New System Optimises Operations 

A new software system helps district heating plants to make production more efficient and to minimise operational costs. This is done by using existing data to a much greater extent than other software programs. The system, which is called TERMIS, has already been sold to large Danish district heating companies such as Københavns Energi, the district heating companies in the municipalities of Aalborg and Silkeborg, and the district heating companies at Fredericia and Randers.

"We simply use more of the heating plants' existing data to set up network calculation models which are used to optimise operations. These concerns suddenly discover the benefit of the extensive investments they have made in automation and pipeline registration," says project manager in COWI, Thomas Østergaard.

The program has been developed by the software company Seven Technologies A/S in co-operation with the district heating company in Odense and is implemented by COWI which is in charge of sales, installation and client support.

Data Comparison

TERMIS uses information from the heating plants' client account system, and the public cross- reference register to determine from where the client gets his supplies. Furthermore, TERMIS uses data from the district heating plants' GIS, where relevant district heating components are registered.

The businesses' SCADA data are linked together with the network calculation and thus the operational status for the near future can be simulated. This way the consequences for the operation of the district heating plant can be anticipated in the case of a breakdown, or if there are sudden changes in the weather. This enables the heating plants to have possible problems in hand before they even occur.

Published 13.03.2002