Numerical simulation of a district heating system with emphases on transient temperature behaviour

Abstract

Numerical simulation of a district heating system was performed with emphases on transient temperature behaviour. The distortion of transient temperature throughout a heating system network was simulated using modelling approach developed at the Technical University of Denmark (the so-called node method). The commercial software TERMIS has also been used in this work for comparison purposes. The main focus has been placed on an analysis of system behaviour and how it could be represented by modelling tools for pronounced thermal and hydraulic transient regimes, in particular, temperature waves combined with temperature fluctuations. For this purpose, a district heating system in Madumvej (Denmark) and its operational conditions were analyzed. The time-dependent consumer data and heat supply data from the district heating system in Madumvej (Denmark) were applied for modelling. The results obtained from modelling approaches were compared with measured data at consumers’ substations.