Vantaa Energy, one of Finland’s largest energy companies, has nearly 520 km of district heating network. The entire length of it is modeled in the Trimble NIS -network information system. The energy company has recently deployed a Trimble NIS network calculation tool, and now their district heating network model also functions as a network model for calculation. The tool is used in different district heating calculations almost on a weekly basis.
There are great advantages in using the Trimble NIS data model also as a calculation model instead of having a separate calculation software and data model. The most significant advantages are that the results can be obtained faster and the district heating network model is always up to date.
"For example, we use the Trimble NIS calculation tool when planning district heating network for new areas," says Vantaa Energy's General Planner Tomi Virtanen. "The new pipelines can now be designed based on calculation results, whereas previously we had to rely on estimates", Virtanen says.
The pipeline design is based on a general plan created in Trimble NIS and evaluated with the network calculation tool. Previously Vantaa Energy used a separate calculation tool.
District heating network always up-to-date
The energy company’s plans to renew their calculation tool coincided with the development of Trimble NIS network calculation. "Calculation was a natural direction to expand the use of our network information system", Virtanen explains.
Before the acquisition, Vantaa Energy had set certain requirements for a calculation tool. Firstly, they wanted to be able to calculate the network anytime without external help. Secondly, they wanted their calculation model always to be up-to-date. According to Tomi Virtanen these requirements have been met. The deployment of the network calculation tool went well. "The fact that we know so much about our own district heating network helped."
Very accurate results
The results obtained with the Trimble NIS network calculation tool are very accurate when compared to the actual results. "Pressures and temperatures are really accurate. We compared the measurement values obtained from SCADA and the Trimble NIS calculation results, and found out that the difference between the pressure values in the most extreme points of the network was approximately 0.5 bar. When we take into account the possible documentation inaccuracies resulting from the age of the network, this is a very good result", Virtanen states.
The Trimble NIS calculation tool utilizes Neplan software as a calculation engine. Collaboration between Trimble and Neplan AG, which is a Swiss company recognized as one of the leaders in the power system analysis, has produced good results.
