Coupling Multiple Heat Production and Consumption Units by Employing a New Three-Pipe System

摘要

This paper presents a solution to the problems associated with constant hydraulic coupling of multiple heat or cooling production units (boilers or chillers) with multiple heat consumption or absorption units. This solution is based on the application of a new three-pipe system (patent pending), which operates as a variable primary and secondary network with negligible interactive hydraulic phenomena. In other words, it ensures hydraulic separation and enables adjusting the hydraulic components on each branch without transferring or producing unintentional hydraulic changes to other network branches. In general terms, a common characteristic of all large hydronic networks is that the central circulator of the network, compensating for pressure drop in the central branches, always tends to distribute flow in the local branches as well, which implies interference (interactive phenomena) inside the network and between branches. In all conventional network construction methods, the procedure followed involves redirecting interference by using bypass pipes on the central and local branches or reducing it by means of a low pressure drop collector or a pressure break bottle. The same procedure is also applied in the new three-pipe system, but it is more efficient and simpler.