Design and operation investigation for the fifth-generation heating and cooling system based on load forecasting in business districts

The fifth-generation heating and cooling system (5GDHC) is a bidirectional low temperature network, which is a good solution for decarbonization and energy-saving in building cooling and heating. Because of its complex configurations, 5GDHC requires specific advanced control strategies for different scenarios. This paper aims to investigate 5GDHC with multiple sources in the business district in hot-summer and cold-winter zone through modelica simulation. The analysis and forecasting of district loads were used to study the design and operation strategies of 5GDHC. A suitable heat pump performance curve was presented for 5GDHC after comparing several heat pumps. And the larger the total flow in the network, the more beneficial it is for users. In this study, 5GDHC for the business district performed best when it adopted the strategy of continuous operation of the ground heat exchanger, nighttime operation of the surface-water coil, and supplemental cooling of the cooling tower upon it is needed, resulting in a 16.6% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the strategy that all sources operated continuously. Besides, carbon emission analysis showed the importance of balancing operational cost with carbon emission. This study will help optimize the design and operation of 5GDHC in business district scenarios.

Automated summary

This study investigates the multiple-source 5GDHC in a hot-summer and cold-winter zone in a business district through modelica simulation. The design and operation strategies of 5GDHC are studied based on analysis and forecasting of district loads. The study finds that adopting a strategy of continuous operation of the ground heat exchanger, nighttime operation of the surface-water coil, and supplemental cooling of the cooling tower when needed can result in a 16.6% reduction in CO2 emissions for the business district's 5GDHC.