The Resources tab is used to define and manage project-wide resource data for the active Districts project. These resources describe reusable technical definitions such as connection types, pipe data, default settings, climate data and templates for customers and energy plants.

The tab contains the sections Connections, Pipes, Defaults, Climate, and Templates.

Resources are not individual map features by themselves. Instead, they provide predefined data that can be assigned to model elements such as lines, customers, energy plants, and other network components. Use this tab before or during modelling to make sure that the technical definitions used by the model are complete and consistent.

Import resources

Use this function to import connections, pipe data and customer or energy plant templates from a ZIP file or another project in the same database. Select individual resources or import all available resources.

Export resources

Use this function to export selected or all connections, pipe data and templates to a ZIP file for reuse or sharing with other users.

Note: Resource import and export transfer reusable technical definitions and templates. Use Project import/export to transfer a complete project.

Connections

The Connections section is used to manage connection-related resource definitions. These definitions describe how features can be connected to the network and how different connection configurations are represented.

Connections
Use this function to view or manage individual connection definitions. Connections describe the link between a model feature and the network.

Connection types
Use this function to define the available types of connections. A connection type can represent a specific way in which a feature is connected to the network.

Connection type bundles
Use this function to group several connection types into a reusable bundle. Bundles are useful when a customer, energy plant, or other feature requires several connections that belong together.

Pipes

The Pipes section is used to manage pipe-related technical data. These resources are important for network generation, pipe sizing and simulation preparation.

Pipe material
Use this function to manage the materials used for pipes. Material data can be relevant for thermal and hydraulic properties.

Pipe construction
Use this function to manage pipe construction types. Construction data can describe how pipes are built or installed.

Pipes
Use this function to manage individual pipe definitions. Pipe definitions may be used when assigning technical properties to network lines.

Pipe bundles
Use this function to group several pipes into reusable pipe bundles. Pipe bundles are useful for network lines that contain more than one pipe, for example supply and return pipes.

Defaults

The Defaults section is used to manage default settings for common model elements. These defaults help speed up modelling and support consistency across the project.

Customer defaults
Use this function to define default values for customer features. These values can be applied when customers are created or imported.

Energy plant defaults
Use this function to define default values for energy plant features. These values help standardise plant definitions within the project.

Line defaults
Use this function to define default values for network lines. This can include commonly used technical or modelling assumptions for lines.

Climate

The Climate section is used to manage climate-related resource data. Climate data can be used as input for modelling and simulation workflows, especially when heat demand, supply conditions or environmental boundary conditions depend on weather or climate information.

Templates

The Templates section is used to manage reusable templates for model features. Templates help standardise how customers and energy plants are represented in the model.

Customer templates
Use this function to manage templates for customer models. A customer template can define a reusable configuration for customer-related modelling data.

Energy plant templates
Use this function to manage templates for energy plant models. An energy plant template can define a reusable configuration for plant-related modelling data.

Notes

Resources are project-wide definitions. Changes to resources can affect several model elements that use the same definitions.

Use clear names for pipe types, connection types, bundles, defaults and templates. This makes it easier to assign the correct resources during import, preprocessing, modelling and simulation preparation.

Before deleting or changing an existing resource, check whether it is already used by model elements. Removing or changing a resource that is already assigned may affect the consistency of the model.

Connection management

The types, which are used in the connection concept (see Section xy) can be organized in the Connection management section in the Resources tab in Districts Modeler. Connection types are used for lines as a line has always two connection points with the same type. A Connection type consists of a collection of Connections, which is equivalent to a pipe. While connection bundles are used for energy plants and customers and devices as those features are points with the connection possibility of an arbitrary number of lines with different connection types. In sum, the number of lines with connection types must match the connection bundle of a feature.

Connections can be shown in the Type management section. All templates are testable by themselves, this assumes that boundary conditions are present at the interfaces to the network. Boundary conditions (upgrade to time series) can be temperature, mass flow or pressure. Depending on the function of the template, the pressure or the mass flow must be set as boundary conditions. If the mass flow is controlled in the template, the pressure must be used as boundary condition and if the pressure is controlled, the mass flow must be set as boundary condition. The temperature is always necessary.

Connections

👉   All connections have a Connection ID as identifier.

👉   The Type indicates the predicted direction, whether the pipe is used for the supply or return.

👉   The Design temperature is a constant value for testing, which is not used in simulation.

👉   The Design pressure is a constant value for testing, which is not used in simulation.

👉   The Design massflow is a constant value for testing, which is not used in simulation.

👉   A description can be added to a connection, which is used also for an easier identification in assembling of an Connection type (maybe an additional field Name will be added, which will replace this functionality).

Connection types

Connections in a Connection type are sorted by means of a Sequence.

👉   New connection types can be added, obsolete ones can be deleted and a selected type can be opened.

👉   New Connections can be added to the Connection type or obsolete ones can be deleted.

👉   Connections can be selected from a drop down list, which shows the ID of the Connection followed by a semicolon and the description of the Connection.

Connection bundles

Connection types in Connection bundles are sorted by means of a Sequence.

👉   New Connection bundles can be added, obsolete ones can be deleted and a selected type can be opened.

👉   New Connection types can be added to the Connection bundle or obsolete ones can be deleted.

👉   Connection types can be selected from a drop down list, which shows the ID of the Connection type followed by a semicolon and the description of the Connection type.

Connection concept

A Connection Bundle Type concept was chosen in order to be able to model any type of district energy systems with an n-pipes system. The features customers, energy plants or devices are connected by means of a line with a pipe bundle type, which is a collection of pipes (e.g. supply and return pipe). The connection between the lines and the features are done by connection bundle types, which is a collection of connection types, which is a list of connections. This image shows an example, in which two different customer with different connection types are connected to the same plant.