HEATBANK Minibems District Thermal Store
This article covers the options currently available for Heat Bank systems designed for district heating and fitted with the new Minibems control systems.
District Buffer (Direct)
Summary
The use of storage within a district system provides a number of advantages, including the ability to let the district heating network go cold during periods of low demand, while been able to deliver decent hot water performance at all times without a need for a keep warm (trickle flow) load on the network.
This system provides primary (district) storage near the point of demand that can be used for both DHW and central heating.
It also makes use on the new Minibems control system, using pump speed control to achieve target temperatures and minimise return temperatures. The Minibems talks to the plant and allows the entire network to be intelligently managed, so that stores only call for heat when needed, and work in unison to they will recharge at the same time.
Removing the DHW peaks from the heat network (now satisfied by stored heat) allows the heat network to be downsized, with pipework now sized for the average load rather than the peak. Furthermore, the very low resulting return temperatures from such a system further reduce pipe sizing.
Specification
The initial requirement is as follows:
- 170 litre buffer store, 800mm height
- Connects directly to the district heat network
- Provides DHW via a plate heat exchanger
- Provides temperature controlled heating circuit
- Pump speed control on both outputs
- Minibems controller
