Heat Network Simulation
Thermo-hydraulic network simulation, solver technology and numerical methods
Heat network simulation computes pressure, mass flow and temperature across the entire network over time, making the design and operation of modern heat networks predictable. At its centre sits the simulation solver, which solves the hydraulic and thermal systems of equations in a coupled way. This topic area explains the computational methods behind thermo-hydraulic network simulation — from the network graph to time integration.
2 articles in this category
Thermo-Hydraulic Simulation: A Deep Dive
Fundamentals of thermo-hydraulic simulation in district heating networks: methods, models and application
VICUS Solver: the Engine Behind Heat Network Simulation
How does a solver compute a district heating network? From the network graph and the hydraulics–thermal coupling to CVODE and Newton iteration.
Overview: Heat Network Simulation
Heat network simulation combines the individual aspects of network design into one time-dependent model. Instead of isolated design cases, pressure, mass flow and temperature are computed for every network section over a year or a selected period. This answers questions that a steady-state calculation cannot: temperature travel times in lightly loaded branches, cooling during summer operation, the effect of storage, or the interaction of several feed-in points.
The article on thermo-hydraulic simulation explains the physical fundamentals: mass and energy balances at the nodes, pressure loss in the pipes, heat loss to the ground and the transport of temperature fronts through the network. The article on the calculation engine for heat network simulation shows how these equations are solved numerically – from the network graph and the Newton method for the nonlinear system of equations to time integration.
Both articles build on the fundamentals of network design and network hydraulics. Conversely, they provide the methodology for checking the design decisions made there over time.