IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v12y2019i17p3215-d259612.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improved Control of Radiator Heating Systems with Thermostatic Radiator Valves without Pre-Setting Function

Author

Listed:
  • Theofanis Benakopoulos

    (Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek VITO NV, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
    EnergyVille, Thor Park 8310, 3600 Genk, Belgium
    Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Brovej, Building 118, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark)

  • Robbe Salenbien

    (Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek VITO NV, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
    EnergyVille, Thor Park 8310, 3600 Genk, Belgium)

  • Dirk Vanhoudt

    (Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek VITO NV, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
    EnergyVille, Thor Park 8310, 3600 Genk, Belgium)

  • Svend Svendsen

    (Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Brovej, Building 118, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark)

Abstract

Low-temperature district heating will play an important role in a future free of fossil fuels. This will only be able to be realized through the low-temperature operation of heating systems in existing buildings. Existing radiator systems can operate with low temperatures for most of the year because they are designed for extremely cold days, but errors have to be corrected and the control of the radiator systems needs to be improved. In this paper, we present a strategy to achieve low-temperature operation from the radiator system of a multi-family building in Denmark without a pre-setting function in the thermostatic radiator valves. The strategy is based on operating the system with a combination of a minimum supply temperature and small temperature differences over the radiators. The operation of the system is analyzed through a thermal-hydraulic model. A minimum supply temperature weather compensation curve was calculated and implemented in the central supply temperature control. Return temperature measurements in the substation, the risers, and several critical radiators were performed before and after the implementation of the strategy. The measurements confirm that a lower supply temperature results in a reduction of the return temperature. However, the system operator needs to be supported by a tool package to correctly maintain the system’s operation.

Suggested Citation

  • Theofanis Benakopoulos & Robbe Salenbien & Dirk Vanhoudt & Svend Svendsen, 2019. "Improved Control of Radiator Heating Systems with Thermostatic Radiator Valves without Pre-Setting Function," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-24, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:17:p:3215-:d:259612
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/17/3215/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/17/3215/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gustafsson, Jonas & Delsing, Jerker & van Deventer, Jan, 2010. "Improved district heating substation efficiency with a new control strategy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(6), pages 1996-2004, June.
    2. Gustafsson, Jonas & Delsing, Jerker & van Deventer, Jan, 2011. "Experimental evaluation of radiator control based on primary supply temperature for district heating substations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(12), pages 4945-4951.
    3. Gadd, Henrik & Werner, Sven, 2015. "Fault detection in district heating substations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 51-59.
    4. Lund, Henrik & Werner, Sven & Wiltshire, Robin & Svendsen, Svend & Thorsen, Jan Eric & Hvelplund, Frede & Mathiesen, Brian Vad, 2014. "4th Generation District Heating (4GDH)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 1-11.
    5. Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup & Svendsen, Svend, 2018. "Experience from a practical test of low-temperature district heating for space heating in five Danish single-family houses from the 1930s," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 569-578.
    6. Gadd, Henrik & Werner, Sven, 2014. "Achieving low return temperatures from district heating substations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 59-67.
    7. Tunzi, Michele & Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup & Svendsen, Svend & Boukhanouf, Rabah & Cooper, Edward, 2016. "Method to investigate and plan the application of low temperature district heating to existing hydraulic radiator systems in existing buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 413-421.
    8. Ashfaq, Asad & Ianakiev, Anton, 2018. "Investigation of hydraulic imbalance for converting existing boiler based buildings to low temperature district heating," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 200-212.
    9. Connolly, D. & Lund, H. & Mathiesen, B.V. & Werner, S. & Möller, B. & Persson, U. & Boermans, T. & Trier, D. & Østergaard, P.A. & Nielsen, S., 2014. "Heat Roadmap Europe: Combining district heating with heat savings to decarbonise the EU energy system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 475-489.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Benakopoulos, Theofanis & Tunzi, Michele & Salenbien, Robbe & Hansen, Kasper Klan & Svendsen, Svend, 2022. "Implementation of a strategy for low-temperature operation of radiator systems using data from existing digital heat cost allocators," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    2. Benakopoulos, Theofanis & Tunzi, Michele & Salenbien, Robbe & Svendsen, Svend, 2021. "Strategy for low-temperature operation of radiator systems using data from existing digital heat cost allocators," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    3. Beungyong Park & Seong Ryong Ryu & Chang Heon Cheong, 2020. "Thermal Comfort Analysis of Combined Radiation-Convection Floor Heating System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-15, March.
    4. De la Cruz-Loredo, Iván & Zinsmeister, Daniel & Licklederer, Thomas & Ugalde-Loo, Carlos E. & Morales, Daniel A. & Bastida, Héctor & Perić, Vedran S. & Saleem, Arslan, 2023. "Experimental validation of a hybrid 1-D multi-node model of a hot water thermal energy storage tank," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 332(C).
    5. Benakopoulos, Theofanis & Tunzi, Michele & Salenbien, Robbe & Vanhoudt, Dirk & Svendsen, Svend, 2021. "Low return temperature from domestic hot-water system based on instantaneous heat exchanger with chemical-based disinfection solution," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(PB).
    6. Thorsen, Jan Eric & Gudmundsson, Oddgeir & Tunzi, Michele & Esbensen, Torben, 2024. "Aftercooling concept: An innovative substation ready for 4th generation district heating networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    7. Sarran, Lucile & Smith, Kevin M. & Hviid, Christian A. & Rode, Carsten, 2022. "Grey-box modelling and virtual sensors enabling continuous commissioning of hydronic floor heating," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PB).
    8. Tunzi, Michele & Benakopoulos, Theofanis & Yang, Qinjiang & Svendsen, Svend, 2023. "Demand side digitalisation: A methodology using heat cost allocators and energy meters to secure low-temperature operations in existing buildings connected to district heating networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    9. Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup & Tunzi, Michele & Svendsen, Svend, 2021. "What does a well-functioning heating system look like? Investigation of ten Danish buildings that utilize district heating efficiently," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    10. Antoine Reguis & Behrang Vand & John Currie, 2021. "Challenges for the Transition to Low-Temperature Heat in the UK: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-26, November.
    11. Theofanis Benakopoulos & William Vergo & Michele Tunzi & Robbe Salenbien & Svend Svendsen, 2021. "Overview of Solutions for the Low-Temperature Operation of Domestic Hot-Water Systems with a Circulation Loop," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-25, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Yu & Rezgui, Yacine & Zhu, Hanxing, 2017. "District heating and cooling optimization and enhancement – Towards integration of renewables, storage and smart grid," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 281-294.
    2. Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup & Tunzi, Michele & Svendsen, Svend, 2021. "What does a well-functioning heating system look like? Investigation of ten Danish buildings that utilize district heating efficiently," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    3. Benakopoulos, Theofanis & Tunzi, Michele & Salenbien, Robbe & Svendsen, Svend, 2021. "Strategy for low-temperature operation of radiator systems using data from existing digital heat cost allocators," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    4. Sarran, Lucile & Smith, Kevin M. & Hviid, Christian A. & Rode, Carsten, 2022. "Grey-box modelling and virtual sensors enabling continuous commissioning of hydronic floor heating," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PB).
    5. Averfalk, Helge & Werner, Sven, 2018. "Novel low temperature heat distribution technology," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 526-539.
    6. Antoine Reguis & Behrang Vand & John Currie, 2021. "Challenges for the Transition to Low-Temperature Heat in the UK: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-26, November.
    7. Brange, Lisa & Lauenburg, Patrick & Sernhed, Kerstin & Thern, Marcus, 2017. "Bottlenecks in district heating networks and how to eliminate them – A simulation and cost study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 607-616.
    8. Benakopoulos, Theofanis & Tunzi, Michele & Salenbien, Robbe & Hansen, Kasper Klan & Svendsen, Svend, 2022. "Implementation of a strategy for low-temperature operation of radiator systems using data from existing digital heat cost allocators," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    9. Hakan İbrahim Tol & Habtamu Bayera Madessa, 2024. "Return-Temperature Reduction at District Heating Systems: Focus on End-User Sites," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-46, September.
    10. Sernhed, Kerstin & Lygnerud, Kristina & Werner, Sven, 2018. "Synthesis of recent Swedish district heating research," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 126-132.
    11. Calikus, Ece & Nowaczyk, Sławomir & Sant'Anna, Anita & Gadd, Henrik & Werner, Sven, 2019. "A data-driven approach for discovering heat load patterns in district heating," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    12. Theofanis Benakopoulos & William Vergo & Michele Tunzi & Robbe Salenbien & Svend Svendsen, 2021. "Overview of Solutions for the Low-Temperature Operation of Domestic Hot-Water Systems with a Circulation Loop," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-25, June.
    13. Li, Haoran & Hou, Juan & Hong, Tianzhen & Nord, Natasa, 2022. "Distinguish between the economic optimal and lowest distribution temperatures for heat-prosumer-based district heating systems with short-term thermal energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    14. Guelpa, Elisa & Bischi, Aldo & Verda, Vittorio & Chertkov, Michael & Lund, Henrik, 2019. "Towards future infrastructures for sustainable multi-energy systems: A review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 2-21.
    15. Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup & Svendsen, Svend, 2018. "Experience from a practical test of low-temperature district heating for space heating in five Danish single-family houses from the 1930s," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 569-578.
    16. Michael-Allan Millar & Bruce Elrick & Greg Jones & Zhibin Yu & Neil M. Burnside, 2020. "Roadblocks to Low Temperature District Heating," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-21, November.
    17. Sara Månsson & Kristin Davidsson & Patrick Lauenburg & Marcus Thern, 2018. "Automated Statistical Methods for Fault Detection in District Heating Customer Installations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, December.
    18. Gadd, Henrik & Werner, Sven, 2014. "Achieving low return temperatures from district heating substations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 59-67.
    19. Månsson, Sara & Johansson Kallioniemi, Per-Olof & Thern, Marcus & Van Oevelen, Tijs & Sernhed, Kerstin, 2019. "Faults in district heating customer installations and ways to approach them: Experiences from Swedish utilities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 163-174.
    20. Ioan Sarbu & Matei Mirza & Daniel Muntean, 2022. "Integration of Renewable Energy Sources into Low-Temperature District Heating Systems: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-28, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:17:p:3215-:d:259612. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.