	US 11,778,958 B2
	Multi-source heat exchange system employing a ground-energy storage system for controlled environment enclosures
Richard A. Gordon, Corvallis, OR (US); Swapnil Kumar, Boulder, CO (US); Marc Adolf Ernst Plinke, Boulder, CO (US); and Christian Lee Houpe, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to Ceres Greenhouse Solutions LLC, Boulder, CO (US)
Appl. No. 17/787,584
Filed by Ceres Greenhouse Solutions LLC, Boulder, CO (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 16, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/050760 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 20, 2022, PCT Pub. No. WO2022/061045, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 24, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/079,461, filed on Sep. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0400625 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. A01G 9/24 (2006.01); F24T 10/15 (2018.01); A01G 9/14 (2006.01)

CPC A01G 9/247 (2013.01) [A01G 9/1438 (2013.01); A01G 9/245 (2013.01); F24T 10/15 (2018.05)]

55 Claims

1. A greenhouse enclosure environment control system comprising a multi-source ground-to-air heat transfer system comprising of:

a) an enclosure comprising:

i) a roof;

ii) a floor;

iii) vegetation configured within the greenhouse;

b) a heat reservoir having a heat reservoir medium;

c) a heat pump heat exchange system comprising a heat pump comprising:

i) a condenser;

ii) a condenser heat exchanger;

iii) an expansion valve;

iv) an evaporator heat exchanger that produces condensate water from a flow of air from the enclosure;

v) a compressor configured to pump a refrigerant through the heat pump exchange system; and

vi) a reversing valve;

d) a misting system configured to dispense a mist of water into the enclosure;

e) a fluid-to-ground heat exchange system comprising:

i) a ground loop coupled with the heat pump exchange system and comprising:

a ground loop conduit extending through the heat reservoir; and

ii) a ground loop pump;

iii) a thermal exchange fluid that is configured to be pumped by the ground loop pump to flow through the ground loop conduit and back to said heat pump heat exchange system;

f) a hydration conduit that extends under the enclosure having a hydration outlet to dispense a hydration fluid to the heat reservoir medium to increase the heat transfer of the heat reservoir medium;

wherein, in a cooling and dehumidification mode, the evaporator heat exchanger produces a flow of cooled and dried air into the enclosure and the compressor heats the thermal exchange fluid flowing to the ground loop conduit, whereby the thermal reservoir medium is heated and the enclosure is cooled and dehumidified; and

wherein in a heating mode, the evaporator heat exchanger produces a flow of heated air into the enclosure and the condenser cools the thermal exchange fluid flowing to the ground loop conduit, whereby the heat reservoir is cooled and the enclosure is heated.