Monitoring, fault identification, and optimization of hydraulic systems in non-residential buildings
Project description
Almost 30% of all global CO2-emissions are attributable to the operation of buildings. Hydraulically faulty heating systems are one of the reasons for high CO2-emissions and optimization potential in buildings. Possible faults include parameterization errors such as incorrect control parameters for valves or night setback, design errors such as undersized or oversized radiators, faults due to wear and tear, or installation errors such as incorrect connection of radiators.
The aim of the project is to develop a hydraulic health monitoring system that uses models to automatically detect various types of faults, identify possible causes, and provide targeted solutions. To this end, several non-residential buildings were equipped with extensive measurement technology such as smart radiator thermostats to record valve openings, flow temperatures, and room temperatures. In several cases, direct access to the central heating circuit via the pump and valve control is also possible. Manual detection and correction of errors is time-consuming on the one hand and prone to errors on the other without available measurement data.
Project partner
Buildlinx (https://www.buildlinx.de/)
Role of the Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics
The Institute for Technical Thermodynamics is primarily responsible for modeling and simulating the coupled hydraulic-thermal system. Digital twins are to be used to for the optimization of the real system. Since the topology of heating networks is unknown in most cases, the use of pathfinding algorithms for automatic mapping is being investigated.
Duration
November 2024 to March 2027
Contact Person
