Decentralised cooling in district heating network: Monitoring results and calibration of simulation model

This article presents the monitoring results of a thermally driven chiller (TDC) driven by district heat from a network supplied by a centralised combined heat and power (CHP) fired with municipal waste. The main objective of this article is to analyse the monitoring results obtained from the demonstration and calibrate a system model that is later used for parametric studies in order to find improved system design and control. The calibration of the system model was made in three stages and all the energy performance figures were within 4% of the measured values. Results show that the TDC system is capable of providing maximum thermal and electrical COP's of 0.50 and 4.6 respectively during the hottest period. For the complete monitoring period during the summer of 2008, the figures were 0.41 and 2.1. The lower figures were due to continuous pump operation inside the TDC even during periods of no cold production and a period when no cold was produced. However the internal pumps inside the TDC have been removed in the new version TDC to increase the electrical COP. System simulation and parametric studies will be employed to further determine how the electrical COP can be improved.

► Monitoring and calibration of decentralised cooling in district heating network.
► Monitoring results are presented and verified against simulated results with TRNSYS.
► The calibration of the system model was made in three stages.
► The energy performance figures were within 4% of the measured values.
► The system provides maximum thermal and electrical COP's of 0.5 and 4.6 respectively.