District heating network models: Complexity, tractability and applications

Abstract District heating networks lead to better global efficiencies of energy systems. To establish required models of such complex systems, three aspects have to be considered: complexity, tractability and purpose of the model. A convenient organization (three sublevels) for global models is established. This versatile approach is used to design models, well suited to various industrial issues, and tractable for particular purposes. Numerical results about simulation, local and global optimisations, and control are given for a benchmark network designed by ‘Electricite de France'.