Monitoring Results of Renewable Process Heat Plants Within the Gas Sector
Abstract
For the delivery of natural gas to end-consumers, the gas-pressure is reduced at so called gas pressure regulating and metering stations (GPRMS). The gas is heated up for the compensation of the temperature drop due to the Joule-Thomson-Effect. This endothermic process causes an annual heat consumption of almost 1 TWhth/a for the German gas supply and is due to the low temperature level very suitable for the utilization of renewable energies. For this application, efficiency measures and renewable heat sources will be considered with the aim to transfer the results to further GPRMS. Over the last years, three solar heating plants with a total collector area of approx. 1,000 m² were installed at German GPRMS. Two of these plants are combined with heat pumps (HP) and one with a biogas CHP connected to a small district heat system. After a few years of operation, the monitoring data of these renewable heating plants have been analyzed. The article contribution gives in depth inside on system lay outs, operational modes and energetic performance of these plants as well as potential for optimization. The results will be prepared for transfer to other GPRMS.