US 12,146,666 B2Granted

Method and control server for controlling a district thermal energy distribution system

AssigneeE.On Sverige AB

InventorsPer Rosén, Jacob Skogström, Fredrik Rosenqvist

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Abstract

A method for controlling a district thermal energy distribution system is presented. The method comprises: determining whether a local pressure difference between a feed line (111) and a return line (112) of a distribution grid (110) is below a predetermined threshold; upon the local pressure difference is determined to be below the predetermined threshold, generating a control signal comprising information instructing a local distribution system (150) to reduce outtake of heat or cold from the distribution grid (110); sending the control signal to a local control unit (140) of the local distribution system (150); and reducing, in response to the control signal, the outtake of heat or cold of the local distribution system (150) from the distribution grid (110). The distribution grid (110) may be a district heating grid or a district cooling grid. Also, a control server and a district thermal energy distribution system is presented.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for controlling a district thermal energy distribution system comprising:

a distribution grid for a liquid based distribution of heat or cold, the distribution grid comprising a feed line and a return line;
a production plant configured to:
produce the heat or cold,
deliver the heat or cold to a district thermal liquid of the distribution grid, and
pump the heated or cooled district thermal liquid from the production plant out into the distribution grid;
and
a plurality of local control units, each local control unit being associated with a local distribution system connected to the distribution grid and configured to distribute the heat or cold in a building, each local control unit further being configured to control an outtake of the heat or cold of the associated local distribution system from the distribution grid, wherein the method comprises:
determining whether a local pressure difference between the feed line and the return line of the distribution grid at a location of the distribution grid where a first local distribution system is connected to the distribution grid is below a predetermined threshold;
upon the local pressure difference is determined to be below the predetermined threshold, generating a control signal associated with a local control unit of a second local distribution system, different from the first local distribution system, the control signal comprising information instructing the second local distribution system to reduce outtake of the heat or cold from the distribution grid;
sending the control signal to the local control unit of the second local distribution system;
receiving the control signal at the local control unit of the second local distribution system;
and
reducing, in response to the control signal, the outtake of the heat or cold of the second local distribution system from the distribution grid.

10 more elements

A control server configured to control outtake of heat or cold from a distribution grid comprising a feed line and a return line, the control server comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with control units of local distribution systems connected to the distribution grid, and with local pressure difference determining devices each configured to measure a local pressure difference of the distribution grid at a location of the distribution grid where the respective local distribution system is connected to the distribution grid;
and
a control circuit configured to execute:
a pressure evaluation function configured to:
monitor local pressure differences reported by the local pressure difference determining devices,
determine whether a reported local pressure difference is below a predetermined threshold, and
upon the reported local pressure difference is below the predetermined threshold, generate a pressure alert signal comprising information identifying a first local distribution system associated with the local pressure difference determining device that reported the local pressure difference being below the predetermined threshold;
a local distribution system finding function configured to locate a second local distribution system different from the first local distribution system;
and
a control signal generating function configured to generate a control signal for a local control unit associated with the second local distribution system, the control signal comprising information instructing the second local distribution system to reduce its outtake of the heat or cold from the distribution grid,
wherein the transceiver is further configured to send the control signal to the local control unit associated with the second local distribution system.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/596,546Filed 11 Jun 2020
Priority: EP 1918002913 Jun 2019
Published: US 2022/0243928 A14 Aug 2022
Granted: 19 Nov 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

F24D 19/1009
For water heating systems: for central heating
F24D 10/003
District heating systems: domestic delivery stations having a heat exchanger
F24F 5/0003
Air-conditioning systems or apparatus not covered by F24F1/00 or F24F3/00 , e.g. using solar heat or combined with household units such as an…
G05B 19/4155
Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to…