City Heat Pump Network: Dispatch & Thermal Storage (2D) |…

What is a City Heat Pump Network?

A city heat pump network involves a system of interconnected buildings that share a common heating source, typically powered by heat pumps. These systems are designed to efficiently distribute thermal energy from one building to another, reducing overall energy consumption and costs.

Heat pumps work by moving heat from a cooler area to a warmer area, making them highly efficient for district heating applications.

Carnot Efficiency in Heat Pumps

The efficiency of heat pumps is often described using the Coefficient of Performance (COP), which measures how much useful heat can be produced per unit of electrical energy consumed. The COP for a Carnot cycle, the most efficient theoretical cycle, is given by the formula: COP = T_H / (T_H - T_C), where T_H and T_C are the temperatures in Kelvin.

In practical applications, real heat pumps do not achieve this ideal efficiency but can still provide significant energy savings compared to traditional heating methods.

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Thermal Storage and Demand Management

Thermal storage is crucial for managing the variability of heat demand. By storing excess heat during off-peak hours, a network can release it when demand peaks, smoothing out load fluctuations.

The thermal storage buffer in this simulation helps to balance the supply and demand by charging or discharging based on real-time conditions, ensuring that the city's heating needs are met efficiently.

Building Demand and Dispatch Strategy

Heating-degree buildings represent areas where heat is needed. The demand for heat in these buildings varies with ambient temperature and building characteristics. In this simulation, you can see how changes in ambient temperature affect the heating load.

The dispatch strategy determines whether to use stored thermal energy or generate new heat from the heat pump plants based on current demand and storage levels.

Frequently asked questions

How does the COP of a heat pump change with varying temperatures?

The COP of a heat pump increases as the temperature difference between the source (ambient) and sink (desired heating temperature) decreases, following the Carnot efficiency formula.

Why is thermal storage important in district heating networks?

Thermal storage helps to manage peak loads by storing excess heat during off-peak hours, reducing the need for large, expensive power plants and improving overall energy efficiency.

Can all buildings be served equally well by a city heat pump network?

No, some buildings may have higher heating demands or different thermal properties. The dispatch strategy must account for these variations to ensure efficient use of resources.

What happens if the storage buffer is full during high demand periods?

If the storage buffer is full and there is a sudden increase in heat demand, the system will rely more heavily on active heating from the heat pump plants, potentially leading to higher energy consumption.

Try it live

Everything above runs in your browser — open City Heat Pump Network: Dispatch & Thermal Storage (2D) and change the parameters while it is running. Nothing is installed, nothing is uploaded, the whole model lives in one tab.

▶ Open City Heat Pump Network: Dispatch & Thermal Storage (2D) simulation