Network configurations for implemented low-temperature district heating

This paper presents the findings and conclusions from an inventory of network configurations implemented in several early projects concerning low-temperature district heating systems implemented in both existing and new networks. The main findings are presented for each configuration group, including configuration layouts, typical temperature levels and several implemented installation examples, together with the advantages and disadvantages of each network configuration. In the assessment, a classification system comprising six different groups of typical network configurations was identified for low-temperature heat distribution. Together with eight variants within three of these six groups, fourteen possible network configurations were identified for low-temperature district heating. The main feature became the choice between a cold or warm network for the heat distribution, while the suitability of each network configuration depends on the temperatures of the available heat sources.(c) 2022 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

This paper presents the findings and conclusions from an inventory of network configurations implemented in several early projects concerning low-temperature district heating systems, which were implemented in both existing and new networks. The main feature is the choice between a cold or warm network for heat distribution, and the suitability of each network configuration depends on the temperatures of the available heat sources. Fourteen possible network configurations were identified for low-temperature district heating.