Optimisation of a heating curve in a district heating network with respect to heat transport cost

The aim of the present work was to optimise a heating curve (relationship between supply water temperature and outside temperature) in an exemplary district heating network and to evaluate possible savings of the heat transport cost. A numerical model of the heat network was built up in order to simulate and analyse behaviour of the network in respect to many parameters (e.g. temperatures, pressures, water flows). The results showed that the optimal heating curve differed from the one presently used. Selection of the optimal supply water temperatures should be carried out taking into account geometry, characteristic of a given network and prices of heat and electricity. The optimisation of the heating curve appears to be a practically costless process that can bring a significant decrease in the heat transport cost in the heat network.