemplated by one skilled in the art without limiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and as defined by the following claims.