Safety shower water temperature control using geothermal energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9993116-B2
Application number	US-201114116291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2011
Priority date	May 9, 2011
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for maintaining a temperature of water for a safety shower within a desired range using geothermal energy. A conduit containing at least 150 liters of water can be fluidly coupled to a safety shower through which at least a portion of the water can exit. The conduit can be disposed under ground soil at a depth such that the water buffer is maintained at a temperature of between 15 C to 40 C as a direct function of a thermal inertia of the ground soil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety shower system configured to maintain a water buffer at a temperature within a desired range using geothermal energy, comprising:
a tank containing water;
a safety shower; and
a conduit fluidly coupling the tank and the safety shower, wherein in the conduit contains a portion of the water, wherein the conduit is at least partially disposed below ground level in soil at a depth of at least 0.3 meters, wherein a portion of the water within the portion of the conduit disposed below ground level is the water buffer, wherein the conduit and the depth of the conduit are configured to maintain the water buffer at a temperature of between 15° C. to 40° C. within the conduit as a direct function of a thermal inertia of the ground soil,
wherein the water buffer has a volume of at least 150 liters;
wherein the safety shower is configured to expel at least a portion of the water buffer contained in the conduit.

2. The safety shower system of claim 1 , wherein the water buffer is at least 1000 liters.

3. The safety shower system of claim 1 , wherein the water buffer is at least 1500 liters.

4. The safety shower system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit and the depth of the conduit are configures to maintain the water buffer at a temperature of between 20° C. to 40° C.

5. The safety shower system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is disposed beneath the ground soil at a depth of at least 0.5 meters.

6. The safety shower system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is disposed beneath the ground soil at a depth of at least 1.0 meter.

7. The safety shower system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit, the water buffer, and the safety shower are configured such that a flow rate of the water buffer through the conduit maintains the water buffer at a temperature of between 15° C. to 40° C.

8. The safety shower system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pump;
wherein the pump and the conduit are each configured such that water from the tank replenishes the water buffer, and wherein the pump, the conduit, and the safety shower are configured so that the water buffer exits the safety shower at a temperature of between 15° C. to 40° C.

9. The safety shower system of claim 8 , wherein the conduit has a diameter and a length configured to heat or cool the water as the water flows from the tank through the conduit.

10. The safety shower system of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the water in the tank has a temperature that is less than 15° C. or greater than 40° C.

11. The safety shower system of claim 8 , wherein the pump is configured such that a flow rate of the water flowing through the conduit allows water from the tank to be heated or cooled by the thermal inertia in the conduit.

12. A method of maintaining a water buffer for use via a safety shower at a temperature within a desired range using geothermal energy, comprising:
determining a minimum depth of the ground soil at which a temperature is between 15° C. to 40° C.;
laying a conduit underground at or below the minimum depth, wherein the conduit is sized and dimensioned to contain a water buffer of at least 150 liters, wherein the water buffer comprises water within the conduit;
coupling the conduit to the safety shower such that at least a portion of the water buffer contained in the conduit is configured to be expelled via the safety shower;
maintaining the water buffer within the conduit at a temperature between 15° C. to 40° C.;
flowing water from a tank through the conduit at a flowrate; and
maintaining the water buffer at a temperature between 15° C. to 40° C. based on the flowrate.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
measuring the temperature range of the ground soil to determine a second minimum depth of the ground soil at which the temperature is between 20° C. to 40° C.; and
laying the conduit underground at or below the second minimum depth that is greater than the minimum depth.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the water buffer comprises at least 1000 liters.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the water buffer comprises at least 1500 liters.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the minimum depth is at least 0.3 meters.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the minimum depth is at least 0.5 meters.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the minimum depth is at least 1.0 meter.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
heating or cooling the water from the tank as the water flows from the tank through the conduit, wherein the water in the tank has a temperature that is less than 15° C. or greater than 40° C.

Assignees

• Hekster Floris
• Woltering Chris
• Fluor Tech Corp

Inventors

• Hekster Floris
• Woltering Chris

Classifications

• Y02B10/40

  Geothermal heat-pumps · CPC title

• F24D17/00

  Domestic hot-water supply systems · CPC title

• F24D19/1051

  for domestic hot water · CPC title

• F24J3/082

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24H1/0072

  Special adaptations · CPC title