District heating in Vestegnen is monitored 24 hours a day. The operator in the operating centre at Albertslund controls the district heating supplied to the local companies.
A computer based control, monitoring and data acquisition system (SCADA-system) provides the operator with information and tools for the entire heat transmission system, i.e. heat supplied from Avedøreværket, waste incineration plants and peak and reserve load boiler stations as well as transport of district heating water through pumping stations and pipelines to the heat exchanger stations.
The SCADA-system alarms are acitivated in case pre-set operating parameters are exceeded. The alarms are connected to pressure, temperature, water flow, etc. in the entire heat transmission system, but also to the local district heating systems, if for instance the supply temperature individually requested can not be obtained.
The system also has alarm wire sensors extending to all pipes for the immediate registration of any breakdown or leakage of water – and for the notification of the operations centre.
Pumps and valves of the piping system are normally adjusted automatically, but the operators are able to control them manually from the operations centre if immediate action is required. The operators may also, via the main operations centre, start-up one or several of the local 39 boiler stations if reserve capacity is needed or in the event of peak load – for instance during the winter. The operators are responsible for regular adjustments, replacements and maintenance of the state-of-the-art main operations centre. The SCADA-system gathers the necessary technical information for billing of the local district heating companies and for the purchase of heat from Avedøreværket, the waste incineration plants, etc.
Manual work
Almost all operational irregularities can be adjusted on a remote basis from the operations centre. However, sometimes it is necessary to replace a relay, a fuse, etc on location, ie at the exchanger station.
The operator on call handles most of these on-site tasks. However, major defects of the system require that a team of VEKS technicians be summoned.
The on-site practical tasks performed by the operators at the heat exchanger stations render more flexible tasks than otherwise carried out in front of the screens of the operations centre in Albertslund.
In addition to solving »acute« repair works, VEKS is also responsible for maintenance of the system. The planning and a large part of the preventive maintenance are handled by own technical personnel. The entire transmission system was completed in its entirety back in 1992. As the years go by, maintenance jobs are likely to increase concurrently with the age of the pumps, heat exchangers and pipes.