We already know thermal networks: heat generated somewhere, for example, industrial processes and the rest of the heat is brought into homes through an underground network.
There will be about 80 thermal networks in Flanders, but Rheothermy is new because so far none of those thermal networks have been a sewer source.
It seems to be a solution to fossil fuels and the transition from greenhouse gases that cause our planet to heat up further. But what is rheumatism and how far can we get it? We have compiled it for you in three questions and answers.
What is rheumatism?
Rheothermia is the process of recovering heat from wastewater. So it is seen as a green and sustainable source of energy, yet even in the right environment it can certainly not be used everywhere.
Water purifier Aquafin first used this concept when renovating its head office in Artcell. There are two types of rheumatism, he says Morton Ramdong, Innovation Manager at Aquafin. “You can get heat from the wastewater in the sewer system, but also from the treated water in the water treatment plants. In the first words it is called sewage, in the second it is called sewage.”
Clearly, the project presented today is about the first thing, but the second system also has a lot of possibilities: there are about 300 water treatment plants to consider. The first specific plan will be “for a few months” in that category.
How does it work?
There is residual heat in the household wastewater in our sewers, for example, showers, washing machines, dishwashers or regular dishes. It is important not to waste that heat. They can be recovered by a heat exchanger in the sewer.
The conductive liquid (glycol) in the heat exchanger takes heat from the sewage and then pumps it through a heat pump in a nearby building. The heat pump uses that energy to raise the water to the proper temperature for underfloor heating or sanitary heating. “We extract 2 to 3 degrees from the sewage,” says Ramdong. The temperature in winter is 5 to 15 degrees Celsius. In summer, the opposite can be applied: the sewage can then be used for cooling.
Aquafin is now using this concept for the first time in its updated head office priest, Which has been updated to BEN standards (almost energy neutral, especially well-insulated, ed.). In the fall, 400 employees will begin working on a building that uses both heating and cooling energy. “There were already two pilot projects, but this is the first long-term project,” Ramdonk said. Installation will take a minimum of 20 years and up to 50 years.
What is possible: Can this be done anywhere?
The Aquafin building is a convenient place to use the sewer, and there is a large collector sewer across the street that carries the wastewater of 10,000 people to the water treatment plant. How big are the possibilities for our homes and residential areas?
“The proximity of an adequately drained sewer to the sewer is important,” Ramdonk agrees. However, Flanders is said to have a lot of potential. This is clear from the map with Aquafin collectors and municipal sewers. Aquafin manages.
Buildings or houses that want to use sewage do not have to be close to the sewer system, and an underground pipe (if possible) can be drawn up to a distance of a few hundred meters. In general, the closer, of course, the better.
It is important that the energy requirement is adequate, Raemdonck notes: “We see scenes with a heat requirement of at least 50 kilowatt hours (kWh). I’m thinking of a swimming pool, offices, apartments or a cluster of about 15 houses.” So it is not very suitable for a family because the average family of 4 needs only 3 to 10 kWh (depending on the size of the house and how well it is insulated).
The technology is not only stable, but also has additional advantages: the energy source is always available and the technology is easy to install without much demolition work. In addition, an installation can last up to 50 years. “We need to make sure we do not extract too much heat from the wastewater, otherwise the biological water treatment at the end of the chain will be in jeopardy.”
In December, Aquafin already proposed a project in which biomethane would be extracted from the effluents of water treatment plants. That gas can provide heat, hot water and cooking energy to about 250 homes each year. “That process is going well and now it has been decided to create a similar installation on three additional sites,” says Ramdonk. “We try to see our waste water as raw as possible and use it in a circular fashion.”
Ask Morton Ramdon, Innovation Manager at Aquafin in the morning
Source: vrtnws.be And morning
