project

WarmteStad Groningen: digital twin

WarmteStad Groningen is expanding the heating network in its city. The company is thus addressing the challenge of implementing sustainability in a rapid and cost-effective manner. To achieve this, WarmteStad is combining multiple heat sources and heat storage options in the new Zernike heat plant. Working with WarmteStad, KWR can use the development of the Zernike heat plant as a living lab. To do so, the researchers from KWR’s Energy and Circular Systems team are producing a ‘digital twin’ of the system. This digital twin makes it possible to evaluate the design of the heat plant, with a view to optimising its operation and to drawing lessons for future, comparable heat plants.

Innovative heat plant for the expansion of the Groningen heating network

WarmteStad is developing  the heating network in the city of Groningen: the current grid is to be significantly expanded in the years ahead, from 3,000 to 10,000 household equivalents. The company is thus also addressing the challenge of implementing sustainability in a rapid and cost-effective manner. For the new Zernike heat plant, which will be supplying the heat, WarmteStad has developed an innovative multi-source strategy, using residual heat from two data centres as well as solar thermal heat. For the optimal use of solar and residual heat, it is also important that the summer heat surpluses can be stored for later use in the winter. The heat plant therefore disposes of a large buffer container and even subsurface heat storage. WarmteStad is responsible for the interconnections and the realisation of the heat plant, as a link between the sustainable heat sources and the supply to the heating network.

Development of digital twin by KWR

Working in close collaboration with WarmteStad, KWR can make use of the development of the Zernike heat plant as a living lab. The researchers from the Energy and Circular Systems team are producing a ‘digital twin’ of the system, which can be used to conduct ‘what-if’ analyses and futures studies. KWR can use the digital twin to evaluate the design of the heat plant. In addition, the plant’s operation can be optimised. KWR is thus working on a strategy for the design and operation of future, comparable systems with multiple sustainable sources, energy conversion stages and subsurface heat storage.

That’s why a digital twin!

The combination of multiple (low) temperature sources and storage within heating networks is still relatively new. For this reason, there are (as yet) hardly any suitable, integrated design and operation models available. Currently, for the purposes of developing an optimal design and operation strategy, heating companies have to draw on lessons learned in the operation of existing systems. In doing so, they encounter a variety of problems:

  • Each design is location-specific and unique with regard to the combination and the integration of heat sources and storage.
  • The testing of different scenarios, for example, a harsh winter or cloudy summer, is not possible over the short term, because the data are not available.
  • A subsurface heat storage has a multi-annual system memory, so that the impact of interventions only becomes clear over the long term.
  • In the real system, operational adjustments are difficult or risky, because the heating company needs to guarantee supply security.
  • Different forms of operational management cannot be tested under the same conditions, since the environment changes constantly.

With a digital twin the effects of different scenarios, designs and operational profiles (set-points) can actually be calculated.