Danfoss, the world's leading provider of district heating solutions, held a conference entitled "China District Heating White Paper-Control Section" on March 27 2018 in Beijing.
The White Paper was initiated by Danfoss, compiling with Luoyang DH Co., Ltd, Shenyang Huitian Thermal Power Co.,Ltd, Finland Leanheat Co., Ltd, Qinhuangdao City Heating Co., Ltd, Beijing Capital Heating Co., Ltd, Tianjin Energy Group Co., Ltd, Benxi Iron & Steel Group Co., Ltd, and Harbin Institute of Technology.
The white paper focused on district heating control, from the perspective of energy security, environmental pollution and heating systems, analyzing our opportunities and challenges of China district heating, and comprehensively sorts out the problems in each sectors of district heating, and designed a technology roadmap for the next 10 years for China district heating industry. It aims to create a more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, safer, and more comfortable district heating environment and help green sustainable development in China.
Yu Yongming, the president of Danfoss Heating Segment in China, said: “From the 'energy production and consumption revolution' strategy, to “Make Our Skies Blue Again” and to the recent constitutional amendments passed on the National People's Congress and the Chinese Political Consultative Conference (NPC&CPPCC), the word “Eco-friendly Civilization” was written. China has given very high attention to pollution control, energy conservation and environmental protection. In 2018 governments’ work report clearly stated that it is necessary to promote pollution prevention and control, consolidate the achievements to “Make Our Skies Blue Again”, continue to eliminate ineffective supply, and persist in using marketization and legalization measures, strictly implement the regulations and standards of environmental protection, quality, safety. Eliminating the excess capacity and outdated production capacity. We hope to help improve the energy efficiency and safety of heating systems, reduce emissions, and improve heating comfort through the “China District Heating White Paper-Control Section”. Helping the energy industry to achieve supply-side reform and green sustainable development, and contribute to “Make Our Skies Blue Again”.
The White Paper pointed out that China's heating industry has been developing for more than a decade, heating technology has been continuously innovated, heating systems have been increasingly perfected, and contemporary scientific and technological achievements such as big data and cloud computing have gradually transformed into heating productivity. However, the energy consumption of the heating system is generally high. Under the pressure of increasing energy shortages, strained heat sources, and environmental pollution, the industry is facing tremendous challenges in further enhancing the efficiency of energy conversion, matching and balancing supply and demand, and quantitative control.
According to the White Paper's plan, the district heating system needs to be vectorized, automated and intelligently developed to achieve zero over-current (circulating flow), zero excess (heat), zero distance (communication) and energy-efficient while improving thermal user comfort.
The White Paper emphasizes that the industry needs to lead the transition of the district heating system's operating model from “pushing from heat source side” to “pulling from user side”. The heating user takes the initiative to request and control the amount of heat required, pay for the amount. Heat source and heat exchange station to provide reasonable heating parameters, according to the need for heating and regulation. Finally, while ensuring the comfort of heating, the problem of overheating and energy wastage was solved.
As far as specific technical measures are concerned, the White Paper believes that it is necessary to strengthen the effective and rational use of resources on the heat source side to achieve on-demand heating and energy conservation and emission reduction. The heat source system needs to provide load forecast based on outdoor environmental parameters and historical operating data, and expand the heating area without increasing the scale of the heat source. In addition, it is necessary to optimize operation through multiple heat sources to achieve complementary heat sources and make full use of heat storage capacity.
In terms of heat network, hydraulic balance should be achieved, including the hydraulic balance from static conditions, to the dynamic hydraulic balance of user-side adjustment, system expansion, operation regulation, and system maintenance. With the pressure-independent control valves, the hydraulic distribution of the heating network adjustment process is improved to cope with the hydraulic imbalance caused by any reasons.
In the heat exchange section, the white paper recommends the standard heat exchange units to achieve professional heat station automation and data transmission. For example, with functions of climate compensation, time-divisional heating, user room temperature collection and control, temperature return on the primary network, and variable flow adjustment on the secondary side, the balance between supply and demand is guaranteed on the premise of the lowest operating cost.
As far as the end user's side is concerned, the white paper proposes the use of temperature control measures for separate families/rooms to achieve automatic control of individual room temperatures, improve user comfort, and avoid waste of heat due to excessive heat in the room and window opening. Combined with the operating mode of charging by heat, it can provide data for the operation and regulation of the system, and at the same time promote the cultivation of users' energy-saving awareness and further achieve the effect of energy conservation.
Wu Xiaoting, the chief engineer of Tianjin Institute of Architectural Design, said: “The key to achieve the high-quality, high-efficiency, and low-consumption district heating is the regulation of heating networks, including: scheduling of heat sources, variable flow control of transmission and distribution systems, static and dynamic hydraulic balance, and the secondary water temperature control of climate compensation, the family/room control temperature of thermal users, and the intelligent control system based on the data collection, transmission, and excavation of various aspects of the thermal network. The China White Paper Conference-Control Section concentrated the wisdom and experience from both inside and outside of Chinese district heating industry. It is in line with the development trend of the international district heating system, and it explains the value of the technical roadmap for the district heating solution, which will increase the level of district heating in China, reduce the energy consumption of heating systems, and to be a positive role in promoting and achieving the smart heating."
In addition, Lars Eskild Jensen, The Commercial Counsellor of the Danish Embassy; Anton Koller, The President Danfoss Global District Energy Department, MOHURD, the mangers from all participants companies in compiling, and about 70 heating companies, regional heating offices and design institutes attended the conference.