District Heating Systems

District Heating Technology:

• Have fundamental knowledge of district heating and district cooling networks, components and operation
• Explain hydraulic and thermal processes in DH network
• Account for main aspects of and methods in planning and optimizing DH networks and their operation 
• Main characteristics and applications of different thermal storage technologies 

Techno-Economic Analysis & Optimization of District Heating Systems:

• Attain knowledge on basic concepts of combined technical and economic analyses
• Understand the framework, and effect of externalities and operating conditions in modelling of DH systems
• Dynamics of operations over a year and corresponding effect of operational strategies on plant economy
• Lifetime Costs of district heating plants

District Heating Technology:

• Be able to calculate design heat load, size of DH network, thermal performance and pressure levels in DH networks 
• Be able to perform simple simulation of a DH network with a simulation tool

• Model, simulate, analyze and optimize DH plants
• Assess investment and variable costs associated with heat production
• Calculate energy and financial yields through techno-economic modelling
• Identify sensitivities such as changes in efficiencies/prices or taxes on project worth and analyze the potential to optimize these systems accordingly.

District Heating Technology:

• Be able to set up a model for district heating network simulation, as well as understand, use and modify an existing model.

Techno-Economic Analysis & Optimization of District Heating Systems:

• Effectively use modelling tools for energy planning, basis for decisions, optimization of energy systems, system integration and sustainable change processes
• Evaluation and comparison of alternative processes and technologies in combination with investment opportunities, returns, and risks associated with them
• Able to analyse various preconditions such as weather conditions, technical properties of the different units, maintenance costs, fuel prices, taxes, subsidies, loses etc. in optimizing energy systems
• Perform district heating Investment analysis and be able to explain underlying technical and financial justifications/assumptions

The module is composed of the two topics:

• District Heating Technology
• Techno-Economic Analysis & Optimization of District Heating Systems

And a semester project.

Contents of the topic District Heating Technology:

• District Heating (DH) and District Cooling (DC) networks, basic concepts and components including thermal energy storage
• Heat load, capacity factor and planning of DH networks
• DH network operation – hydraulic and thermal performance
• The Danish district heating system
• Simulation of district heating networks.

Contents of the topic Techno-Economic Analysis & Optimization of District Heating Systems:

• Principles and methods for techno-economic analysis, including both business economic and socio-economic assessment 
• Optimization of heat loads, supply and plant operations in district heating systems
• Simulation tools & modelling of power plants and energy systems
• EnergyPRO software in modelling and analysis of district heating systems

For each topic there will be 24 hours divided on 6 lectures.

Additional lectures for project related introduction, providing data and model basis will be given in connection to lectures on the topic Techno-Economic Analysis & Optimization of District Heating Systems.

Both topics will be present in the lectures and the semesterproject. Academic preparation will be part of the lectures.

The content of the lectures will be established by the teachers. Lectures will be combined with practical assignments, exercises and company visits.

The students hand in an individual portfolio consisting of a number of excercises established by the teachers.

The semesterproject is mandatory and basis for the examination. It will be carried out in project groups established by the semester coordinator. Each group have a mentor to support them. The group can also get guidence from the teachers involved in the course.