System and Method for Using Recyclables for Thermal Storage
A thermal storage system (100) and related method, comprising: a thermal collector (101); a thermal storage sink (102); at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8) for transporting thermal energy from the thermal collector to the thermal storage sink for storage therein; at least one thermal delivery conduit (11) for transporting the thermal energy from the thermal storage sink to an indoor-air space for use therein; a thermal storage liquid (21) within the thermal storage sink; and baled waste tires (14) for enhancing thermal storage. Also, a thermal storage sink and related method comprising: a sink (102); liquid (21) within the sink; and at least one recyclable material comprising baled tires (14) for at least one of the following functions: providing insulation, providing a free flow of liquid therethrough, providing thermal mass, providing structural support to a said sink, resisting settling of a surface above said sink, buffering shock to said sink, protecting pipes or conduits located within or serving said sink, averting deflection, eliminating or reducing costly drilling, reducing a need for plastic tubing, eliminating casing, reducing thermal sink construction costs.
This application claims benefit of pending provisional application 61/156,488 filed Feb. 28, 2009, hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to the use of baled used tires, baled recycled plastic, glass waste and/or construction debris in the construction of a thermal storage sink or aquifer, often placed under a road, highway, driveway or parking lot.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the past large thermal storage sinks, herein defined as containing at least 10,000 gallons of liquid, have been mostly natural, because of cost constraints. However, this invention which does away with drilling and uses recyclable material with thermal liquid filling void spaces, which can be placed anywhere. This“green technology” has the potential to simultaneously provide new manmade sources of thermal energy, and overcome certain waste and recycling problems.
Heat or cold (the absence of heat) can be stored in a liquid, solid, or gas. The body that stores this thermal energy is known as a thermal storage sink. These sinks are part of a thermal storage system, natural or manmade. Thermal storage systems include a thermal source such as the sun or under the earth's surface for heat, and outer space for cold. Such systems may include a collector, often a transport mechanism, a sink and a utilization point. Many of these components can be one and the same as in the case of the ground itself which can serve as both the collector of heat or cold and the storage facility or sink in which the thermal energy is contained, as in the case of a geothermal system. Often thermal sinks have within them a transport medium such as water or some other liquid which can transport the thermal energy from or to the sink.
This disclosure is concerned with large thermal sinks holding at least 10,000 gallons of liquid within one or more cell, which has a liner, natural or otherwise, at least one compartment, and makes use of a recyclable material which structurally supports the sink, or adds thermal mass or insulation to it. For the sake of this disclosure the term sink can include a series of sinks or compartments which need not be immediately contiguous to one another but which in aggregate include at least 10,000 gallons or more of liquid, and usually find themselves in the same thermal storage system. Thus, for example, if we were to have a hot sink which housed 5,000 gallons and a cold sink which housed 5,000 gallons and the two were within a system that provided for the heating and cooling needs of a structure, then the combined total of 10,000 gallons would so classify as elements of a thermal sink of 10,000 gallons even though the sink or sink system itself had separate compartments such that the liquid within each amounted to less than 10,000 gallons.
A thermal storage sink can be natural or manmade. It can be above ground. It can be a depression in the earth with an open or covered top. Or, it can be below ground. For the sake of this disclosure there are two different types of thermal sinks: one type is where the natural heat or cold of a body is simply utilized and the other where additional heat or cold is added to the sink, stored there, and then extracted therefrom, with a minimum of thermal loss due to insulation. We shall differentiate the two types of sinks by calling the former a “geo thermal” sink and the latter a “thermal added” sink.
While all sinks have some sort of insulation, usually the earth itself, “thermal added” sinks seek to enhance natural insulation with some form of manmade material. Thermal sinks in this disclosure concern themselves with a body or reservoir made by man, or improved on by man, where there is thermal storage capacity and where a great body of liquid (of at least 10,000 gallons in total) is contained therein. Thermal mass, insulation and structural support are all important qualities which relate to manmade thermal sinks. Such sinks often utilize a liner, manmade or natural. They are often partially or completely below ground, where cave in can be a problem. If at least a part of the material is located within the sink, it can help to support the sink itself.
Manmade thermal storage sinks are costly and the larger they are the more costly they become. Recyclable material can be had at little or no cost. Some recyclable materials have good insulation properties, some can provide structural support, some can provide thermal mass, and some can provide all three such benefits. Waste tires or plastic (often in baled form), ground waste glass and construction debris, if used in a thermal storage sink, can serve a useful purpose and need not be placed in a landfill, thus providing the above-noted benefits while simultaneously freeing up valuable space for other materials man disposes of. In addition, using these waste materials in manmade thermal storage sinks, eliminates the danger of some of these wastes catching fire or serving as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and rats, which can give rise to disease.
Many different types of waste products have been used in thermal storage systems comprising thermal sinks. As often as not they are placed within such systems as much to get rid of the waste as to enhance the thermal sink or system due to tipping fees involved. One such waste product is tires which have excellent insulating properties and can, when utilized properly, also provide excellent structural support.
Unbaled waste tires have been used as part of a thermal storage sink and collector in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,223,666, and 4,248,209. There, they are housed within a manmade structure above ground where minimal thermal loss occurs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,238 unbaled waste tires were also used as part of a thermal storage vessel which could be placed above or below ground. Here, the heat storage vessel is actually formed by attaching two metal plates, one to each end of a stack of waste tires, and the bead of each tire is firmly anchored to the next in the stack while a sealant is used to make a watertight container in which liquid is placed, while foam or vermiculite is placed about the heat storage container itself for insulation of the liquid within.
Plastic jugs, glass jars, metal cans, paper clips, garbage bags, and newspaper are all used in the construction of a solar thermal storage system in application US 2007/0012313, which even uses a plastic garbage can as a thermal storage sink. U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,606 uses fly ash in concrete. U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,255 uses masonry blocks with a hollow space therein loosely filled with cylindrical metal, plastic or glass containers that contain water.
Up until now the prior art dealing with insulation of a thermal sink is very sparse in its specifics, more often than not referring to the general category of a layer of insulation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,812 refers to polyurethane foam or foam panels for insulation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,917 discloses a rigid polyurethane foam block for insulation purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,156 refers to fiberglass, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,177 uses rigid insulation blocks. U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,438 uses phase change material insulation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,703 uses an insulated vacuum panel. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,491,910 and 3,481,504 suggest using expanded perlite. But in most cases, for example, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,679, the earth alone acts as the thermal buffer for the thermal storage sink.
When it comes to structural support of a manmade thermal sink, concrete is used, as is metal, earth, or fill of a porous material such as sand and/or gravel. But no teaching or suggestion has been made of using recyclable material such as bales of plastic or tires, ground glass, construction debris, or concrete blocks filled with tires, baled or otherwise, as structural support for a thermal storage sink. Baled tires have been used for support for retaining wall systems, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,106, but do not appear to have ever been employed in connection with a thermal storage system, for enhancing thermal storage via structural support, insulation and thermal mass.
Manmade thermal storage sinks usually are made in one of three ways. First, they may be made by scooping out a depression in the earth, placing a liner on the surface of the depression, placing sand or gravel in the depression and then filling the cavity (thermal storage sink) with water. Second, they are made by leaving out the fill within the thermal storage sink and so contain water alone. By placing in the fill, however, the sink receives additional structural support and now can easily have an insulated roof overhead and so make use of the ground above—for a pond, a parking lot, a roadway, a structure, an ice rink, a tennis court or just grass and shrubs. A third alternative is to build a thermal storage unit above the ground such as a swimming pool, or to use an above-ground tank.
Manmade aquifers can serve as thermal storage sinks and are constructed in two ways: In the first method, the manmade aquifer is constructed by making an excavation, lining the excavation with a plastic pond liner and filling on top of the liner with a round, uniformly-sized gravel. A geotextile (fabric designed for use in earthwork) is placed over the gravel, and then a lawn, parking lot, roadway or tennis court can be constructed on top. Water is stored in the openings between the stones. This method has been used for many years and was reported of in 1997 in the San Antonio Business Journal in an article entitled “New methods provide less costly ways to conserve water.” It has also been utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,156.
In the second method, known as the drumstick, a manmade aquifer is constructed by auguring a deep hole and under-reaming (flaring) it at the lower end. A corrugated metal pipe with a welded end cap is placed into the hole and grouted in place, and a lid system is added for safety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONDisclosed herein is a thermal storage system and related method, comprising: a thermal collector; a thermal storage sink; at least one thermal storage transport conduit for transporting thermal energy from the thermal collector to the thermal storage sink for storage therein; at least one thermal delivery conduit for transporting the thermal energy from the thermal storage sink to an indoor-air space for use therein; a thermal storage liquid within the thermal storage sink; and baled waste tires for enhancing thermal storage.
Also disclosed herein is a thermal storage sink and related method comprising: a sink; liquid within the sink; and at least one recyclable material comprising baled tires for at least one of the following functions: providing insulation, providing a free flow of liquid therethrough, providing thermal mass, providing structural support to a said sink, resisting settling of a surface above said sink, buffering shock to said sink, protecting pipes or conduits located within or serving said sink, averting deflection, eliminating or reducing costly drilling, reducing a need for plastic tubing, eliminating casing, reducing thermal sink construction costs.
The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth in the appended claims. The invention, however, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing(s) summarized below:
The present invention uses baled tires, baled plastic, ground recycled glass and construction debris in varying combinations in either a thermal storage sink or a thermal storage system within which a thermal storage sink is contained. It uses these items to provide thermal storage mass, structural support, and/or insulation.
A novel feature of the present invention, with reference to the usual ways of making a thermal storage sink, is to replace the fill material inside the thermal storage sink with baled tires, baled plastic, ground recycled glass, construction debris or to place loose plastic or ground waste glass within a block and to add one or all of these forms of recycled fill inside a thermal storage sink if fill had not been used. Fill can add thermal mass and can simultaneously provide structural support. Also, by using recycled fill, it is easy to bring the baled material close to the surface on which people can walk. Therefore, a cover can be placed over the sink for added insulation if a roof to the sink has not already been used. In one embodiment of this invention, recycled baled fill is placed around the outer perimeter of a thermal sink in block form. Blocks, or bales made from recyclables, or either containing recyclables within them, can also be the foundation for an above-ground thermal sink. As used herein, recyclable fill material may include baled, or unbaled waste tires, which are of particular interest for use in this invention, as will be discussed at length below.
Throughout this disclosure and claims, reference will often be made to the term “baled waste tires.” It is to be understood that “baled” refers to tires which have been compacted into a bundle and then tied together in some manner or form, such as through a wire fastening device, and/or a fastening device of plastic, rope, cord, cable etc. Further it refers to such bundles even if—after being installed into the thermal storage sink—the fastening device has been purposely removed or has deteriorated and broken as a result of wear, tear, or time. As long as the bundle was tied together at any time in the process whether it be during initial compression, transport or installation within the thermal storage system, it shall be regarded as “baled.”
These baled waste tires are used for enhancing thermal storage, which as used herein, include increasing the thermal mass of the thermal storage sink. Tire bales have a predicted Specific Heat (Heat Capacity) of 0.18 Btu/lb ° F., which compares favorably with other common thermal mass materials like sand (0.20), stone (0.20), and concrete (0.15). So, the heat or cold storage capacity of tire bales should be excellent as well. For instance the tire bales alone—at a 10° F. temperature drop should have a storage capacity of: 130 bales*1 T/bale*2000 lbs/T*10 deg F.*0.18=468,000 Btu, which is quite excellent.
Baled tires have excellent insulating characteristics as well. A Colorado School of Mines study, predicts that the thermal conductivity (U) of tire bales can range from 0.120-0.124 Btu/hr ° F. ft, which converts to an R-value range of 0.694-0.672 per inch, or a total R-value of 40.0-41.6 for a 60″ tire bale wall. This would equate to approximately 11.75 inches of fiberglass batt insulation—about what one could put into a 12″ thick stud wall. This is about 3 time as much insulation as goes into a standard 4″ stud wall, and is very good wall insulation by conventional standards. This material should yield super-insulation-like performance if the entire wall is assembled and completed properly from interior to exterior. Thus a thermal storage sink which is lined with baled tires should provide excellent insulation against heat (or cold) loss.
The thermal insulation capabilities of baled tires increase further when they are above the water table. In fact baled tires with air within the voids have a thermal conductivity, k (effective) of 0.15 to 0.21 W/m-degree C. (or of 0.085 to 0.120 Btu/hr-ft-degree F.) when the bales hold 50 to 10 percent air therein. (This measurement was taken from Report Number CDOT-DTD-R-2005-2 from the Colorado Department of Transportation Research Branch entitled“Tire Bales in Highway Applications: Feasibility and Properties Evaluation”.) According to this report “Such a level of thermal conductivity is approximately eight times lower than typical granular soils.” So this tire “waste” is more valuable when used in a thermal added storage sink than the very soils it replaces. Air itself has a thermal conductivity of 0.024 while water has a thermal conductivity of 0.58 at 25 degrees C. In other words air is 24 times better as an insulator than water. Thus tire bales placed above the water line have a significantly better insulation factor than if placed below the water line. Yet either way they still offer very good insulation, and remain far better than granular soils placed in a similar location or a similar environment.
As an added benefit, these baled waste tires add structural support so the system does not disintegrate, and they have excellent load bearing capabilities. Studies have shown that when used as a structural element, they will deflect much like any other piece of rubber. However, tests have proven they have been “deflected” considerably to become “bales” in the first place, and the load required to deflect them further than is acceptable (more than even a house will ever weigh). Their deflection rate is roughly 1/20th of what has been called a “failure” (150,000# on an unsupported bale; usually when a wire breaks). In other words, one will never exert that much load on a tire bale wall used as a foundation wall. Further, all tests run in the single-bale or single-stack of bales mode do not reflect the true usage/deflection of the bale in practice (constrained by other bales in the wall).
It should also be noted that when a stack of bales containing baled tires, ten high, covered by local earth distributed by a 70,000# front-end loader is ridden over by heavy equipment, the bottom bales show no apparent compression or effect of bearing that load. Tests have shown that there is little (½″ or so) if any measurable difference between the bales at the top of the stack and the ones at the bottom. This is while being under a load of more than 9 tons each (bales contained by stacking immediately adjacent to each other as a wall). The bale at the bottom is bearing more than 720#psf with little measurable deflection.
In this disclosure, when reference is made, particularly in the claims, to “unbaled” waste tires, or to “waste tires” simply by itself, this refers to waste tires which had not been baled and had not been compacted, but still have their original shape and volume. For instance if a pipe or thermal conduit is placed through a bunch of tires which have no fastening device connecting one to another and where the tires still retain their original size and shape, then these shall be considered “unbaled.”
“Waste tires” refer to tires which are not new but have been used on some sort of vehicle previously, whether it be a car, truck, farm implement, construction or mining vehicle, or airplane.
It should also be pointed out that the terms tubing or piping may be used interchangeably, and may refer to plastic, copper, or any other suitable material. For example, while, e.g., plastic or copper tubes/pipes might be arrayed on the surface of a parking lot to gather heat or cold, copper piping is about 62 times superior as a conductor and so it is preferable as opposed to plastic.
Finally, “recyclable fill” specifies material recyclable in nature such as tires, baled tires, rubber, plastic, construction debris, ground glass, etc. but not limited thereto, used to fill up a space within the thermal storage system. Said fill material may replace dirt, gravel, stone, sand, etc. preexisting in the location where the thermal storage system is constructed.
One embodiment of the present invention uses bales of tires within the thermal storage sink in place of porous fill. The remainder of the sink and pipes contains water which brings either heat or cold into the chamber of the thermal sink and store the heat or cold. (Thermodynamically, of course, it is only heat which is stored, and cold is the absence of heat. With that understanding, we shall at times refer in this disclosure to “storing heat or cold” with the understanding that “storing cold” really means preventing or minimizing the intrusion of heat energy into a thermal storage medium which is cold. Similarly, it is to be understood that “storing” or “transporting” “thermal energy” is intended to refer to both the storage and transport of heat, and to the storage and transport of the absence of heat (cold).)
Tire bales are preferably either cylindrical in shape or square or rectangular. These fill the inner core and act as support around their outer boundary and simultaneously provide good insulation and heat mass so that thermal energy is not lost in a thermal added storage sink. These also act as support in the event a roof or cover is to be put over the sink and provide footing so that a thermal cover can be placed over the sink or taken off if the space above is not going to be utilized.
Bales of waste plastic often have a specific gravity less than water and so will float, and so may be employed where no fill heavier than water is used. Floating bales are also advantageous because they reduce upward heat loss.
Construction debris and ground glass can be used as fill or added to the bales themselves for added weight and the blocks themselves can encapsulate this form of waste material.
Insulation for a thermal added storage sink is tremendously important, where additional thermal energy is added to the sink above what would naturally occur there. Without proper insulation, vast quantities of thermal energy can escape into the atmosphere or ground in a thermal added storage sink, whereupon far more thermal energy has to be pumped into the sink than would ordinarily be the case if all the thermal energy could be easily contained and then extracted when necessary from the core or the sink itself. Presently in underground thermal added storage sinks, it is necessary that the sink be heated or cooled, as well as the area around the sink, up to as much as 30 to 50 feet beyond the perimeter of the sink. The surrounding environs often absorb a good deal of thermal energy and over a period of 6 months to a year as much as 30% of the heat or cold added to the sink can be lost to these environs. This buffer then keeps the core insulated, but unfortunately a great deal of the thermal energy is lost in the process. Therefore a good insulating material must be found to do away with much of the thermal loss and to lessen ramp up time before the thermal heat sink can operate effectively. This insulating material must also be very inexpensive if the sink is of any size.
Thermal storage sinks are often ponds or containers holding liquid or at least partially holding liquid. Such sinks are known as thermal reservoirs. Most liquids tend to absorb heat or cold more quickly than solids and more quickly give it up. Plus, liquids tend to store more thermal energy than gases. Since the thermal collector, the thermal sink and the end use location are not often the same, liquid also serves as a very good transport medium for taking the heat or cold to another point.
Without insulation a thermal added storage sink, will lose thermal energy to the surrounding environment over time. This is good in a geo thermal sink but is a negative influence in an added energy thermal storage sink. In construction of this invention, bulldozers and other construction equipment dig out a depression or a large trench in the earth. This depression can be quite deep (perhaps 30 to 50 feet) below the surface, but at the very least the chamber, aquifer or thermal storage sink should be below the frost line. The earth taken from the hole is placed to one side to be used later. Since the hole will retain water, it must have a liner which can be of a natural material such as clay of sufficient depth to prevent leakage from the thermal storage sink, or it must include a manmade impermeable liner (i.e., a physical barrier), or it may have both. This skin is placed over the surface of the depression and along its sides. For purposes of this disclosure a liner may refer to a natural or manmade barrier which prevents leakage or it may refer to a combination of manmade and natural barriers. In most cases pipes are laid on top of this. Within these pipes will be water or glycol which will take heated or cold liquid down into the chamber from the surface directly overhead or from some other location in close proximity thereto. The hole is then filled with a fill which may have a recyclable porous material, some of which may be a baled recyclable material which will allow water to seep around it and/or through it. Over the top of this material is placed a geo-grid, tar paper, and/or a filter fabric, which will prevent the soil or other material placed above it from drifting down into the chamber and eventually filling the chamber. Earth which had been taken from the hole when it was made is placed back over the geo-grid, tar paper, and/or filter fabric, and in most cases pavement or equivalent material suitable for a roadway, driveway, parking lot or walkway is constructed directly above this manmade thermal added storage sink or in close proximity thereto. As an alternative, grass could be grown overhead or the ground might serve just about any other purpose. Drains with catch basins allow water to seep into and fill the thermal storage sink. Vents are needed to allow air to escape when water is filling the storage area. Permanent openings must be screened to prevent insect infestation. Filters, diversions or settling tanks are needed on the inflow line to prevent trash and organics from entering the storage area. Once the aquifer is filled, normal intake openings are shut and water is shunted elsewhere.
One advantage of the present invention is that the water does not have to be entirely clean because water within the aquifer does not serve as a drinking source. Thus, it is not a concern if some leeching occurs from the recyclables into the water. In fact the aquifer can accept storm water runoff which might contain pollutants from asphalt or tar which would have drained elsewhere and would have otherwise polluted rivers and streams, although it might be originally filled from an underground stream or by making use of ground water.
The present invention makes use of baled recyclable material, more specifically baled and compacted tires and plastic. It can make use of used inner tubes and almost any waste product which might find its way into a landfill which would take an inordinately long time to bio-degrade and which could be used as a structural support for the roof of a manmade thermal storage sink or to keep the sides from caving in. It can make use of concrete, used pavement, asphalt shingles, tires, etc. If the material itself does not lend itself to acting as a support, the compacting and baling processes will enhance that material's supportive capabilities.
By placing recyclable material in a bailer and compacting it under great pressure heat is built up. This causes the plastic to combine. In the event the bale is found to be too light, and if the way in which the bales are placed in the aquifer would lead to these bales floating, heavier waste material can be added, and when all the ingredients are compacted together, the binding process would make the bale into one heavier than water unit. Compacting and binding also prevent the bale from disintegrating back into its various components over time. When pressure is applied, these materials will quickly spring back and restore the chamber to its full capacity once again.
Tires can, for example not limitation, be baled into two different forms: first into long hollow tubes, and secondly into a rectangular configuration. By placing tires one next to another so as to form long hollow tubes, the tires themselves become a pipe. By placing these pipes close to one another within a hole where the ends of these pipes butt up against the outer earthen walls, they prevent the outer walls from collapsing. By compacting the tires and then using the compacted tires to make the pipe, the strength of the pipe is enhanced markedly. By placing rows of this piping material next to one another and on top of one another, the size of the underground reservoir can become immense and the depth of the aquifer can be increased significantly.
Besides being baled as long pipes, the tires can be compacted and baled into a rectangular shape, much like a concrete block. This adds to their construction capability. They can be laid one on top of another more easily and so made to form a wall or a block-like inner core for the heat or cold sink itself. Drawings of various configurations will now be discussed below.
Heat Sink AquiferIn addition, in summertime any heat source within a building can allow heat to be transferred to the heat sink aquifer as well.
In winter time when heat is required to heat a nearby building (indoor air space), water from the aquifer passes through a filter 10 through a thermal sink water supply line 11 to a heat exchanger which than supplies heat to the building (indoor space to be heated). This indoor air space is schematically illustrated as 905 in
Because the aquifer is below the frost line, and because of the thermal mass of earth around and on top of the aquifer, heat loss of the water within the aquifer is kept to a minimum, and the aquifer will remain hot for months. The compacted tires within the aquifer add to the thermal mass of the system. Over time the reservoirs temperature will drop down in the colder months as heat is drawn from it. But that temperature will be raised again in the summer time, or during periods of intense sunlight, in other seasons. This system should function for years on end with minimal maintenance, upkeep or expense.
It is also to be observed, because the heat sink aquifer of
Also illustrated, to be discussed later, is a conduit or pipe 24 which is attached to a fire hydrant 19 which allows for a fire truck to pump water from the thermal storage sink for a fire emergency. This is an additional use for the water stored in the aquifer.
Finally, it is also beneficial in all embodiments of the invention, to provide an optional vapor barrier 13 or liner 18 above the top liquid line 16 of the thermal storage sink for preventing liquid or vapor from entering said thermal storage sink from above. It is further beneficial to provide a protective barrier 7 of geotextile or equivalent material to prevent materials from above the thermal sink from dropping down into the thermal sink.
Cold Sink AquiferA thermal storage sink can also function in a way to store cold as opposed to heat, as now illustrated in
In summer time or when there is a need for air conditioning within a nearby structure, water within the cool sink aquifer 6 passes through a filter 10 and then via a conduit 11 into the building (indoor space to be cooled, designated as 905 in
Over the summer months the water within the cold sink reservoir will rise somewhat but cold will be restored to it as weather conditions moderate and as winter comes on.
In relation to
Below the ground level 405 within the sink 6 is water 21 or brine 26, waste glass 502, and construction debris 501. Water 21, or brine 26, fill the voids between the construction debris within the sink.
The thermal storage sinks shown so far in
Geo thermal sinks are pretty much the same as thermal added sinks except for insulation, and except for their source of thermal energy which in the case of geo thermal sinks comes from the ground around the sink itself. Hence there should be as little of a barrier between the sink and the ground around it as possible, except for what is necessary to retain liquid within the sink itself.
Having reviewed the drawings, let us now review some additional benefits and features of the invention disclosed herein.
In many instances, it is preferable and far less expensive to use water in place of glycol in the circulation system of a thermal storage system which runs through the paving surface for the “thermal added” systems. Glycol is far more expensive than water and if there is a leak in any of the hoses which run across the parking lot it can cause environmental problems. Using water in its place within the system is less costly and less dangerous. In winter time when water is taken either from the heat or cold sink and is pumped through tubes in the pavement either to defrost it or to prevent snow build up some moisture would ordinarily remain which could cause clogging and rupture. To prevent this a blower system can be included in the system which is activated after water ceases to flow through the tubes in the pavement. These blowers removes any moisture droplets left in the upper surface tubes to purge the system and eliminate any freezing danger.
Thermal energy storage systems are affected by the laws of thermodynamics. Objects or materials gain or lose heat depending on the elements around them and the density of each. Insulation can slow down thermal energy loss or gain, temperature differentials and movement. If an object is moving (e.g. if water is flowing) it must give up more thermal energy before it can freeze than if it is standing still. If an object or a substance, such as a liquid, namely water or water droplets, are allowed to remain immobile in the plastic or copper tubing in the upper surface of a parking lot in the wintertime, when the parking lot is very cold, those water droplets will soon turn to ice. But if those water droplets are blown out of the tubing, located near the surface of the parking lot, after the pump which pumps the water stops, then freezing will not occur for they will drain back down to the storage tank or to the sink itself below the frost line. Therefore if water is to be used as a thermal medium in the parking lot array during the winter, it must be kept from remaining immobile in the surface tubing, or the only alternative is to use a far more costly liquid such as glycol which will not freeze at the temperature water does.
Thermal storage sinks are often manmade aquifers and so contain a large body of water. In times of emergency such water can be optionally tapped to extinguish a blaze. Referring to
Finally, it is important to explore more thoroughly, the particular structural advantages of baled tires, in addition to their thermal characteristics. Thermal storage sinks of any type, be they thermal added or geothermal, require that there be little if any settling of the ground overhead. Otherwise uneven depressions will form and the surface area will be unusable and even dangerous. This can cause the asphalt or concrete overhead to crack or buckle in short order and be useless or unsightly. Even if only grass were planted overhead settling can create such an uneven surface that people who walk upon it can trip and fall creating liability issues for the owners of the property itself.
Baled tires whether in rectangular form or pipe like configurations provide extremely stable and even reinforcement and when put into a configuration with other bales of the same shape their stabilizing capabilities are only enhanced, whereupon the upper surface above the sink becomes even more stable and less likely to cave in. Having already been compressed with as much as 36,000 lbs of pressure by hydraulic cylinders, baled tires cannot be compressed much more, even under extreme loads. Hence there will be little deflection even when greater amounts of weight are placed upon them. If the bales are in a pipelike configuration they also have nesting tendencies which add still further to the reinforcement strength of the mass itself.
Baled tires also allow for large volumes of water to be incorporated within the sink. The liquid can freely travel within the bales themselves and between the spaces between one compact tire and another within each bale. The liquid within a sink is one of the main retainers of thermal energy and the transport mechanism used by a sink to transport that energy either to or from another location. For the most part this liquid takes on thermal energy more quickly than solids and so a thermal sink should have the capability of retaining and holding a great volume of liquid. Baled tires allow for a high percentage of liquid volume within a sink and provide for easy circulation of that liquid so that thermal energy can be easily removed and easily acquired by the sink itself.
Tire bales also limit the spaces within a sink where unreachable pockets or voids might form, where the liquid therein cannot be retrieved, since as mentioned, compacted tires, within the bales, still allow for the free flow of a liquid between each individual compacted tires and between the bales themselves. Further the pipes within the sink are protected by the tire bales since they can absorb shock. They buffer a shocks intensity and dissipate the force so that even if an earthquake were to occur, the liner should remain undamaged and the pipes unbroken. Especially if tire bales are set about the perimeter of the sink or if they are placed in a sinks interior, the ground above should not cave in from such a natural disaster since the baled tires dissipate the force of a quake to areas outside the sink itself. Further, because of a tire bales large mass and extreme weight, which is anywhere between 500 pounds and a ton or more each, they prevent cave in or shifting of the pipes surrounded and protected by the bales. Thus, any force that might have been placed on them is mitigated to an extreme degree and such protection is only enhanced when one tire bale is placed against another.
For all of the above reasons, baled tires make for an ideal material to be used in a thermal storage sinks, be they geothermal sinks or thermal added sinks. A compacted baled tires qualities make this material unique and hard to find in other materials, leaving them ideally suited for the construction of a thermal sink of large size. And, when baled tires are used for this purpose, one is simultaneously solving the waste problem that is otherwise presented by baled tires sitting in landfills.
Even plastic pipes, which might be used as an inferior replacement, are not as ideally suited to the job. Plastic pipes lack the strength of baled tires which have steel reinforcement, they do not last as long before they start to deteriorate, they do not have the mass or weight, and they cost far more. In fact utilizing plastic pipe as an alternative to the baled tires within a thermal sink could cost as much as a quarter of a million dollars more per acre and would make the construction of large manmade thermal sinks prohibitively expensive.
Another benefit to the use of baled tires in large thermal sinks, where millions of gallons of liquid may be contained, is that baled tires, and the sinks in which they are used, eliminate the need for drilling, which has to be done if a vertical open or closed loop geothermal systems is to be constructed. Particularly, geothermal systems, used for large commercial structures, require large bodies of water to serve as a way to supply them with the necessary thermal energy they need. Such a source of supply is often an underground aquifer, river or stream. To reach such a large water body, drilling is necessary. If the system utilizes natural steam in place of water or goes through hot rock, drilling, and the installation of a casing, is necessary so that the energy from below the surface can be tapped. Where none of these natural sources of thermal energy are available, then many drill holes are dug, into the earth, often 25 feet or more. These often go down about 200 hundred feet with miles of tubing installed, through which a liquid travels which acquires the thermal properties of the ground itself whose energy is necessary for a large structures heating or cooling needs. All such methods are extremely costly and all such methods become unnecessary when a large thermal sink is constructed with baled tires. The result is that a thermal sink which utilizes baled tires may cost only a fraction of what would otherwise be the case.
The knowledge possessed by someone of ordinary skill in the art at the time of this disclosure is understood to be part and parcel of this disclosure and is implicitly incorporated by reference herein, even if in the interest of economy express statements about the specific knowledge understood to be possessed by someone of ordinary skill are omitted from this disclosure. While reference may be made in this disclosure to the invention comprising a combination of a plurality of elements, it is also understood that this invention is regarded to comprise combinations which omit or exclude one or more of such elements, even if this omission or exclusion of an element or elements is not expressly stated herein, unless it is expressly stated herein that an element is essential to applicant's combination and cannot be omitted. It is further understood that the related prior art may include elements from which this invention may be distinguished by negative claim limitations, even without any express statement of such negative limitations herein. It is to be understood, between the positive statements of applicant's invention expressly stated herein, and the prior art and knowledge of the prior art by those of ordinary skill which is incorporated herein even if not expressly reproduced here for reasons of economy, that any and all such negative claim limitations supported by the prior art are also considered to be within the scope of this disclosure and its associated claims, even absent any express statement herein about any particular negative claim limitations.
While only certain preferred features of the invention have been illustrated and described, many modifications, changes and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A thermal storage system (100), comprising:
- a thermal collector (101);
- a thermal storage sink (6,102,1000);
- at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) for transporting thermal energy from said thermal collector (101) to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) for storage therein;
- at least one thermal delivery conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to an indoor-air space (901) for use therein;
- a thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000); and
- baled waste tires (14, 301) for enhancing thermal storage.
2. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising a liner (18) for substantially containing said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) from within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
3. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein said baled waste tires (14, 301) are within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said baled waste tires (14, 301) are substantially around a perimeter of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
5. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein said baled waste tires (14, 301) are both within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) and around a perimeter of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
6. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising:
- at least some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) outside of said liner (18) relative to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
7. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) positioned about an outer perimeter of said a thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) for insulating said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) from its outside environs (504).
8. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) positioned to provide structural support to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
9. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) positioned within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) for adding thermal mass to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
10. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) is underground (504).
11. The system (100) of claim 1, said at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) utilizing said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal collector (101) to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
12. The system (100) of claim 1, said at least one thermal delivery conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) utilizing said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to the indoor air space (901).
13. The system (100) of claim 1, said at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) utilizing a liquid (20,21,26) other than said thermal storage liquid (21,26) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal collector (101) to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
14. The system (100) of claim 1, said at least one thermal delivery conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) utilizing a liquid (20,21,26) other than said thermal storage liquid (21,26) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to the indoor-air space (901).
15. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein at least part of said thermal collector (101) is above said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
16. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising at least some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) baled into substantially rectangular parallelepipeds.
17. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising at least some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) baled such that open centers of said tires align to form a substantially pipelike configuration, thereby forming pipelike passages within these pipelike bales (14).
18. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising:
- waste tires placed around at least part of said conduits 8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505), outside of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000), with at least some air spaces (503) between said waste tires and said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505), whereby:
- said waste tires (14,301) and air spaces (503) insulate said conduit 8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505)s from exchanging heat with ground proximate thereto; and
- simultaneously, said waste tires (14,301) and air spaces (503) protect said conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505)s from damage due to ground shifting or heaving.
19. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising at least a portion of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) running through spaces within said baled waste tires (14, 301).
20. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising at least a portion of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) running through spaces between said baled waste tires (14, 301).
21. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising at least some recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) placed above a top liquid (20,21,26) line (16) of said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26).
22. The system (100) of claim 21, said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) insulating said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
23. The system (100) of claim 21, wherein:
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) is substantially non-organic;
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) is substantially non-biodegradable; and
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) also provides structural support to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
24. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising a vapor barrier (13) above a top liquid (20,21,26) line (16) of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) for preventing liquid 20,21,26) or vapor from entering said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) from above.
25. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising:
- a protective barrier placed above a top liquid (20,21,26) line (16) of said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) for preventing materials (5) above said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) from falling into said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26);
- said protective barrier (7) comprising protective barrier materials (7) selected from at least one of the protective barrier material group consisting of: a geogrid (7), tar paper (7), and a filter fabric (7).
26. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising concrete blocks (404) substantially containing at least some of baled waste tires (14, 301).
27. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising baled waste plastic (402,403) substantially filling portions of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
28. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising at least one air pump (202) for purging liquid (20,21,26) from portions of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) which are subjected to freezing temperatures during cold weather, in response to expecting said cold weather.
29. The system (100) of claim 1, said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) comprising water (21).
30. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein a thermal transport liquid (20,21,26) used to transport said thermal energy through at least some of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) is selected from the thermal transport liquid (20,21,26) group consisting of at least one of: glycol, antifreeze, brine (26), and water (21).
31. The system (100) of claim 1, at least part of said thermal collector (101) comprising a surface (2) selected from at least one of the surface group consisting of: a driveway (2), a roadway (2), a parking lot (2), and a walkway (2).
32. The system (100) of claim 31, further comprising said at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) for further transporting thermal heat energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to said thermal collector (101) to melt frozen precipitate upon said surface (2), in response to weather conditions requiring said frozen precipitate to be melted.
33. The system (100) of claim 1, said thermal collector (101) comprising solar collectors (101).
34. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising a firefighting conduit (24) for using said thermal storage liquid (21,26) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to fight a fire.
35. A thermal storage system (100), comprising:
- a thermal collector (101);
- a thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) located at least partially underground (504);
- at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) for transporting thermal energy from said thermal collector (101) to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) for storage therein;
- at least one thermal delivery conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to an indoor-air space (901) for use therein;
- a thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000); and
- recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
36. The system (100) of claim 35, wherein:
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) is substantially non-organic;
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) is substantially non-biodegradable; and
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) also provides structural support to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
37. The system (100) of claim 35, said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) comprising ground recycled glass (502).
38. The system (100) of claim 35, said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) comprising construction debris (501).
39. The system (100) of claim 35, said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) comprising waste plastic (402,403).
40. The system (100) of claim 35, further comprising at least one air pump (202) for purging liquid (20,21,26) from portions of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) which are subjected to freezing temperatures during cold weather, in response to expecting said cold weather.
41. The system (100) of claim 35, at least part of said thermal collector (101) comprising a surface (2) selected from at least one of the surface group consisting of: a driveway (2), a roadway (2), a parking lot (2), and a walkway (2).
42. The system (100) of claim 41, further comprising said at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) for further transporting thermal heat energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to said thermal collector (101) to melt frozen precipitate upon said surface, in response to weather conditions requiring said frozen precipitate to be melted.
43. The system (100) of claim 35, further comprising a firefighting conduit (24) for using said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to fight a fire.
44. A thermal storage method, comprising:
- transporting thermal energy from a thermal collector (101) to a thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) for storage therein, using at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) therefor;
- transporting said thermal energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to an indoor-air space (901) for use therein, using at least one thermal delivery conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) therefor;
- providing a thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000); and
- enhancing thermal storage using baled waste tires (14, 301).
45. The method of claim 44, further comprising substantially containing said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) from within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000), using a liner (18) therefor.
46. The method of claim 44, further comprising providing said baled waste tires (14, 301) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
47. The method of claim 44, further comprising providing said baled waste tires (14, 301) substantially around a perimeter of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
48. The method of claim 44, further comprising providing said baled waste tires (14, 301) both within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) and around a perimeter of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
49. The method of claim 44, further comprising:
- providing at least some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) outside of said liner (18) relative to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
50. The method of claim 44, further comprising insulating said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) from its outside environs (504) by positioning some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) about an outer perimeter of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
51. The method of claim 44, further comprising positioning some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) to provide structural support to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
52. The method of claim 44, further comprising adding thermal mass to said thermal storage sink by positioning some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
53. The method of claim 44, wherein said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) is underground (504).
54. The method of claim 44, further comprising utilizing said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal collector (101) to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) via said at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505).
55. The method of claim 44, further comprising utilizing said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to the indoor-air space (901) via said at least one thermal delivery conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505).
56. The method of claim 44, further comprising utilizing a liquid (20,21,26) other than said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal collector (101) to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) via said at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505).
57. The method of claim 44, further comprising utilizing a liquid (20,21,26) other than said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) for transporting said thermal energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to the indoor air space (901) via said at least one thermal delivery conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505).
58. The method of claim 44, wherein at least part of said thermal collector (101) is above said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
59. The method of claim 44, further comprising providing at least some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) baled into substantially rectangular parallelepipeds (301).
60. The method of claim 44, further comprising baling at least some of said baled waste tires (14, 301) such that open centers of said tires align to form a substantially pipelike configuration (14, 1001), thereby forming pipelike passages within these pipelike bales (14,1001).
61. The method of claim 44, further comprising:
- placing waste tires (402,403) around at least part of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505), outside of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000), with at least some air spaces (503) between said waste tires (14,301) and said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505):
- said waste tires (14,301) and air spaces (503) thereby insulating said conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505)s from exchanging heat with ground (504) proximate thereto; and
- simultaneously, said waste tires (14,301) and air spaces (503) thereby protecting said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) from damage due to ground shifting or heaving.
62. The method of claim 44, further comprising running at least a portion of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) running through spaces within said baled waste tires (14, 301).
63. The method of claim 44, further comprising running at least a portion of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) through spaces between said baled waste tires (14, 301).
64. The method of claim 44, further comprising placing at least some recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) above a top liquid (20,21,26) line (16) of said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26).
65. The method of claim 64, insulating said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) using said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403).
66. The method of claim 64, wherein:
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) is substantially non-organic;
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) is substantially non-biodegradable; and
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) also provides structural support to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
67. The method of claim 44, further comprising preventing liquid (20,21,26) or vapor (13) from entering said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) from above, using a vapor barrier (13) situated above a top liquid (20,21,26) line (16) of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
68. The method of claim 44, further comprising:
- placing a protective barrier (7) above a top liquid (20,21,26) line (16) of said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) for preventing materials (5) above said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) from falling into said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26); wherein:
- said protective barrier (7) comprises protective barrier materials selected from at least one of the protective barrier material group consisting of: a geogrid (7), tar paper (7), and a filter fabric (7).
69. The method of claim 44, further comprising providing concrete blocks (404) substantially containing at least some of baled waste tires (14, 301).
70. The method of claim 44, further comprising substantially filling portions of said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) with baled waste plastic (402,403).
71. The method of claim 44, further comprising purging liquid (20,21,26) from portions of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) which are subjected to freezing temperatures during cold weather, using at least one air pump (202) therefor, responsive to expecting said cold weather.
72. The method of claim 44, said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) comprising water (21).
73. The method of claim 44, further comprising selecting a thermal transport liquid (20,21,26) used to transport said thermal energy through at least some of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) from the thermal transport liquid (20,21,26) group consisting of at least one of: glycol (20), antifreeze (20), brine (26), and water (21).
74. The method of claim 44, at least part of said thermal collector (101) comprising a surface (2) selected from at least one of the surface group consisting of: a driveway (2), a roadway (2), a parking lot (2), and a walkway (2).
75. The method of claim 74, further comprising further transporting thermal heat energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to said thermal collector (101) to melt frozen precipitate upon said surface via said at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505), in response to weather conditions requiring said frozen precipitate to be melted.
76. The method of claim 44, said thermal collector (101) comprising solar collectors (101).
77. The method of claim 44, further comprising using said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to fight a fire, using a firefighting conduit (24) therefor.
78. A thermal storage method, comprising:
- transporting thermal energy from a thermal collector (101) to a thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) for storage therein, using at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) therefor;
- transporting said thermal energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to an indoor-air space (901) for use therein, using at least one thermal delivery conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) therefor;
- providing a thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000); and
- providing recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
79. The method of claim 78, wherein:
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) is substantially non-organic;
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) is substantially non-biodegradable; and
- said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) also provides structural support to said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000).
80. The method of claim 78, said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) comprising construction debris (501).
81. The method of claim 78, said recyclable fill material comprising construction debris.
82. The method of claim 78, said recyclable fill material (14,301,402,403) comprising waste plastic (402,403).
83. The method of claim 78, further comprising purging liquid (20,21,26) from portions of said conduits (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505) which are subjected to freezing temperatures during cold weather, using at least one air pump (202) therefor, responsive to expecting said cold weather.
84. The method of claim 78, at least part of said thermal collector (101) comprising a surface (2) selected from at least one of the surface group (2) consisting of: a driveway (2), a roadway (2), a parking lot (2), and a walkway (2).
85. The method of claim 84, further comprising further transporting thermal heat energy from said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to said thermal collector (101) to melt frozen precipitate upon said surface (2) via said at least one thermal storage transport conduit (8,11,12,22,1108,1302,1503,1505), in response to weather conditions requiring said frozen precipitate to be melted.
86. The method of claim 78, further comprising using said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) to fight a fire, using a firefighting conduit (24) therefor.
87. A thermal storage sink (6,102,1000), comprising:
- a sink (6,102,1000);
- liquid (20,21,26) within said sink (6,102,1000); and
- at least one recyclable material comprising baled tires (14,301) for at least one of the following functions: providing insulation, providing a free flow of liquid therethrough, providing thermal mass, providing structural support to a said sink, resisting settling of a surface above said sink, buffering shock to said sink, protecting pipes or conduits located within or serving said sink, averting deflection, eliminating or reducing costly drilling, reducing a need for plastic tubing, eliminating casing, reducing thermal sink construction costs.
88. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, further comprising a refill chamber (1301) for refilling said sink (6,102,1000) when said liquid (20,21,26) is removed therefrom for transporting said thermal energy.
89. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, further comprising at least some of said baled tires (14, 301) baled into at least one of: pipe like bales (14), rectangular bales (301), square bales (301).
90. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, further comprising rectangular tire bales (301) situated on at least one side of its perimeter.
91. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, wherein:
- said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) is connected with an acclimation sink (1202); and
- said liquid (20,21,26) after utilization for transporting thermal energy to said indoor-air space (901) is returned to said acclimation sink (1202) and prevented from reentering said sink (6,102,1000) until a temperature of water in said acclimation tank is detected to be substantially equal to that of liquid in said sink (6,102,1000).
92. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, further comprising a fluidic attachment of said sink (6,102,1000) to at least one of a well (1501) or underground stream (1504) for replenishing any fluid taken from said sink (6,102,1000).
93. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, further comprising a firefighting conduit (24) for using said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said sink (6,102,1000) to fight a fire.
94. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, said sink (6,102,1000) further comprising at least 10,000 gallons of liquid (20,21,26) therein during at least 90 days of the year.
95. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, further comprising at least one additional recyclable material selected from the group consisting of: construction debris (501), baled waste plastic (402,403), and waste glass (502).
96. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, said bailed tires (301) substantially covering a roof of said sink (6,102,1000) for insulating said sink (6,102,1000) from temperatures above ground.
97. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, comprising a thermal added (102) sink.
98. The thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) of claim 87, comprising a geothermal (1000) sink.
99. A method of using a thermal storage sink (6,102,1000), comprising:
- providing a sink (6,102,1000);
- providing liquid (20,21,26) within said sink (6,102,1000); and
- using least one recyclable material comprising baled tires (14,301) for at least one of the following functions: providing insulation, providing a free flow of liquid therethrough, providing thermal mass, providing structural support to a said sink, resisting settling of a surface above said sink, buffering shock to said sink, protecting pipes or conduits located within or serving said sink, averting deflection, eliminating or reducing costly drilling, reducing a need for plastic tubing, eliminating casing, reducing thermal sink construction costs.
100. The method of claim 99, further comprising refilling said sink (6,102,1000) when said liquid (20,21,26) is removed therefrom for transporting said thermal energy, using a refill chamber (1301) therefor.
101. The method of claim 99, further comprising at least some of said baled tires (14, 301) baled into at least one of: pipe like bales (14), rectangular bales (301), square bales (301).
102. The method of claim 99, further comprising situating rectangular tire bales (301) on at least one side of a perimeter of said sink (6,102,1000).
103. The method of claim 99, further comprising:
- connecting said sink (6,102,1000) with an acclimation sink (1202); and
- after utilizing said liquid (20,21,26) for transporting thermal energy to said indoor-air space (901), returning said liquid (20,21,26) to said acclimation sink (1202) and preventing said liquid (20,21,26) from reentering said sink (6,102,1000) until a temperature of water in said acclimation tank is detected to be substantially equal to that of liquid in said sink (6,102,1000).
104. The method of claim 99, further comprising replenishing any fluid taken from said sink (6,102,1000) using a fluidic attachment of said sink (6,102,1000) to at least one of a well (1501) or underground stream (1504) therefor.
105. The method of claim 99, further comprising fight a fire using said thermal storage liquid (20,21,26) within said sink (6,102,1000), via using a firefighting conduit (24) therefor.
106. The method of claim 99, said sink (6,102,1000) further comprising at least 10,000 gallons of liquid (20,21,26) therein during at least 90 days of the year.
107. The method of claim 99, further comprising using at least one additional recyclable material selected from the group consisting of: construction debris (501), baled waste plastic (402,403), and waste glass (502).
108. The method of claim 99, further comprising substantially covering a roof of said sink (6,102,1000) for insulating said sink (6,102,1000) from temperatures above ground, using said bailed tires (301) therefor.
109. The method of claim 99, said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) comprising a thermal added (102) sink.
110. The method of claim 99, said thermal storage sink (6,102,1000) comprising a geothermal (1000) sink.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 27, 2010
Publication Date: Dec 15, 2011
Inventors: Martin Mittelmark (Schuylerville, NY), Paul St. John (Charlston, NY), Henry T. Nordberg (Oneida, NY)
Application Number: 13/203,036