Local thermal energy consumer assembly and a local thermal energy generator assembly for a district thermal energy distribution system
AssigneeE. On Sverige AB
InventorPer Rosén
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A local thermal energy consumer assembly and a local thermal energy generator assembly to be connected to a thermal energy circuit comprising a hot and a cold conduit. The local thermal energy consumer assembly is connected via a flow controller to the hot conduit. The local thermal energy generator assembly is connected via a flow controller to the cold conduit. The flow controller is selectively set in pumping mode or a flowing mode based on a local pressure difference between heat transfer liquid of the hot and cold conduits.
Claims15
A local thermal energy consumer assembly, arranged to be connected to a thermal energy circuit comprising a hot conduit configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a first temperature to flow therethrough, and a cold conduit configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a second temperature to flow therethrough, the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, the local thermal energy consumer assembly comprising:
- a consumer assembly pressure difference determining device adapted to determine a consumer assembly local pressure difference, Δp1, of the thermal energy circuit;
- a thermal energy consumer heat exchanger;
- and
- a flow controller,
- wherein the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger is arranged to be connected to the hot conduit via the flow controller,
- wherein the flow controller comprises a mode controller configured to, based on Δp1, selectively set the flow controller in a pumping mode or in a flowing mode, wherein upon set in the pumping mode the flow controller is configured to act as a pump for pumping heat transfer liquid from the hot conduit into the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger, and wherein upon set in flowing mode the flow controller is configured to act as a flow regulator for allowing heat transfer liquid from the hot conduit to flow into the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger,
- wherein the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger is further arranged to be connected to the cold conduit for allowing return of heat transfer liquid from the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger to the cold conduit, and
- wherein the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger is arranged to transfer thermal energy from heat transfer liquid to surroundings of the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger, such that heat transfer liquid returned to the cold conduit has a temperature lower than the first temperature and preferably a temperature equal to the second temperature.
A local thermal energy generator assembly, arranged to be connected to a thermal energy circuit comprising a hot conduit configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a first temperature to flow therethrough, and a cold conduit configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a second temperature to flow therethrough, the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, the local thermal energy generator assembly comprising:
- a generator assembly pressure difference determining device adapted to determine a generator assembly local pressure difference, Δp2, of the thermal energy circuit;
- a thermal energy generator heat exchanger;
- and
- a flow controller,
- wherein the thermal energy generator heat exchanger is arranged to be connected to the cold conduit via the flow controller,
- wherein the flow controller comprises a mode controller configured to, based on Δp2, selectively set the flow controller in a pumping mode or in a flowing mode, wherein upon set in the pumping mode the flow controller is configured to act as a pump for pumping heat transfer liquid from the cold conduit into the thermal energy generator heat exchanger, and wherein upon set in flowing mode the flow controller is configured to act as a flow regulator for allowing heat transfer liquid from the cold conduit to flow into the thermal energy generator heat exchanger,
- wherein the thermal energy generator heat exchanger is further arranged to be connected to the hot conduit for allowing return of heat transfer liquid from the thermal energy generator heat exchanger to the hot conduit, and
- wherein the thermal energy generator heat exchanger is arranged to transfer thermal energy from its surroundings to heat transfer liquid, such that the heat transfer liquid returned to hot conduit has a temperature higher than the second temperature and preferably a temperature equal to the first temperature.
A method for controlling a thermal energy consumer heat exchanger being, via a flow controller, connected to a hot conduit configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a first temperature to flow therethrough, and being, via a return conduit, connected to a cold conduit configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a second temperature to flow therethrough, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, wherein the flow controller comprises a mode controller configured to selectively set the flow controller in a pumping mode or in a flowing mode, wherein upon set in the pumping mode the flow controller is configured to act as a pump for pumping heat transfer liquid from the hot conduit into the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger, and wherein upon set in flowing mode the flow controller is configured to act as a flow regulator for allowing heat transfer liquid from the hot conduit to flow into the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger, the method comprising:
- determining a consumer assembly local pressure difference, Δp1, between heat transfer liquid of the hot conduit and heat transfer liquid of the cold conduit;
- and
- based on Δp1 selectively setting the flow controller in the pumping mode or in the flowing mode for allowing heat transfer liquid from the hot conduit to enter into the thermal energy consumer heat exchanger.
A method for controlling a thermal energy generator heat exchanger being, via a flow controller, connected to a cold conduit configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a second temperature to flow therethrough, and being, via a return conduit, connected to a hot conduit configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a first temperature to flow therethrough, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, wherein the flow controller comprises a mode controller configured to selectively set the flow controller in a pumping mode or in a flowing mode, wherein upon set in the pumping mode the flow controller is configured to act as a pump for pumping heat transfer liquid from the cold conduit into the thermal energy generator heat exchanger, and wherein upon set in flowing mode the flow controller is configured to act as a flow regulator for allowing heat transfer liquid from the cold conduit to flow into the thermal energy generator heat exchanger, the method comprising:
- determining a generator assembly local pressure difference, Δp2, between heat transfer liquid of the hot conduit and heat transfer liquid of the cold conduit;
- and
- based on Δp2 selectively setting the flow controller in the pumping mode or in the flowing mode for allowing heat transfer liquid from the cold conduit to enter into the thermal energy generator heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.