Hydraulic Modelling - Heating Network

[teknomania]

In this task of mine, I need to develop a tool/software to carry out hydraulic analysis of a central heating network, formed with supply and return pipes so forming a multi-parallel loops in a closed circuit, as can be seen in the below picture.

Can anyone suggest me some references especially for the hydraulics of closed circuits? I found some articles describing the graph-theory but I couldn't understand them since they are not mentioning looped formation (Fig 2 - Below Picture). Considering a large scale central heating network, such as District Heating (DH), I need to build a graphical interface together with some generic algorithm (such as in graph theory) that can handle hydraulic analysis (pressure distribution through the whole network).

Thanks in advance.

“In life, the truest guide is science” – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

 

[georgeverghese]

Closed loop hydraulics of any configuration is typically modelled with an Excel spreadsheet, where a column on the spreadsheet typically represents the flow behavior and pressure drop in a single segment of interest. Each segment will contain details of the pressure drop of fittings, plain piping and any other special fittings such as control valves, flow elements etc. Talk to an engineering company's process engineer (or a senior process engineer in your company) and they may show you an example of such a spreadsheet they commonly use. It may take you a long time to build such a spreadsheet on your own from the ground up, and have it audited, so another option, with lower risk of errors, is to subcontract this work out to an engineering company.