Underground storage heating and cooling (USHC) system

摘要

This disclosure describes systems and methods for the underground storage of heated or cooled fluid in order to preserve the temperature of the fluid. The systems described herein utilize one or more porosity storage reservoirs for heated or cooled fluid storage, in effect creating cold and or heat reservoirs in the subsurface. The reservoirs are hydrologically separated from the surrounding natural groundwater regime and, at least in part, thermally insulated from the natural environment by the walls creating the underground reservoirs. The walls may be actively or passively heated or cooled to provide better performance.

主权项

1. A method for construction of an underground storage heating and cooling (USHC) reservoir comprising;
selecting a reservoir location for the USHC reservoir; constructing an underground porosity storage reservoir at the reservoir location, the underground porosity storage reservoir including an underground vessel defined at least in part by one or more substantially fluid-impermeable, man-made barriers and an aquiclude, the vessel defining a volume of subsurface material such that the volume is substantially hydrologically separate from an environment exterior to the volume; determining one or more thermal characteristics of each of a plurality of samples of material taken from different sample locations within the volume of the underground porosity storage reservoir; identifying at least two three-dimensional regions within the volume of the reservoir based on a comparison of the thermal characteristics of the plurality of samples; placing a plurality of wells at well locations and well depths within the USHC reservoir; and associating each well with one of the three-dimensional regions.