IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i3p658-d1580861.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Modelling and Transient Simulation of District Heating Networks Based on a Control Theory Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Dominik Schojda

    (Faculty of Engineering, Institute of Energy Technology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Campus Duisburg, 47057 Duisburg, Germany)

  • Jan Scheipers

    (Faculty of Engineering, Institute of Energy Technology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Campus Duisburg, 47057 Duisburg, Germany)

  • Jürgen Roes

    (Faculty of Engineering, Institute of Energy Technology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Campus Duisburg, 47057 Duisburg, Germany)

  • Harry Hoster

    (Faculty of Engineering, Institute of Energy Technology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Campus Duisburg, 47057 Duisburg, Germany)

Abstract

Heating districts have become one of the key infrastructures to efficiently and sustainably supply heat to consumers. With the current climate change crisis, not only are heating districts of the essence but their efficient and optimized operation as well. To analyze and achieve such an optimization, transient simulations of heating districts are needed. These simulations are a means of upgrading older town networks to smarter energy grids as well as an effective tool for the planning and building of newer heating networks. Therefore, this work presents an easy simulation method for the transient simulation of heating districts based on a control theory approach. The simulation method can calculate multiple-loop networks as well as non-looped networks and correctly predict how a heating network can behave over time. Additionally, this approach allows for the inclusion of new renewable energy sources into existing heating networks and to simulate the resulting network behavior. The method was tested on five different testcases involving a single-loop network, a multiple-loop network, and a real-life non-looped network. In each case, the calculated massflows were validated with the software Epanet (Version 2.2), while the simulated temperatures were compared to the theoretical steady-state values as well as the theoretical times of arrival of each heating network. The simulation results present a good approximation in each testcase. Finally, the limitations of the method are discussed, and a recommendation for the usage of the approach is given.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominik Schojda & Jan Scheipers & Jürgen Roes & Harry Hoster, 2025. "Modelling and Transient Simulation of District Heating Networks Based on a Control Theory Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:3:p:658-:d:1580861
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/3/658/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/3/658/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jie, Pengfei & Tian, Zhe & Yuan, Shanshan & Zhu, Neng, 2012. "Modeling the dynamic characteristics of a district heating network," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 126-134.
    2. Guelpa, Elisa, 2020. "Impact of network modelling in the analysis of district heating systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    3. Andrea Menapace & Diego Avesani, 2019. "Global Gradient Algorithm Extension to Distributed Pressure Driven Pipe Demand Model," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 33(5), pages 1717-1736, March.
    4. Blommaert, Maarten & Wack, Y. & Baelmans, M., 2020. "An adjoint optimization approach for the topological design of large-scale district heating networks based on nonlinear models," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    5. Licklederer, Thomas & Hamacher, Thomas & Kramer, Michael & Perić, Vedran S., 2021. "Thermohydraulic model of Smart Thermal Grids with bidirectional power flow between prosumers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    6. Jiang, Mengting & Speetjens, Michel & Rindt, Camilo & Smeulders, David, 2023. "A data-based reduced-order model for dynamic simulation and control of district-heating networks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Kuntuarova, Saltanat & Licklederer, Thomas & Huynh, Thanh & Zinsmeister, Daniel & Hamacher, Thomas & Perić, Vedran, 2024. "Design and simulation of district heating networks: A review of modeling approaches and tools," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    2. Jiang, Mengting & Speetjens, Michel & Rindt, Camilo & Smeulders, David, 2023. "A data-based reduced-order model for dynamic simulation and control of district-heating networks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    3. Brown, Alastair & Foley, Aoife & Laverty, David & McLoone, Seán & Keatley, Patrick, 2022. "Heating and cooling networks: A comprehensive review of modelling approaches to map future directions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PB).
    4. Steinegger, Josef & Hammer, Andreas & Wallner, Stefan & Kienberger, Thomas, 2024. "Revolutionizing heat distribution: A method for harnessing industrial waste heat with supra-regional district heating networks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 372(C).
    5. Guo, Yurun & Wang, Shugang & Wang, Jihong & Zhang, Tengfei & Ma, Zhenjun & Jiang, Shuang, 2024. "Key district heating technologies for building energy flexibility: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    6. Jiang, X.S. & Jing, Z.X. & Li, Y.Z. & Wu, Q.H. & Tang, W.H., 2014. "Modelling and operation optimization of an integrated energy based direct district water-heating system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 375-388.
    7. Bracco, Stefano & Delfino, Federico & Pampararo, Fabio & Robba, Michela & Rossi, Mansueto, 2013. "The University of Genoa smart polygeneration microgrid test-bed facility: The overall system, the technologies and the research challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 442-459.
    8. Zhang, Lipeng & Gudmundsson, Oddgeir & Thorsen, Jan Eric & Li, Hongwei & Li, Xiaopeng & Svendsen, Svend, 2016. "Method for reducing excess heat supply experienced in typical Chinese district heating systems by achieving hydraulic balance and improving indoor air temperature control at the building level," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 431-442.
    9. Sun, Chunhua & Liu, Yiting & Cao, Shanshan & Chen, Jiali & Xia, Guoqiang & Wu, Xiangdong, 2022. "Identification of control regularity of heating stations based on cross-correlation function dynamic time delay method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    10. Capone, Martina & Guelpa, Elisa & Verda, Vittorio, 2021. "Multi-objective optimization of district energy systems with demand response," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    11. Wang, Hai & Wang, Haiying & Zhu, Tong & Deng, Wanli, 2017. "A novel model for steam transportation considering drainage loss in pipeline networks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 178-189.
    12. Merlet, Yannis & Baviere, Roland & Vasset, Nicolas, 2022. "Formulation and assessment of multi-objective optimal sizing of district heating network," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    13. Lin, Wen-Ting & Chen, Guo & Zhou, Xiaojun, 2022. "Distributed carbon-aware energy trading of virtual power plant under denial of service attacks: A passivity-based neurodynamic approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    14. Dong, Zhe & Cheng, Zhonghua & Zhu, Yunlong & Zhang, Zuoyi & Dong, Yujie & Huang, Xiaojin, 2024. "Passivity-based control of fluid flow networks with capacitance," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    15. Chen, Dongwen & Li, Yong & Abbas, Zulkarnain & Li, Dehong & Wang, Ruzhu, 2022. "Network flow calculation based on the directional nodal potential method for meshed heating networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    16. Mengting Jiang & Camilo Rindt & David M. J. Smeulders, 2022. "Optimal Planning of Future District Heating Systems—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-38, September.
    17. Zhong, Wei & Feng, Encheng & Lin, Xiaojie & Xie, Jinfang, 2022. "Research on data-driven operation control of secondary loop of district heating system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PB).
    18. Vannahme, Anna & Patel, Dharmik & Schmitt, David & Summ, Thorsten & Trinkl, Christoph & Schrag, Tobias, 2024. "Technical and economic analysis of digitally controlled substations in local district heating networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    19. Gross, Michel & Karbasi, Babak & Reiners, Tobias & Altieri, Lisa & Wagner, Hermann-Josef & Bertsch, Valentin, 2021. "Implementing prosumers into heating networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    20. Boghetti, Roberto & Kämpf, Jérôme H., 2024. "Verification of an open-source Python library for the simulation of district heating networks with complex topologies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).

    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:18:y:2025:i:3:p:658-:d:1580861. 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.