DISTRICT HEAT NETWORK PERFORMANCE REVIEW
MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
BACKGROUND
The Birley Field campus consists of accommodation for 1000 students and an academic block. The site is served by a LTHW district heating system generated from an energy centre with 3000kW of gas fired boiler plant with an additional 400kW generated by the rejected heat from a Combined Heat and Power unit with thermal storage.
d3associates was commissioned to conduct a conditional survey of the Energy Centre and the satellite plant rooms located in accommodation blocks A, B, C, and D as well as the Academic blocks, two main roof top plant rooms.
The purpose of this survey was to review the control and hydraulic arrangements of the existing heat interface units and district heating network. The intent was to provide a hydraulic model, which was to be developed with Hydraulic Analysis Limited (HAL) and supply recommendations regarding optimising the LTHW systems flow rate with supply and return temperatures, whilst optimising the usage of the CHP plant and thermal storage and effectively utilising the rejected heat into the district heating system.
OUTCOME
d3associates and HAL provided initial advice to Manchester Metropolitan University, confirming the suitability of the existing district heating primary pumps to meet the varying loads throughout the year. Further analysis of the heating demand profiles for space heating, mechanical ventilation and domestic hot water usage attributed to the accommodation blocks and academic building was also provided.
New heat metering devices were installed and monitored to provide real data to input into the hydraulic model software. This was subsequently used to fine tune the controls to allow for the most economic operation of the CHP, thermal storage and gas fired boilers.
The whole process has relied upon a close working relationship being developed between the d3associates surveying team and the University Estates Department. Regular dialog between the parties has ensured smooth progress and a successful outcome to the performance review.
