Open AccessAn optimisation approach for spatial allocation of energy sources to district heating networks
Author(s) -
Xiang Li,
Jonathan Chambers,
Selin Yılmaz,
Martin K. Patel
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of physics. conference series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.21
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1742-6596
pISSN - 1742-6588
DOI - 10.1088/1742-6596/2042/1/012038
Subject(s) - constraint (computer aided design) , work (physics) , greenhouse gas , linear programming , mathematical optimization , computer science , geothermal gradient , environmental science , thermal , process engineering , energy (signal processing) , thermal energy , mathematics , engineering , meteorology , mechanical engineering , geology , geography , oceanography , statistics , physics , quantum mechanics , geophysics
District heating networks (DHN) combined with low-carbon heat sources are a promising way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating. However, few works have addressed the problem of allocating localised thermal energy supplies to DHN heating demands considering the spatial proximity constraint of transporting heat energy. The work improves an existing spatiotemporal analysis method by introducing an adapted form of Hitchcock transportation problem and linear programming to solve the optimal allocation problem in network of supplies and demands. The new method is compared with the original method and is found to improve the accuracy of estimating the allocable industrial excess heat supply in a Swiss case study. The method could be applied to diverse thermal sources, such as industrial excess heat, geothermal, lakes and rivers, etc.