System and method of transferring heat from the ground
OwnerLloyd ELDERinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method of transferring heat from the ground is described. At least one heat pipe is provided that has a hollow interior, a heat output end, and a heat input end. The heat output end is positioned higher that the heat input end. The hollow interior contains a working fluid that transfers heat from the input end to the output end. The working fluid is a liquid at a first temperature and a gas at a second temperature where the second temperature is greater than the first temperature. The working fluid becomes a gas as it is heated at the heat input end and returns to a liquid at the heat output end of the pipe when the heat is transferred out of the heat pipe. The heat transferred from the heat output end of the heat pipe is captured for future use.
Claims18
A method of transferring heat from the ground, comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one heat pipe, each of the at least one heat pipe comprising a hollow tube having a heat output end and a heat input end, the heat output end being positioned higher than the heat input end, the hollow tube containing a working fluid, the working fluid transferring heat from the heat input end to the heat output end, the working fluid being a liquid at a first temperature and a gas at a second temperature where the second temperature is greater than the first temperature, the working fluid becoming a gas as it is heated at the heat input end of the heat pipe, the working fluid rising upwards to the heat output end of the heat pipe, the working fluid becoming a liquid as the heat is transferred out of the heat pipe at the heat output end, the working fluid flowing back to the heat input end as a liquid;
- positioning the at least one heat pipe into a hole in the ground such that the heat input end of the heat pipe is adjacent a heat source;
- capturing heat from the heat output end of the heat pipe.
A method of transferring heat from the ground, comprising the steps of:
- providing a vacuum sealed plasma drilled wellbore having a melted rock wall, the vacuum sealed plasma drilled wellbore having a hollow interior, a heat output end positioned at a top of the vacuum sealed plasma drilled wellbore and a heat input end positioned at a bottom of the vacuum sealed plasma drilled wellbore, the heat input end being positioned adjacent a heat source, the hollow interior containing a working fluid, the working fluid transferring heat from the heat input end to the heat output end, the working fluid being a liquid at a first temperature and a gas at a second temperature where the second temperature is greater than the first temperature, the working fluid becoming a gas as it is heated at the heat input end of the vacuum sealed plasma drilled wellbore, the working fluid rising upwards to the heat output end of the vacuum sealed plasma drilled wellbore, the working fluid becoming a liquid as the heat is transferred out of the vacuum sealed plasma drilled wellbore at the heat output end, the working fluid flowing back to the heat input end as a liquid;
- and
- capturing heat from the heat output end of the vacuum sealed plasma drilled wellbore.
A system of transferring heat from the ground to create electricity, comprising:
- at least one heat pipe, each of the at least one heat pipe comprising a hollow tube having a heat output end and a heat input end, the heat output end being positioned higher than the heat input end, the hollow tube containing a working fluid, the working fluid transferring heat from the heat input end to the heat output end, the working fluid being a liquid at a first temperature and a gas at a second temperature where the second temperature is greater than the first temperature, the working fluid becoming a gas as it is heated at the heat input end of the heat pipe, the working fluid rising upwards to the heat output end of the heat pipe, the working fluid becoming a liquid as the heat is transferred out of the heat pipe at the heat output end, the working fluid flowing back to the heat input end as a liquid;
- the at least one heat pipe being positioned in the ground such that the heat input end is positioned adjacent a heat source;
- an electricity generator being positioned adjacent the heat output end of the heat pipe such that heat from the heat output end is used to create electricity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.