Kurt Marlein is Head of Innovation at Comsof (Belgium) and holds a degree in Electronics & Software Engineering (MSc) from Ghent University. After a career of 15 years in the mobile and satellite communications industry, he joined Comsof in 2017. Comsof is providing GIS based planning software for utility networks and he is responsible for the innovation projects and new product development in the energy sector. He is further responsible for product management of Comsof Heat, an automated planning and design tool for district heating networks.

Abstract:

District heating network deployment projects are inherently disruptive to the local population: streets must be excavated, and hot water pipelines installed underground to distribute the heat. The combination of extensive construction and the concomitant public agitation is very expensive in every sense of the word. Planning and design of new networks or network extensions is a complex and time consuming process. Particularly during the feasibility study phase the ability to have multiple designs scenarios based on different assumptions and associated cost would be ideal for comparing and contrasting. As a solution to this need, Comsof, has introduced Comsof Heat: GIS-based automated planning and design software for district heating networks. This tool makes it easy to build a solid business case and speed up the planning process. Comsof Heat is speeding up this process by making use of intelligent algorithms for automated clustering of district heating connection points and automated routing of the district heating network in a Geographical Information System (GIS) application. The network pipe system is dimensioned with the software, the results are presented on a map of the district and a comprehensive overview of all pipe system lengths and network deployment costs is provided in a bill of material in Excel. In this presentation, we will present the design methodology of Comsof Heat and a reference case.