Study of control strategies for simulation and operation of flexible district heating networks

Bearbeiter: Luca Vit­to­rio Valen­ti­ni

Betreuer: Wolfgang Streicher, Fabian Ochs, Alexander Thür

Summary

To achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the EU aims to fully decarbonize district heating (DH) by 2050. As of 2022, approximately 43% of European district heat is supplied by renewable and waste heat sources. However, over half of the heat still originates from fossil fuel-based heating plants, which are major contributors to GHG emissions (primarily CO2​) (DHC Market Outlook 2024). Transitioning away from fossil-fueled thermal plants presents significant challenges, particularly in balancing intermittent renewable energy inputs with the heat demand in DH networks. Currently, most operational DH networks rely on fossil fuel plants, such as gas boilers, to regulate thermal input and meet customer demand (Kensby 2017).

To enable decarbonization, flexibility must be introduced across various components of the DH network. Key flexibility options include thermal energy storage (TES), demand-side management, and utilizing the network itself as a thermal storage medium. This dissertation aims to test and evaluate control strategies that optimize the integration of renewable and waste heat into DH networks. The analysis considers both the hydraulic and thermal behavior of the DH network, ensuring that thermo-hydraulic effects are accounted for rather than relying solely on energy balance models. These strategies involve activating the aforementioned flexibility options and will be tested in real-world DH networks as part of the PhD funding project, through simulations using a specialized DH modeling tool. By considering multiple DH networks with unique boundary conditions, this work seeks to provide broader, more generalizable conclusions about effective decarbonization strategies for DH systems.

Sources:

  • DHC Market Outlook 2024: DHC Market Outlook 2024. Euroheat & Power.
  • Kensby (2017): Smart Energy Grids. Utilization of Space Heating Flexibility. Doctorate Thesis. Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg.

 

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