GEONET: A GEOTHERMAL OPTIMISATION NET

Objetivo

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the effectiveness and the technical-economical feasibility of a new system called "GEONET" (Geothermal Optimisation NET). "GEONET" is a supervision system able to optimise, in real time, the working conditions of a district heating system fed by a geothermal source. This innovative system allows the simultaneous leading of two distinguished actions of optimisation :
1) based on the proper level of comfort and consumption of the customers, the energy supply to the users will be optimised on the intrinsic characteristics of the geothermal source;
2) in order of obtaining the best performances of the systems of production and distribution of the heat, the innovative system will control all the variable parameters as a function of the external conditions.
In the case of the district heating of the city of FERRARA (7000 equivalent apartments / 2 geothermal sources) the waited results are the following:
a) an increase of the geothermal contribution over the total energy supply from the current 54% to 76%;
b) a reduction of the electrical consumption equal to 24%;
c) a saving of primary energy equal to 2705 TOE/Y.
The pay-back of the investment is estimated around 3 years.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY: the main characteristic of "GEONET" consists in the utilisation of a computer control system for the management of a district heating system; GEONET controls both the diagnostic phase of monitoring and the automatic conduction of the heating production and distribution.
In GEONET a mathematical model of the district heating system is introduced; it allows the simulation, in real time, of the working characteristics of the system as a function of the different parameters variable with the external conditions, and it tries the optimisation of any parameters. The goal of these optimisation and improvement activities is the removal of the present problems of the system in order to move towards the best performances of design. In this way the management of the system is assigned to a computer supervisor which can follow the evolution of the system automatically, check the failures in real time, increase the main economic parameters.
The comfort condition of internal temperature of 20°C will be guarantee during the winter by means of a new criterion of climatic regulation able, to increase the geothermal contribution to the energy supply.
THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THE TECHNOLOGY IS OPERATING : the city of Ferrara is served by a district heating system which allows the distribution of the heat to the buildings in the heart of the middle-age and renaissance city. In order to feed this system, a geothermal source of property AGIP/ENEL is used. The hot water is extracted at the liquid state. This geothermal source allows to introduce into the plant a maximum volumetric rate of geothermal fluid of 400 m³/h; this flow rate is shared between two sources. The theorical thermal power that can be supplied by the geothermal source is 28 MW; the actual thermal power used is 14 MW. In order to fulfil the consumption peaks, the thermal power supplied by the geothermal source is integrated by means of the energy produced by the combustion of methane in four auxiliary boilers (total thermal power of the boilers 42 MW) and by a furnace of Urban Solid Waste equipped of a recovery group which can guarantee a thermal power equal to 14 MW.

Ámbito científico

Programa(s)

FP4-NNE-THERMIE C - Specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1994-1998

Tema(s)

2 - GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Convocatoria de propuestas

Data not available

Régimen de financiación

DEM - Demonstration contracts

Coordinador

COMUNE DI FERRARA

Aportación de la UE

Sin datos

Dirección

P.ZZA MUNICIPALE 2
44100 FERRARA
Italia

Coste total