Determination of the optimal period for replacement of pipelines

Abstract

The goal is to create and test an algorithm for finding places for the optimal replacement of sections of the heating network of the district heating system to maintain the standard values of trouble-free operation with a minimum of financial costs.Methods. To carry out computer modeling, mathematical methods were used to calculate the flow distribution in branched and looped thermal-hydraulic circuits. A systemic model of the heating network with an indication of the parameters used in the construction of the function of minimum costs, and a method for determining the places of replacement of pipelines of the heating network to maintain the indicator of failure-free operation above the standard have been developed.Results. An algorithm is proposed to implement the principle of increasing the reliability of district heating networks through the development of a system model of a heating network. As a result of using the technique, a schedule for the optimal replacement of pipelines for the area under consideration over the next 30 years was obtained. It is shown that the proposed complex method of qualitative and quantitative assessment of the efficiency of district heating networks allows one to identify an indicator of failure-free operation, which may be higher than the standard for the entire period of time. It has been established that the optimal timing for replacing individual sections of heating networks is due to the variation of the input parameters of the heating network: the year of laying the pipelines of this system, the year for which the calculation is made, the diameter of the pipeline and its length, the type of pipeline laying and the area of its location, and the output parameters — the costs of maintaining system and the likelihood of system uptime.Conclusion. Based on the results obtained, a comprehensive method for assessing the cost of maintaining the operability of district heating networks is recommended. It is shown that the proposed method improves the quality of management decisions to ensure trouble-free operation of the heat supply system. In the future, it is planned to develop guidelines for the use of the proposed method in the development of a section of reliability and survivability of promising heat supply schemes for cities and towns.