Selected technical aspects of managing efficient heat supply in a district heating system

District heating networks are key components of efficient heat supply systems for municipal and industrial consumers. The purpose of the research presented in this article was to analyze the thermo-hydraulic parameters of the operation of a transmission main in a district heating network to improve the heat transfer efficiency. Based on a literature review of existing studies, the basic issues of the heat supply process were discussed, and selected methods and tools for simulating district heating networks were characterized. A detailed mathematical description of the phenomena occurring during heat transport in a district heating network pipeline was also presented. Then, analytical calculations and simulations were carried out for the selected district heating system using Termis software. Operational parameters collected in the actual district heating system were used as output data for analytical modeling. Pressure drops, power losses, and heat transfer efficiencies in the main buses at different outdoor temperatures during the heating season were determined. Selected results of the study were included, and possibilities for improving the efficiency of heat transfer in the studied district heating network were indicated.