Mixed 0-1 sequential linear programming optimization of heat distribution in a district-heating system

A district-heating system transports heat from the heat plant by using primary pipe network, via substation, to secondary pipe network where heat is finally distributed to buildings. When this system is designed its operational characteristics were selected to provide thermal comfort (TC) in all buildings served by this district heating system. After several years of operation, the system characteristics may change and TC in buildings deteriorates; some buildings are overheated and other buildings are underheated. The study investigates an optimum strategy to mitigate the problem caused by changes of three of system characteristics: hydraulic resistance of secondary pipe network, heat transmittance of radiators inside buildings, and heat transmittance of building envelope. A strategy of problem mitigation consists of the adjustment of hydraulic resistance of existing valves and retrofitting the local heating system with new substation heat exchanger and additional pumps. We used a steady state, bottom-up approach and mixed 0-1 sequential linear programming to find optimal mitigation strategy, i.e. optimum combination of valves' hydraulic resistances, new pumps placement and new size of substation heat exchanger. The results indicate that the calculated optimal strategy does not effectively improve TC in buildings only in cases when TC is deteriorated by higher than nominal values of heat transmittance of some building envelopes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.