Groundwater enhanced geothermal heat pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12553645-B2
Application number	US-202418667318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2024
Priority date	Dec 4, 2018
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

A geothermal heat pump system includes a main heat exchanger, a borehole that extends in a vertical direction through an aquifer, a ground loop and a pump. The main heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between a ground loop flow and a heat distribution system. The ground loop includes a groundwater heat exchanger, an input pipe and an output pipe. The groundwater heat exchanger is contained within the borehole and includes heat exchange piping. The input pipe delivers the ground loop flow from the main heat exchanger to the heat exchange piping. The output pipe delivers the ground loop flow from the heat exchange piping to the main heat exchanger. The pump drives a groundwater flow in a horizontal direction that is transverse to the vertical direction across the heat exchange piping. Heat exchange occurs between the ground loop flow and the groundwater flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A geothermal heat pump system comprising:
a main heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a ground loop flow and a heat distribution system; a borehole that extends in a vertical direction through an aquifer; a ground loop comprising:
a groundwater heat exchanger contained within the borehole and including heat exchange piping;
an input pipe configured to deliver the ground loop flow from the main heat exchanger to the heat exchange piping; and
an output pipe configured to deliver the ground loop flow from the heat exchange piping to the main heat exchanger; and
a pump located in the borehole configured to drive a groundwater flow in the borehole in a horizontal direction that is transverse to the vertical direction across the heat exchange piping,
wherein heat exchange occurs between the ground loop flow within the heat exchange piping and the groundwater flow.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the groundwater heat exchanger is positioned within the aquifer.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the borehole comprises:
a sealed wall section that blocks the groundwater flow into the borehole; a first permeable wall section located within the aquifer; and a second permeable wall section located within the aquifer on an opposing side of the borehole from the first permeable wall section and displaced from the first permeable wall section in the horizontal direction, wherein the pump drives the groundwater flow into the borehole through the first permeable wall section and out of the borehole through the second permeable wall section.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second permeable wall sections each include a screen.

5 . The system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a first packer positioned above the groundwater heat exchanger within the borehole; and a second packer positioned below the groundwater heat exchanger within the borehole, wherein the first and second packers isolate the groundwater flow in the borehole to a section of the borehole that is between the first and second packers.

6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second packers isolate the groundwater flow to the aquifer and through the groundwater heat exchanger.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein:
the groundwater heat exchanger is a first groundwater heat exchanger; the aquifer is a first aquifer located at a first zone of the borehole; the pump is a first pump; the groundwater flow is a first groundwater flow; and the system further comprises:
a second groundwater heat exchanger including heat exchange piping that receives the ground loop flow and positioned within a second aquifer located at a second zone of the borehole that is displaced in the vertical direction from the first aquifer; and
a second pump located in the borehole configured to drive a second groundwater flow in the borehole in the horizontal direction across the heat exchange piping of the second groundwater heat exchanger,
wherein heat exchange occurs between the ground loop flow within the heat exchange piping of the second groundwater heat exchanger and the second groundwater flow.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the borehole comprises:
a third permeable wall section located within the second aquifer; and a fourth permeable wall section located within the second aquifer on an opposing side of the borehole from the third permeable wall section and displaced from the third permeable wall section in the horizontal direction, wherein the second pump drives the second groundwater flow into the borehole through the third permeable wall section and out of the borehole through the fourth permeable wall section.

9 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein the third and fourth permeable wall sections each include a screen.

10 . The system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a third packer positioned above the second groundwater heat exchanger within the borehole; and a fourth packer positioned below the second groundwater heat exchanger within the borehole, wherein the third and fourth packers isolate the second groundwater flow within the borehole to a section of the borehole that is between the third and fourth packers.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the third and fourth packers isolate the second groundwater flow to the second aquifer and through the second groundwater heat exchanger.

12 . A geothermal heat pump system comprising:
a main heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a ground loop flow and a heat distribution system; a borehole that extends in a vertical direction through first and second aquifers, which are displaced from each other in the vertical direction; a first ground loop comprising:
a first groundwater heat exchanger contained within the borehole and the first aquifer and including heat exchange piping;
a second groundwater heat exchanger contained within the borehole and the second aquifer and including heat exchange piping;
ground loop pipes configured to deliver the ground loop flow to the heat exchange piping of the first and second groundwater heat exchangers, and return the ground loop flow from the heat exchange piping of the first and second groundwater heat exchangers to the main heat exchanger;
a first pump located in the borehole configured to drive a first groundwater flow in the borehole in a horizontal direction that is transverse to the vertical direction across the heat exchange piping of the first groundwater heat exchanger; and a second pump located in the borehole configured to drive a second groundwater flow in the borehole in the horizontal direction across the heat exchange piping of the second groundwater heat exchanger, wherein heat exchange occurs between the ground loop flow within the heat exchange piping of the first groundwater heat exchanger and the first groundwater flow and between the ground loop flow within the heat exchange piping of the second groundwater heat exchanger and the second groundwater flow.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the borehole comprises:
a sealed wall section that blocks the groundwater flow into the borehole; a first permeable wall section located within the first aquifer; a second permeable wall section located within the first aquifer on an opposing side of the borehole from the first permeable wall section and displaced from the first permeable wall section in the horizontal direction; a third permeable wall section located within the second aquifer; and a fourth permeable wall section located within the second aquifer on an opposing side of the borehole from the third permeable wall section and displaced from the third permeable wall section in the horizontal direction, wherein:
the first pump drives the first groundwater flow into the borehole through the first permeable wall section and out of the borehole through the second permeable wall section; and
the second pump drives the second groundwater flow into the borehole through the third permeable wall section and out of the borehole through the fourth permeable wall section.

14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the, first, second, third and fourth permeable wall sections each include a screen.

15 . The system according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a first packer positioned above the first groundwater heat exchanger within the borehole; a second packer positioned below the first groundwater heat exchanger within the borehole; a third packer position

Assignees

• Univ Minnesota

Inventors

• Randolph Jimmy Bryan
• Alexander Scott
• Saar Martin

Classifications

• Y02B10/40

  Geothermal heat-pumps · CPC title

• Y02E10/10

  Geothermal energy · CPC title

• F24T2010/50

  Component parts, details or accessories · CPC title

• F24T10/30

  using underground reservoirs for accumulating working fluids or intermediate fluids · CPC title

• F24T10/15 Primary

  using bent tubes; using tubes assembled with connectors or with return headers · CPC title