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A new analytical method for modeling network hydraulics in district systems with bidirectional mass and energy flows

Claesson, Johan LU ; Lindhe, Jonas LU ; Abugabbara, Marwan LU orcid ; Johansson, Dennis LU and Javed, Saqib LU (2024) In Science and Technology for the Built Environment 30(6). p.547-562
Abstract

Recent technologies of district heating and cooling (DHC) systems integrate renewable energy sources and connect multiple heat producers and consumers to the same network. The resulting interactions may therefore cause the fluid in the pipe, or the energy carried by the system, to flow in both directions. This article presents a newly developed analytical method for evaluating the hydraulic states in DHC networks with bidirectional mass and energy flows. The formulation of the method is presented in detail and is mainly based on the definition of two functions, namely, the flow-pressure function and the bifurcation function. The former describes the relationship between the pressure drop and the mass flow rate in a circular pipe... (More)

Recent technologies of district heating and cooling (DHC) systems integrate renewable energy sources and connect multiple heat producers and consumers to the same network. The resulting interactions may therefore cause the fluid in the pipe, or the energy carried by the system, to flow in both directions. This article presents a newly developed analytical method for evaluating the hydraulic states in DHC networks with bidirectional mass and energy flows. The formulation of the method is presented in detail and is mainly based on the definition of two functions, namely, the flow-pressure function and the bifurcation function. The former describes the relationship between the pressure drop and the mass flow rate in a circular pipe segment, whereas the latter finds the sum of all pressure differences in a closed loop and has a single unique zero that determines the unknown mass flow rate to fulfill network mass balance. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the applicability of the method to single- and multi-looped network topologies. The method enables robust and fast calculations for virtually any network configuration with any number of connected prosumers. It can be easily implemented in any design and simulation tool to account for steady-state or dynamic situations.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Science and Technology for the Built Environment
volume
30
issue
6
pages
16 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85189552971
ISSN
2374-4731
DOI
10.1080/23744731.2024.2336836
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e04ea57d-ff88-41be-9ec2-079639b051c2
date added to LUP
2025-01-15 12:20:28
date last changed
2025-06-23 12:23:51
@article{e04ea57d-ff88-41be-9ec2-079639b051c2,
  abstract     = {{<p>Recent technologies of district heating and cooling (DHC) systems integrate renewable energy sources and connect multiple heat producers and consumers to the same network. The resulting interactions may therefore cause the fluid in the pipe, or the energy carried by the system, to flow in both directions. This article presents a newly developed analytical method for evaluating the hydraulic states in DHC networks with bidirectional mass and energy flows. The formulation of the method is presented in detail and is mainly based on the definition of two functions, namely, the flow-pressure function and the bifurcation function. The former describes the relationship between the pressure drop and the mass flow rate in a circular pipe segment, whereas the latter finds the sum of all pressure differences in a closed loop and has a single unique zero that determines the unknown mass flow rate to fulfill network mass balance. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the applicability of the method to single- and multi-looped network topologies. The method enables robust and fast calculations for virtually any network configuration with any number of connected prosumers. It can be easily implemented in any design and simulation tool to account for steady-state or dynamic situations.</p>}},
  author       = {{Claesson, Johan and Lindhe, Jonas and Abugabbara, Marwan and Johansson, Dennis and Javed, Saqib}},
  issn         = {{2374-4731}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{547--562}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Science and Technology for the Built Environment}},
  title        = {{A new analytical method for modeling network hydraulics in district systems with bidirectional mass and energy flows}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23744731.2024.2336836}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/23744731.2024.2336836}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}