eXergymachine

The so-called eXergymachine puts an end to a number of problems in heating and thermal engineering. It increases the temperature spread in the heat storage tank regardless of current consumption behaviour. This raises the flow temperature to a usable level and lowers the return temperature towards the source. With the help of the Exergymachine, more energy can be transported with the same volume flow, which means that pipes in new systems can often be smaller.

Areas of application

The temperature spread achieved by the Exergymachine is advantageous in a number of applications:

Hot water systems benefit from the fact that circulation operation during periods of low consumption does not lead to unfavourable temperature levels in the storage tank.
Waste heat from commercial refrigeration systems, for example, can be raised to a usable temperature level.
The temperature level supplied by heating heat pumps can be "boosted" so that hot water can also be produced using this energy.
Local or district heating networks can be operated at a low return temperature, making it easy to comply with the network operators' requirements.
In solar thermal systems, the energy yield can be increased, which is particularly advantageous in the transition months or when the modules are partially east or west facing.
In hybrid modules that supply solar heat and PV electricity, the PV modules are cooled at the same time, which increases their electrical efficiency.
Heat sources such as condensing boilers or CHP units receive a cooler return flow and operate more effectively. In addition, the heat generators need to start up less often, which reduces wear and tear.

Less use of fossil fuels

Because the temperature increase also allows sources with low temperature levels to be used for heating and hot water purposes, expensive fossil fuels can be replaced.

How it works

In order to create optimised temperature stratification in the buffer storage tank, a single-stage water-water heat pump operates inside the Exergymachine. This is designed for an extremely large temperature spread of around 50 K in the buffer storage tank and, unlike conventional (air and ground)heating heat pumps, it also operates at source temperatures of 55 °C and above. During operation, the Exergymachine draws water from the centre of the storage system via two circuits. One circuit directs the water to the heat pump's condenser, where it is heated before entering the upper part of the heat storage tank. The other circuit passes through the evaporator and then directs the cooled water to the lower storage area.

Schema eXergiemaschine