CALCULATING PIPELINE DIAMETERS OF A HEAT NETWORK
ZuluThermo Online Help «Diameter calculations»
The purpose of diameter calculations
Determine the diameters of heat network pipes.
Calculations can be performed for an entire network starting from a single source, or for part of the network from a specified connection point.
These calculations are used when:
- designing projects of new heat networks
- reconstructing heat networks
- issuing permits for connecting new consumers to a heat network
The criteria for selecting diameters
Selected diameters must ensure that design flow rates reach every consumer.
The criteria for determining diameters include:
- Optimal or maximum allowable velocity in a pipe
- Maximum specific linear losses in a pipe
- Both criteria simultaneously, velocity and specific line losses
- Users can optionally set maximum pressure head at the connection point
- Users can optionally indicate the diameters of certain pipelines as fixed
- Complying with the principle of telescoping
- Diameters are selected from a reference guide created by the user
Input data for calculations
Flow rates at consumers’ points of delivery are either specified explicitly according to each type of load or determined based on design heat loads.
To perform calculations for consumers with a direct hot water supply, it is possible to select diameters of supply and return piping asymmetrically when defining consumers by loads and circulation percentage.
It is possible to calculate diameters based on an uneven demand for hot water supply, which depends on the number of residents.
Flow rates for generalized consumers are set explicitly.
The results of diameter calculations
- Pipe diameters
- Available pressure head at the connection point
- Flow rates, head loss and velocity of water flow in network pipes
- Pressure at each node