Performant and Simple Numerical Modeling of District Heating Pipes with Heat Accumulation

Libor Kudela, Radomir Chylek and Jiri Pospisil
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Libor Kudela: Energy Institute, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology—VUT Brno, Technicka 2896/2, 61669 Brno, Czech Republic
Radomir Chylek: Energy Institute, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology—VUT Brno, Technicka 2896/2, 61669 Brno, Czech Republic
Jiri Pospisil: Energy Institute, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology—VUT Brno, Technicka 2896/2, 61669 Brno, Czech Republic

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: This paper compares approaches for accurate numerical modeling of transients in the pipe element of district heating systems. The distribution grid itself affects the heat flow dynamics of a district heating network, which subsequently governs the heat delays and entire efficiency of the distribution. For an efficient control of the network, a control system must be able to predict how “temperature waves” move through the network. This prediction must be sufficiently accurate for real-time computations of operational parameters. Future control systems may also benefit from the accumulation capabilities of pipes. In this article, the key physical phenomena affecting the transients in pipes were identified, and an efficient numerical model of aboveground district heating pipe with heat accumulation was developed. The model used analytical methods for the evaluation of source terms. Physics of heat transfer in the pipe shells was captured by one-dimensional finite element method that is based on the steady-state solution. Simple advection scheme was used for discretization of the fluid region. Method of lines and time integration was used for marching. The complexity of simulated physical phenomena was highly flexible and allowed to trade accuracy for computational time. In comparison with the very finely discretized model, highly comparable transients were obtained even for the thick accumulation wall.

Keywords: district heating; heat accumulation; pipe; numerical model; Modelica language; Julia language; performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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