Claims
- 1. A geothermal system, comprising:a water storage container; a heat exchanger thermally coupled with said storage container; a water inlet leading from an underground potable water source to said storage container for supplying potable water to said storage container; and a water pump connected to said water inlet for returning potable water from said storage container to said underground potable water source through said inlet.
- 2. The system of claims 1, further including a water quality monitor for water returned to said source.
- 3. The system of claim 1, further including ultraviolet radiation treatment means for water returned to said source.
- 4. The system of claim 1, further including water treatment means for water returned to said source.
- 5. The system of claim 1, further including reversible water meter connected in said water inlet pipe.
- 6. The system of claim 5, wherein said water source is a commercial water supply.
- 7. The system of claim 5, wherein said water source is a well.
- 8. The system of claim 5, further including an auxiliary heat recovery loop thermally connected to said water container.
- 9. The device of claim 1, further including an auxiliary heat source connected to add heat to said potable water, said auxiliary heat source being waste heat available from at least one of a group of waste heat sources including fuel cells, sewer lines, electric power plants, sewage disposal plants, or industrial sources.
- 10. The device of claim 1, further including an auxiliary cooling source thermally connected to remove heat from said potable water, said auxiliary cooling being derived from natural bodies of water.
- 11. The system of claim 1, wherein said water inlet is a pipe connected to a pressurized municipal potable water source, to said storage container, and to said pump, the pressurized potable water being supplied to said storage container from the pressurized water source, and being returned to the pressurized water source through said water inlet pipe by said water pump.
- 12. The system of claim 11, further including means for metering the water flow in said water inlet pipe.
- 13. The system of claim 1, wherein said water inlet is connected in common to said storage container and said water pump, whereby water flow in said water inlet is reversible to supply potable water to said storage container and to return potable water from said storage container to said potable water source.
- 14. The system of claim 1, wherein said underground potable water source is an underground water pipe system conveying potable water to multiple locations, the water pipe system being in heat exchange relationship with the ground.
- 15. The system of claim 14, wherein said water inlet is a single pipe interconnecting said underground water pipe system, said water storage container, and said water pump, wherein potable water flows through said water pipe in a first direction to supply water from said pipe system to said storage container and flows in a reverse direction to return water from said storage container to said pipe system.
- 16. The system of claim 15, further including a reversible water meter connected to measure net water flow in said water inlet.
- 17. The system of claim 15, wherein said underground water pipe system is at least a part of a potable water source connected in common to multiple water inlets leading to multiple storage containers for heating and cooling multiple enclosed spaces.
- 18. The system of claim 17, further including an auxiliary heat exchanger connected for heating or cooling potable water in said underground water pipe system.
- 19. The system of claim 1, further including an auxiliary heat exchanger for modifying the temperature of said potable water in said storage container.
- 20. The system of claim 19, wherein said auxiliary heat exchanger is thermally coupled to receive waste heat from an electricity—generating fuel cell.
- 21. The system of claim 1, wherein said water storage container is located within said enclosed space.
- 22. The system of claim 21, further including an auxiliary heat exchanger thermally connected in heat exchange relation with water stored in said container for receiving waste heat from an electricity—generating fuel cell.
- 23. The system of claim 21, further including a water usage system connected to said potable water source through said water meter.
- 24. The system of claim 21, further including a water usage system connected to said potable water source through said storage container.
- 25. A geothermal system for heating or cooling space, comprising:a water storage container connected to receive potable water from a potable water source; a heat pump connected to said container and in heat exchange relationship with water stored in said container; a water pump connected to said container for returning water in said container to said potable water source; and a reversible water meter connected between said potable water source and said container and between said water pump and said source.
- 26. The system of claim 25, further including a water quality monitor for water returned to said portable water source.
- 27. The system of claim 26, further including a water treatment means for water returned to said potable water source.
- 28. The system of claim 25, further including an auxiliary heat exchanger thermally coupled to said water storage container for recovery of heat from heat sources in said space.
- 29. The system of claim 25, further including a single water inlet pipe interconnecting said container and said pump through said reversible water meter to said potable water source.
- 30. The system of claim 25, wherein said potable water source is a commercial water supply.
- 31. The system of claim 29, wherein said potable water source is a well.
- 32. The system of claim 29, further including a potable water usage system connected to said potable water source through said storage container.
- 33. A geothermal system for heating or cooling a space, comprising:a water storage container connected to receive potable water from a pressurized water source; a heat exchanger connected to said container and in heat exchange relationship with water stored in said container and with the space to be heated or cooled; a water pump connected to said container for periodically returning water in said container to said source; a single water inlet pipe connecting said container and said pump to said source, and single pipe supplying water from said source to said container and returns water from said pump to said source; and a reversible water meter connected in said single water inlet pipe.
- 34. The system of claim 33, wherein said source comprises an underground water pipe system connected to water inlet pipes for multiple containers to provide heating and cooling for multiple spaces.
- 35. The system of claim 33, wherein said heat exchanger is thermally coupled to a heat pump for cooling a corresponding enclosed space.
- 36. The system of claim 33, wherein said source comprises an underground water pipe system connected to multiple water inlet pipes each Leading to a corresponding container.
- 37. The system of claim 27, wherein said water treatment means includes ultraviolet radiation treatment means.
- 38. The system of claim 25, further including an auxiliary heat source connected to add heat to said potable water, said auxiliary heat source being waste heat available from at least one of a group of waste heat sources including fuel cells, sewer lines, sewage disposal plants, electric power plants or industrial sources.
- 39. The system of claim 25, wherein said potable water source is an underground water pipe system conveying potable water to multiple locations, the water pipe system being in heat exchange relationship with the ground.
- 40. The system of claim 25, wherein said potable water source is a pressurized municipal potable water supply connected in common to multiple water storage containers for heating or cooling multiple spaces.
Parent Case Info
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Nos. 60/308,828, filed Aug. 1, 2001; 60/333,123, filed Nov. 27, 2001; and No. 60/334,080, filed Nov. 30, 2001; the disclosure of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Provisional Applications (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/334080 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
|
60/333123 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
|
60/308828 |
Aug 2001 |
US |