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Inverse problem and variation method to optimize cascade heat exchange network in central heating system

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Abstract

Urban heating in northern China accounts for 40% of total building energy usage. In central heating systems, heat is often transferred from heat source to users by the heat network where several heat exchangers are installed at heat source, substations and terminals respectively. For given overall heating capacity and heat source temperature, increasing the terminal fluid temperature is an effective way to improve the thermal performance of such cascade heat exchange network for energy saving. In this paper, the mathematical optimization model of the cascade heat exchange network with three-stage heat exchangers in series is established. Aim at maximizing the cold fluid temperature for given hot fluid temperature and overall heating capacity, the optimal heat exchange area distribution and the medium fluids’ flow rates are determined through inverse problem and variation method. The preliminary results show that the heat exchange areas should be distributed equally for each heat exchanger. It also indicates that in order to improve the thermal performance of the whole system, more heat exchange areas should be allocated to the heat exchanger where flow rate difference between two fluids is relatively small. This work is important for guiding the optimization design of practical cascade heating systems.

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Acknowledgments

This research is financed by National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFB0901405), National Natural Science Foundation of China (51706148) and Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2017JY0333).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China

    Yin Zhang

  2. Department of Building Science, Beijing, 100084, China

    Yin Zhang, Zhiyuan Wei, Yinping Zhang & Xin Wang

Authors
  1. Yin Zhang
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  2. Zhiyuan Wei
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  3. Yinping Zhang
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  4. Xin Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yin Zhang.

Additional information

This research is financed by National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFB0901405), National Natural Science Foundation of China (51706148) and Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2017JY0333).

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Zhang, Y., Wei, Z., Zhang, Y. et al. Inverse problem and variation method to optimize cascade heat exchange network in central heating system. J. Therm. Sci. 26, 545–551 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-017-0972-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-017-0972-1

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