Swegs adapted for use in cooling, heating, voc remediation, mining, pasteurization and brewing applications

Abstract

Apparatus includes a heat extraction system (SWEGS) in combination with some further apparatus for implementing some further functionality, e.g., associated with cooling/heating, remediation, mining, pasteurization and brewing applications. The SWEGS generates geothermal heat from within a drilled well, and includes a heat conductive material injected into an area within a heat nest near a bottom of a drilled well between a heat exchanging element and rock surrounding the heat nest to form a closed-loop solid state heat exchange to heat contents of a piping system flowing into and out of the heat exchanging element at an equilibrium temperature at which the rock surrounding the heat nest and generating the geothermal heat continually recoups the geothermal heat that the rock is conducting to the heat conductive material and above which the geothermal heat generated by the rock surrounding the heat nest dissipates as the heat conductive material conducts heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest to the heat exchanging element. The heat conductive material may be configured to solidify to substantially fill the area within the heat nest to transfer heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest and the heat exchanging element. The piping system may be configured to bring the contents from a surface of the well into the heat nest and carry heated contents to the surface of the well from the heat nest. The closed-loop solid state heat exchange may be configured to extract geothermal heat from the well without exposing the rock surrounding the heat nest to a liquid flow, and provide heated contents to the piping system for further processing. The further apparatus receives the heated content and further processes the heated content in order to implement some further functionality based at least partly on using the heated content.

We claim: 
     
         1 . Apparatus comprising:
 a heat extraction system for generating geothermal heat from within a drilled well, comprising:
 a heat conductive material injected into an area within a heat nest near a bottom of a drilled well between a heat exchanging element and rock surrounding the heat nest to form a closed-loop solid state heat exchange to heat contents of a piping system flowing into and out of the heat exchanging element at an equilibrium temperature at which the rock surrounding the heat nest and generating the geothermal heat continually recoups the geothermal heat that the rock is conducting to the heat conductive material and above which the geothermal heat generated by the rock surrounding the heat nest dissipates as the heat conductive material conducts heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest to the heat exchanging element, 
 the heat conductive material configured to solidify to substantially fill the area within the heat nest to transfer heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest and the heat exchanging element, 
 the piping system configured to bring the contents from a surface of the well into the heat nest and carry heated contents to the surface of the well from the heat nest, and 
 the closed-loop solid state heat exchange configured to extract geothermal heat from the well without exposing the rock surrounding the heat nest to a liquid flow, and provide heated contents to the piping system for further processing; and 
   a further apparatus configured to receive the heated content and to further process the heated content in order to implement some further functionality based at least partly on using the heated content.   Heating/Cooling   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the further apparatus comprises heating apparatus configured to receive the heated content and to provide thermal heat based at least partly on the temperature of the heated content. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the heating apparatus comprises
 a hot fluid reservoir configured to receive and contain the heated content; and   a pump configured to provide the heated content from the hot fluid reservoir to one or more heating or cooling systems.   
     
     
         4 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the heated content is a Durathem™-based circulating fluid. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more heating or cooling systems comprise either a chiller configured to provide a cooling application, a heat exchanger configured to provide a heating application, or both. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the heating apparatus is configured to provide heating apparatus content back to the heat extraction system for further processing.
 Remediation   
     
     
         7 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the further apparatus comprises remediation apparatus configured to receive the heated content and to provide remediation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including VOC-contaminated soil, rock or groundwater, based at least partly on the temperature of the heated content, including where VOCs volatize at temperatures up to 100° C. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the remediation apparatus comprises a soil vapor extraction system configured to capture volatized VOCs for further processing. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the remediation apparatus comprises
 a hot fluid reservoir configured to receive and contain the heated content; and   a pump configured to provide the heated content from the hot fluid reservoir via piping through to one or more remediation heat loops or systems, including through one or more VOC plumes.   
     
     
         10 . Apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the remediation apparatus is configured to provide remediation apparatus content back to the heat extraction system for further processing.
 Mining   
     
     
         11 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the further apparatus comprises mining apparatus configured to receive the heated content and to provide the heated contents for mining applications. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the mining apparatus is configured to receive the heated content and to transfer heat to a secondary fluid required that is part of a leaching system or process. 
     
     
         13 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the mining apparatus comprises
 a hot fluid reservoir configured to receive and contain the heated content;   a pump configured to provide the heated content from the hot fluid reservoir via piping; and   a heat exchanger configured to receive the heated content and transfer heat to a secondary fluid used in a leaching process, including where the secondary fluid is heated from about 25° C. to a range of about 40° C. to 50° C. and used in a lixiviation process.   
     
     
         14 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the mining apparatus comprises
 a hot fluid reservoir configured to receive and contain the heated content;   a pump configured to provide the heated content from the hot fluid reservoir via piping; and   a heat exchanger configured to receive the heated content and transfer heat to a secondary fluid used in a leaching process, including where the secondary fluid is heated from about 25° C. to about 50° C. and circulated through a leaching pool.   
     
     
         15 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the mining apparatus is configured to provide mining apparatus content back to the heat extraction system for further processing. 
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the heated content is a Durathem™-based circulating fluid.
 Pasteurization 
 
     
     
         17 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the further apparatus comprises pasteurization or brewing apparatus configured to receive the heated content and to provide the heated contents to boilers and heaters used during for pasteurizing or brewing.
 The Method claims   
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 generating with a heat extraction system geothermal heat from within a drilled well, using the following steps:
 injecting a heat conductive material into an area within a heat nest near a bottom of a drilled well between a heat exchanging element and rock surrounding the heat nest to form a closed-loop solid state heat exchange to heat contents of a piping system flowing into and out of the heat exchanging element at an equilibrium temperature at which the rock surrounding the heat nest and generating the geothermal heat continually recoups the geothermal heat that the rock is conducting to the heat conductive material and above which the geothermal heat generated by the rock surrounding the heat nest dissipates as the heat conductive material conducts heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest to the heat exchanging element, 
 substantially filing and solidifying the heat conductive material in the area within the heat nest to transfer heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest and the heat exchanging element, 
 bringing with the piping system the contents from a surface of the well into the heat nest and carry heated contents to the surface of the well from the heat nest, and 
 extracting with the closed-loop solid state heat exchange geothermal heat from the well without exposing the rock surrounding the heat nest to a liquid flow, and provide heated contents to the piping system for further processing; and 
   receiving with a further apparatus the heated content and further processing the heated content in order to implement some further functionality based at least partly on using the heated content.   Heating/Cooling   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the method comprises receiving with heating apparatus the heated content and to provide thermal heat based at least partly on the temperature of the heated content. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the method comprises:
 receiving and containing with a hot fluid reservoir the heated content; and   providing with a pump the heated content from the hot fluid reservoir to one or more heating or cooling systems.   
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the heated content is a Durathem™-based circulating fluid. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the method comprises using either a chiller configured to provide a cooling application, a heat exchanger configured to provide a heating application, or both, as the one or more heating or cooling systems. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the method comprises providing heating apparatus content back to the heat extraction system for further processing.
 Remediation   
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the method comprises receiving with remediation apparatus the heated content and to provide remediation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including VOC-contaminated soil, rock or groundwater, based at least partly on the temperature of the heated content, including where VOCs volatize at temperatures up to 100° C. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein the method comprises capturing with a soil vapor extraction system volatized VOCs for further processing. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein the method comprises
 receiving and containing with a hot fluid reservoir the heated content; and   providing with a pump the heated content from the hot fluid reservoir via piping through to one or more remediation heat loops or systems, including through one or more VOC plumes.   
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein the method comprises providing remediation apparatus content back to the heat extraction system for further processing.
 Mining   
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the method comprises receiving with mining apparatus the heated content and providing the heated contents to boilers for the combustion of fossil-fuel based energy, including petroleum. 
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the method comprises receiving with mining apparatus the heated content and transferring heat to a secondary fluid required that is part of a leaching system or process. 
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the method comprises
 receiving and containing with a hot fluid reservoir the heated content;   providing with a pump the heated content from the hot fluid reservoir via piping; and   receiving with a heat exchanger the heated content and transferring heat to a secondary fluid used in a leaching process, including where the secondary fluid is heated from about 25° C. to a range of about 40° C. to 50° C. and used in a lixiviation process.   
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the method comprises
 receiving and containing with a hot fluid reservoir the heated content;   providing with a pump the heated content from the hot fluid reservoir via piping; and   receiving with a heat exchanger the heated content and transferring heat to a secondary fluid used in a leaching process, including where the secondary fluid is heated from about 25° C. to about 50° C. and circulated through a leaching pool.   
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the method comprises providing mining apparatus content back to the heat extraction system for further processing. 
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the heated content is a Durathem™-based circulating fluid.
 Pasteurization 
 
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the method comprises receiving with pasteurization or brewing apparatus the heated content and providing the heated contents to boilers and heaters used during for pasteurizing or brewing.