Abstract
In District Heating Systems (DHS) there are significant fluctuations in demand for heat by consumers during both the heating and the summer seasons. These variations are considered primarily in the 24-hour time horizon. These problems are aggravated further if the DHS is supplied by a CHP plant, because fluctuations in heat demand adversely affect to a significant degree the stable production of electricity at high overall efficiency. Therefore, introducing Thermal Energy Storage (TES) would be highly recommended on these grounds alone. The characteristics of Large (i.e. over 10 000 m 3 ) TES in operation in Poland are presented. Information is given regarding new projects (currently in design or construction) that apply TES technology in DHS in Poland. The paper looks at the methodology used in Poland to select the TES system for a particular DHS, i.e., procedure for calculating capacity of the TES tank and the system to prevent water stored in the tank from absorbing oxygen from atmospheric air. Implementation of TES in DHS is treated as a recommended technology in the Polish District Heating sector. This technology offers great opportunities to improve the operating conditions of DHS, cutting energy production costs and emissions of pollutants to the atmosphere.
Highlights
In District Heating Systems (DHS) there are significant fluctuations in consumer demand for heat during both the heating and the summer seasons
These problems are aggravated further if the DHS is supplied by a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant, because fluctuations in heat demand adversely affect to a significant degree the stable production of electricity at high overall efficiency
Technologies associated with the use of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems are still something of a novelty in the Polish DHS sector
Summary
In District Heating Systems (DHS) there are significant fluctuations in consumer demand for heat during both the heating and the summer seasons. During the summer season the fluctuations are associated mainly with variable demand for domestic hot water These variations in the consumer demand for heat cause significant problems in operational terms, forcing frequent changes to boilers’ heat power in heat sources at both Heat Only Boilers (HOB) and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants, which in turn lead to a reduction in the efficiency of heat and power generation and in the security of heat delivery to consumers. When planning the construction of new plants, the use of TES can significantly reduce their size (heating capacity) and structure, i.e., decrease the number of or eliminate peak boilers These activities will contribute to a reduction in the investment costs required for heat generating units. The heat capacity of water (specific heat) is approximately four times higher than air and most inorganic materials, as well as from four to ten times higher than most metals
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