How a heating plant works
A heating plant is a production facility linked to a district heating grid.
The size of the grid can vary, covering everything from a single neighbourhood to an entire city.
How does it work?
The heating plant produces hot water, and this water is used to supply heat to a neighbourhood or city. The water is heated by burning fuel or with the help of electric furnaces, heat pumps or solar panels.
A range of fuel and furnace types
The most commonly used furnace types are hot-water furnaces and steam furnaces. Steam furnaces, and some hot-water furnaces, need a heat exchanger. The furnaces are usually fuelled by oil, coal, electricity, waste or biofuel (wood chips, bark, sawdust, peat, wood pellets, etc.).
A biofuel facility
1. Hot-water furnace
Water is heated under pressure. The water can reach up to 190 ºC.
2. Heat exchanger
The hot water is used to heat the water in the district heating system, which is distributed through a grid of pipes. Some hot-water furnaces can be linked directly to the grid, meaning no heat exchanger is needed.
3. District heating grid
The pipes of the district heating grid branch out to all the customers.
4. Fuel system
In this case, the fuel is stored in a fuel bunker before being transported to the furnace. In oil heating, an oil tank and pump are used.
5. Smoke filtering
The gasses produced in the incineration process are cleaned of solid particles. A cyclone separator next to the furnace captures the larger particles. Then, before the smoke is released through the chimney, it passes through an electro filter that removes the smaller particles.
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