# US 10,871,310 B2 · Underground heat exchanger

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- Number: US 10,871,310 B2
- Document ID: US10871310B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/098,039
- Filed: 2017-10-23
- Published: 2019-05-23
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2016-10-26
- Assignees: Eco-Planner Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Eco-Planner Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Satoshi Yasumoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871310B2

## CPC

- F24T 10/17: using tubes closed at one end, i.e. return-type tubes
- F24T 10/30: using underground reservoirs for accumulating working fluids or intermediate fluids
- F24T 10/00: Geothermal collectors
- F28D 20/0043: {specially adapted for long-term heat storage; Underground tanks; Floating reservoirs; Pools; Ponds (F28D20/0052 takes precedence)}
- F28F 21/062: {the heat-exchange apparatus employing tubular conduits}
- F24T 10/15: using bent tubes; using tubes assembled with connectors or with return headers
- F28D 1/06: with the heat-exchange conduits forming part of, or being attached to, the tank containing the body of fluid
- F28D 7/0008: {the conduits for one medium being in heat conductive contact with the conduits for the other medium}
- F28D 7/10: the conduits being arranged one within the other, e.g. concentrically {(multiple wall tubes for leak detection F28F1/003)}
- F28F 2255/02: Flexible elements
- Y02E 10/10: Geothermal energy
- Y02E 60/14: Thermal energy storage
- Y02E 70/30: Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
- F24T: GEOTHERMAL COLLECTORS; GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An underground heat exchanger comprising:
a bottomed tubular flexible bag body which is accommodated in an accommodation hole portion disposed under ground in a vertical direction, and extends in the vertical direction; and
an outer tube which is accommodated in the accommodation hole portion, extends in the vertical direction along an outer surface portion of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body from an upper end to a lower end thereof and communicates at a lower end with the lower end of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body,
wherein the bottomed tubular flexible bag body is made of a hardening resin, the outer surface portion of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body can cover an inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion in a close contact state in a state in which the bottomed tubular flexible bag body is inflated, the bottomed tubular flexible bag body is structured to be hardened in the close contact state of the outer surface portion covering the inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion, and a lining tubular body formed by the hardening is capable of forming a liquid storage tank for storing a heat medium liquid in its internal space, and
wherein the outer tube is structured to be pinched between the outer surface portion of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body and the inner wall portion.

### Claim 2

An underground heat exchanger comprising:
a bottomed tubular flexible bag body which is accommodated in an accommodation hole portion disposed under ground in a vertical direction, and extends in the vertical direction; and
an outer tube which is accommodated in the accommodation hole portion, extends in the vertical direction along an outer surface portion of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body on only one side thereof and communicates at a lower end with a lower end of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body,
wherein the bottomed tubular flexible bag body is structured such that a core member obtained by impregnating a flexible base member with a liquid hardening resin is accommodated between a flexible inner bag made of resin and a flexible outer bag made of resin, the outer surface portion of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body can cover an inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion in a close contact state in a state in which the bottomed tubular flexible bag body is inflated, the bottomed tubular flexible bag body is structured to be hardened in the close contact state of the outer surface portion covering the inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion, and a lining tubular body formed by the hardening is capable of forming a liquid storage tank for storing a heat medium liquid in its internal space, and
wherein the outer tube is structured such as to be pinched between the outer surface portion of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body and the inner wall portion.

### Claim 3

An underground heat exchange system comprising:
a bag body having a bottomed tubular flexibility and made of a hardening resin, the bag body being accommodated in an accommodation hole portion which is provided under ground in a vertical direction; and
an outer tube extending along an outer surface portion of the bag body in the vertical direction and communicates at a lower end with a lower end of the bag body, the outer tube being accommodated in the accommodation hole portion,
wherein the bag body in an expanded and hardened state is cylindrical with a first outer diameter and said outer tube is cylindrical with a second outer diameter smaller than said first outer diameter, said outer tube being pinched between a desired width portion of the outer surface portion of the bag body, extending in a circumferential direction, and an inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion, and a major portion of the outer surface portion is in a state of covering the inner wall portion in a close contact state,
wherein the bag body is structured to be hardened in the covering state, and a lining tubular body formed by the hardening is structured to form a liquid storage tank which can store a heat medium liquid in its internal space,
wherein an inner tube is structured to be arranged in an upper portion of the liquid storage tank in a state of sinking its lower end portion into the heat medium liquid within the liquid storage tank,
wherein an upper end of the outer tube is structured to be connected to one end of a heat absorbing and radiating tube portion which is capable of radiating heat in an area where heat radiation is required and can absorb heat in an area where heat absorption is required, and an upper end of the inner tube is structured such as to be connected to the other end of the heat absorbing and radiating tube portion, the upper end of said outer tube and the upper end of said inner tube communicating with one another via said heat absorbing and radiating tube portion, and
wherein a pump for circulating the heat medium liquid is interposed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The underground heat exchanger according to claim 1 wherein an inner peripheral surface of the lining tubular body is formed partially into a concave surface and partially into a convex surface.

### Claim 5

An underground heat exchanger comprising:
a bottomed tubular flexible bag body which is accommodated in an accommodation hole portion disposed under ground in a vertical direction, and extends in the vertical direction; and
an outer tube which is accommodated in the accommodation hole portion, extends in the vertical direction along an outer surface of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body and communicates at a lower end with a lower end of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body,
wherein the bottomed tubular flexible bag body has a water proofing property and can form a liquid storage tank for storing the heat medium liquid, and an outer surface portion of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body is capable of covering in a closely contact state an inner wall portion of the accommodation hole portion, in a state in which the heat medium liquid is stored in the bottomed tubular flexible bag body and the bottomed tubular flexible bag body is inflated, and
wherein the outer tube is of smaller outer diameter than the bottomed tubular flexible bog body and is structured to be pinched between the outer surface portion of the bottomed tubular flexible bag body on only one side thereof and the inner wall portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The underground heat exchanger according to claim 2 wherein an inner peripheral surface of the lining tubular body is formed partially into a concave surface and partially into a convex surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The underground heat exchanger according to claim 3 wherein an inner peripheral surface of the lining tubular body is formed partially into a concave surface and partially into a convex surface.