>Factor in pipe losses on the return leg and you're back at the data centre with maybe 35°C inlet rather than 45°C
Surely having the input fluid being colder is a benefit, not a problem? Just run the fluid more slowly through the system?
>Factor in pipe losses on the return leg and you're back at the data centre with maybe 35°C inlet rather than 45°C
Surely having the input fluid being colder is a benefit, not a problem? Just run the fluid more slowly through the system?
In essence you can't really because slower flow rate makes the heat transfer less efficient. You'd be halfing the flow rate in that example.
But a larger delta-T makes it more efficient?
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Maybe you can use a heat exchanger, like in nuclear power plants, and separate the data center flow from the outside flow, so they can go at different speeds.
You would use a heat exchanger normally anyway. Forcing the outside (DH) to be slow would get you that, but there is cost in having low flow in that HXs are less efficient at the far end and you can transfer less heat in the same pipework (it would more than half the district heating capacity). So in practice, not really.