The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) may be the superior cycle for power generation using low temperature and low power heat sources due to the utilization of high molecular mass fluids with low boiling points. They are flexible, simple, easy to operate and maintain, and offer many possible areas of applications including waste heat recovery and power generation from biomass, geothermal and even solar energy. Therefore, they may prove to be of significant importance in reducing global greenhouse gas emission and in the mitigation of climate change. In this thesis the technical feasibility and economic profitability of implementing an ORC in a district heating boiler station is investigated. A model of ORC connected to the hot water circuit of one of the biomass boilers of the boiler station is simulated. The achieved evaporation temperature is estimated to 135 degrees C and the condensation temperature is found to vary in the range of about 70-100 degrees C. The results show that it is both possible and profitable to implement an ORC in the studied boiler station. A maximum net present value of 2.3 MSEK is achieved for a 400 kW system and a maximum internal rate of return of 8.5%, equivalent to a payback period of 9.5 years, is achieved for a 300 kW system. Furthermore, the investment is found to be most sensitive to changes in the electricity price, net electric efficiency and capital expenditure cost.

Nowadays continuous increase of energy consumption increases the importance of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources so the CO2 emissions can be reduced. To use the energy in a more efficient way is also favorable for this purpose. Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is a technology that can make use of waste heat, which means that it can help energy systems to reduce the CO2 emissions and improve the overall efficiency. In this technology an appropriate material is chosen to store the thermal energy so it can be stored for later use. The energy can be stored as sensible heat and latent heat. To achieve a high energy storage density it is convenient to use latent heat based TES. The materials used in this kind of storage system are called Phase Change Materials (PCM) and it is its ability of absorbing and releasing thermal energy during the phase change process that becomes very useful. In this thesis a simulation model for a system of thermal energy transportation has been developed. The background comes from district heating systems ability of using surplus heat from industrials and large scale power plants. The idea is to implement transportation of heat by trucks closer to the demand instead of distributing heat through very long pipes. The heat is then charged into containers that are integrated with PCM and heat exchangers. A mathematical model has been created in Matlab to simulate the system dynamics of the logistics of the thermal energy transport system. The model considers three main parameters: percentage content of PCM in the containers, annual heat demand and transport distance. How the system is affected when these three parameters varies is important to visualize. The simulation model is very useful for investigation of the economic and environmental capability of the proposed thermal energy transportation system. Simulations for different scenarios show some expected results. But there are also some findings that are more interesting, for instance how the variation of content of PCM gives irregular variation of how many truck the system requires, and its impact on the economic aspect. Results also show that cost for transporting the heat per unit of thermal energy can be much high for a small demands compared to larger demands.

Global energy consumption has been increasing continuously every year. Many energy sources are utilized. Conventional fossil fuels are not sustainable, and their environmental impacts are more apparent than ever before. For heating purposes, most of the heat still comes from combustion of both non-renewable and renewable energy sources. According to IEA (2019), only 10% of heat supply in industrial sectors and buildings comes from renewable sources. Hence, 40% of the carbon emission in the energy sector comes from heat. Therefore, shifting from non-renewable to renewable energy sources is essential in reducing the environmental impact from heat production. Sweden has a long tradition of solar thermal in district heating for cities. Therefore, this study tried to look at the application of solar thermal energy for heat production to supply the District Heating (DH) system and compare its environmental performance to other types of energy sources. The system that was examined in this study is the solar thermal collector field from Absolicon in Härnösand. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the life cycle environmental impacts of this solar collector field. The assessment was done by collecting primary data provided by Absolicon and its suppliers and secondary data from the literatures. The results showed that Absolicon solar thermal collector field generated less overall environmental impacts than conventional energy sources in heat production. Moreover, the result for carbon footprint of the solar collector is 4.4 kg CO2/MWh, which is at least 3-4 times less lifetime emissions when compared to other solar energy technologies. / Den globala energiförbrukningen har ökat kontinuerligt varje år. Många energikällor används. Konventionella fossila bränslen är inte hållbara och deras miljöpåverkan är mer påtaglig än någonsin tidigare. För uppvärmningsändamål kommer det mesta av värmen fortfarande från förbränning av både icke-förnybara och förnybara energikällor. Enligt IEA (2019) kommer endast 10 % av värmeförsörjningen i industrisektorer och byggnader från förnybara källor. Därför kommer 40 % av koldioxidutsläppen i energisektorn från värme. Därför är en övergång från icke-förnybara till förnybara energikällor väsentligt för att minska miljöpåverkan från värmeproduktion. Sverige har en lång tradition av solvärme inom fjärrvärme för städer. Därför försökte denna studie titta på tillämpningen av solvärmeenergi för värmeproduktion för att försörja fjärrvärmesystemet (DH) och jämföra dess miljöprestanda med andra typer av energikällor. Systemet som undersöktes i denna studie är solfångarfältet från Absolicon i Härnösand. En livscykelanalys (LCA) genomfördes för att utvärdera livscykelns miljöpåverkan av detta solfångarfält. Bedömningen gjordes genom att samla in primärdata från Absolicon och dess leverantörer och sekundärdata från litteraturen. Resultaten visade att Absolicon solfångarfält genererade mindre total miljöpåverkan än konventionella energikällor vid värmeproduktion. Dessutom är resultatet för solfångarens koldioxidavtryck 4,4E kg CO2/MWhvilket är minst 3-4 gånger mindre livstidsutsläpp jämfört med andra solenergitekniker.

The diploma thesis is focused on district heat supply, heat sources, machinery and safety equipment of boiler rooms. The main goal of the thesis is to modernize parts of the heat sources with the respective boiler room equipment in accordance with the latest available technology. The generated thermal energy is used for heating or hot water production for residential and non-residential buildings in the vicinity of the boiler room. In the theoretical part, the thesis focuses in more detail on boiler rooms, specifically on heat energy sources, machinery and safety equipment of boiler rooms, system ventilation and combustion exhaust. The findings are applied in the design of the new boiler room layout. It is followed by a detailed description of the current state of the boiler room and heat networks. An essential part of the work is the assessment of layout of the current heat sources and the creation of a new design for the replacement of insufficient sources and related equipment. The last goal is an economic overview of the designed project solution.

The master’s thesis deals with technologies for energy utilisation of waste with annual treatment capacity approximately from 10 to 50 kt/year and their application in regions of the Czech Republic. In the first part of the thesis the results of heat consumption analysis in seven regions of the CR are introduced while in two selected regions a production of waste was analyzed too. The main part deals with the design of technological solution of waste-to-energy plant with medium capacity and its integration to specific conditions of the two selected regions. Alternatives of combined heat supply were assessed from waste-to-energy plant as well. A basic economic analysis that contains the estimates of incomes and capital expenditures and operating expense is a part of this thesis too.

The world is constantly striving towards a more sustainable living, where every part of contribution is greatly appreciated. When it comes to heating of buildings, district heating is often the main source of heat. During specific times, peak demands are created by the tenants who are demanding a lot of heat at the same time. This demand peak puts a high load on the piping system as well as the need for certain peak boilers that run on non-environmental friendly peak fuel. One solution that is presented in this degree project that solves the time difference between production and demand is by utilizing thermal storage solutions. A dynamic district heated building model is developed with proper heat propagation in the pipelines, thermal inertia in the building and heat losses through the walls of the building. This is all done utilizing 4th generation district heating temperatures. Modelica is the tool that was used to simulate different scenarios, where the preheating of indoor temperature is done to mitigate the possibility for demand peaks. Using an already existing model, implementation and adjustments are done to simulate thermal storage and investigate its effectiveness in a 4th generation district heating system. The results show that short-term energy storage is a viable solution in concrete buildings due to high building mass. However, combining both 4th generation district heating with storage in thermal mass is shown not to be suitable due to low temperatures of supply water, which is not able to increase the temperature of the building’s mass enough.

In the first part of master thesis is presented general introduction to district heating system (DHS) and hydraulic calculation for DHS. The next part deals with analysis operation of DHS and the pressure diagram for certain time interval. Subsequently, the thermohydraulic characteristics for the hydraulic main branch (comparing manual calculation with software calculation) and also the selected thermal and hydraulic characteristics for the whole DHS are shown. The last part is focused on the determination of the amount of heat supplied based on the ultrasonic flowmeter and the temperature probes. Subsequently, the computer simulation is also carried out, aiming at approximating the real heat supply from heat source to solved thermal network in winter.

För att tillgodose framtidens växande behov av energi och samtidigt bidra till en långsiktigt hållbar energitillförsel krävs resurs- och energieffektivisering inom flera sektorer. Inte minst inom industrin som år 2016 stod för mer än 50 procent av det globala energibehovet. Tillvaratagandet av befintliga resurser såsom spillvärme från tryckluftsproduktion är en möjlig effektiviseringsåtgärd. Till grund för examensarbetet ligger ett önskemål från koncernen Sandvik AB att utreda besparingspotential och kostnader för reinvestering i en av industrins kompressorcentraler, Götvalsverket. Reinvesteringen avser två nya kompressorer vars spillvärme integreras i industrins befintliga närvärmesystem och möjliggör för minskade resurs- och energikostnader samt utsläpp av CO2. Arbetet syftar till att analysera olika kompressorlösningar utifrån ett ekonomiskt och miljömässig perspektiv. Detta görs med hjälp av insamlad data, känslighetsanalyser och lönsamhetskalkyler med tillhörande LCC. Målet är att kunna besvara olika frågeställningar rörande total investeringskostnad, energi- och resursbesparing samt utsläppsreducering. Två fall av produktion undersöks, dels vid drift enligt Götvalsverkets befintliga produktionstid och dels med en optimerad drifttid för kompressorenheterna. En litteraturstudie har också genomförts där flera studier visar att tryckluft är ett dyrt alternativ för energiproduktion och att implementering av effektiviseringsåtgärder, däribland återvinning av spillvärme, därför kan vara väl grundade investeringar. Även andra fördelar kan kopplas till energieffektivisering, exempelvis förbättrad produktion och arbetsmiljö för anställda. Resultatet av arbetet visade att särskilt ett kompressoralternativ stod ut från de övriga ur både en ekonomisk- och miljömässig synpunkt. Detta alternativ erbjöd inte den billigaste investeringen men däremot var mängden återvunnen värme så pass mycket större än för andra alternativ, att energibesparingen minskade återbetalningstiden drastiskt. Tillvaratagande av befintliga resurser som spillvärme, tillsammans med industrins minskade energianvändning, anses vara en nödvändighet för att kunna säkerställa välmående hos både människor, djur och natur i framtiden. / In order to meet the growing demand for energy in the future, while contributing to a long-term sustainable energy supply, resource and energy efficiency measures are required within several sectors. In 2016 the industry sector accounted for more than 50 percent of the global power demand. The use of existing resources, such as waste heat from compressed air production, is a possible efficiency measure.  Behind this thesis work is a request from the Sandvik AB Group to estimate savings potential and reinvestment costs in one of the industry's compressor centers, Götvalsverket. The reinvestment refers to two new compressors whose waste heat is integrated into the industry's existing district heating system and allows for reduced resource and energy costs as well as a reduction of CO2-emissions.  This work aims to investigate different compressor alternatives from an economic- and environmental perspective. This is done using collected data, a sensitivity analysis and profitability calculations with an attached LCC-analysis. The aim is to answer various questions regarding total investment cost, energy and resource saving as well as emission reduction. Two cases in production are investigated. The first according to the existing operation hours in Götvalsverket and the second case with an optimized operating time for the compressor units.  A literature review has also been conducted where several studies show that compressed air is an expensive alternative to energy production and that implementation of efficiency measures, including waste heat recovery, can be well-founded investments. Other benefits can also be linked to energy efficiency, such as improved production and an improved work environment for employees.  The result of the work showed that one alternative in particular stood out from the other compressor solutions, both from an economic and environmental point of view. This option did not offer the cheapest investment but the amount of recovered waste heat was much larger than for the other alternatives and therefore, energy savings reduced the payback period drastically.  The utilizing of existing resources such as waste heat, together with the industry sector’s reduced energy consumption, is considered a necessity in order to ensure the well-being of people, animals and nature in the future.

Fjärrvärme i dagens Sverige är ett väletablerat sätt att leverera värme för både industriell och privat användning. Med nästa generations fjärrvärmesystem vid horisonten kan förändringar av existerande fjärrvärmenät komma att bli vanligt förekommande. Trots att det inte är fullt aktuellt med den typen av renoveringar ännu så måste fjärrvärmenät ibland byggas ut för att hantera nya situationer som kan uppstå. För att få en god uppskattning om vad de nya situationerna kommer kräva, och potentiellt kosta, så är simuleringsmodeller ett användbart verktyg. Den här studien har granskat en kommande ökning av effektbehovet och en konsekvent ökning av den producerade värmen angående fjärrvärmesystemet lokaliserat i Malå. Granskningen genomfördes via etablering av en simuleringsmodell som baserats på metoder från tillgänglig litteratur. Empiriska värden användes både som indata till modellen och för feluppskattning. Två hypotetiska scenarier undersöktes där effektbehovet hos en industrikund antas dubbleras, ett som systemet ser ut idag och det andra med ett termiskt energilager i form av en ackumulatortank inkluderat. Simuleringssvaren gav en uppskattning av hur mycket effekt en ny produktionsenhet behöver kunna producera för att nå ett eftersökt mål. Dessa visade på att en ny produktionsenhet med en effekt av minst 10.50 MW är nödvändigt. Vidare så indikerade resultaten att installation av ett sådant energilager med den valda styrningen inte reducerar effektmagnituden hos en ny produktionsenhet. De visade dock på att införande av energilagret kan medföra en reduktion i antalet effektsvängningar som förekommer i systemet. Beroende på övrig konfiguration så minskades förekomsten av antalet effektsvängningar mellan 0.2 till 25.5 procent med ett energilager av den minsta undersökta volymen infört. / District heating in Sweden is a well established way of delivering heat for both industrial and private applications. With the next generation of district heating on the doorstep, changes of existing district heating networks may become a regular occurrence. Despite the fact that these kinds of reconstructions are not quite applicable yet, refurbishments of existing district heating networks are still sometimes necessary in order to deal with new prerequisites that may appear. In order to achieve a good estimation of what these new prerequisites will require and possibly cost, the usage of tools such as models for simulation are valuable. This study has evaluated a future increase of power demand and the subsequent expansion of the produced heat concerning the district heating network located in the city of Malå. The evaluation was carried forth by establishment of a simulation model which was based on present literature. Empirical data was used both as input and for error estimation. Two hypothetical scenarios were examined in which the power demand of an industrial customer is assumed to be doubled. The first represented the system as it is defined presently, while the other introduced a tank thermal energy storage to the system. The results of the simulation yielded an estimate of how much heat a new plant needs to produce in order to attain a set goal. These suggested that the necessary heat production in the new plant needs to be at least 10.50 MW. Furthermore, the results indicated that the inclusion of a thermal energy storage of this kind and with the defined priorities will not reduce the required size of a new production plant. However, they did indicate that the defined thermal energy storage may contribute to a reduction in the number of power fluctuations occurring in the system. Depending on other configurations, the frequency of the power fluctuations were reduced between 0.2 to 25.5 percent with the inlcusion of the smallest examined thermal energy storage.