Modelling and validation of district heating networks using an urban simulation platform

District heating networks deliver around 13% of the heating energy in the EU, being considered as a key element of the progressive decarbonization of Europe. The H2020 REnewable Low TEmperature District project (RELaTED) seeks to contribute to the energy decarbonization of these infrastructures through the development and demonstration of the following concepts: reduction in network temperature down to 50 °C, integration of renewable energies and waste heat sources with a novel substation concept, and improvement on building-integrated solar thermal systems. The coupling of renewable thermal sources with ultra-low temperature district heating (DH) allows for a bidirectional energy flow, using the DH as both thermal storage in periods of production surplus and a back-up heating source during consumption peaks. The ultra-low temperature enables the integration of a wide range of energy sources such as waste heat from industry. Furthermore, RELaTED also develops concepts concerning district heating-connected reversible heat pump systems that allow to reach adequate thermal levels for domestic hot water as well as the use of the network for district cooling with high performance. These developments will be demonstrated in four locations: Estonia, Serbia, Denmark, and Spain.

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State estimation models of district heating networks for integrated energy system considering incomplete measurements

Applied Energy ◽

10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.116105 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 282 ◽

pp. 116105

Author(s):

Suhan Zhang ◽

Wei Gu ◽

Haifeng Qiu ◽

Shuai Yao ◽

Guangsheng Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

State Estimation ◽

District Heating ◽

Energy System ◽

Integrated Energy System ◽

Heating Networks ◽

Estimation Models

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Reliability segment design in single-source district heating networks based on valve network models

Sustainable Cities and Society ◽

10.1016/j.scs.2020.102463 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 ◽

pp. 102463

Author(s):

Ding Mao ◽

Peng Wang ◽

Wei Wang ◽

Long Ni

Keyword(s):

District Heating ◽

Network Models ◽

Single Source ◽

Heating Networks

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Method for Redesign of District Heating Networks within Transition from the 2nd to the 3rd Generation

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.657.689 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 657 ◽

pp. 689-693

Author(s):

Răzvan Corneliu Lefter ◽

Daniela Popescu ◽

Alexandrina Untăroiu

Keyword(s):

District Heating ◽

Design Stage ◽

Heating Systems ◽

Load Duration ◽

Load Duration Curve ◽

District Heating Systems ◽

Consumption Rates ◽

Heat Loads ◽

Heating Networks

Important investmentsare made lately in the area of district heating, as a technology capable ofhelping countries to reach sustainability goals. In Romania, European fundswere spent for transition from the 2nd to the 3rdgeneration of district heating systems. The lack of appropriate monitoringsystems in old district heating systems makes optimisation nowadays very difficult,especially because nominal values used in the first design stage areoverestimated. Realistic nominal heat loads are necessary to make goodestimations of hydraulic parameters to be used for redesign. This studyproposes a method that uses the heat load duration curve theory to identify theappropriate nominal heat loads to be used for redesign. Comparison betweenresults obtained by applying the nominal heat loads of each consumer, as theywere established in the first design stage, and the ones identified by theproposed method are analyzed in a case study. The results show that errors arein the +/- 3% band, between the metered heat consumption rates and the proposedrates. The new method can be used for the sizing of pumps and district heatingnetworks after retrofit, in order to get better adjustments of the circulationpumps and increase of the energy efficiency.

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