Enhancement of Building Heating Systems Connected to Third-Generation Centralized Heating Systems

In third-generation centralized heating systems, qualitative regulation of the heat transfer medium parameters is mainly performed at heat sources, while quantitative regulation is implemented at central and individual heating points, with buildings remaining passive heat consumers. Unlike fourth-generation systems, such systems generally do not employ renewable energy sources, thermal energy storage, or low-temperature operating regimes. Third-generation centralized heating systems operate based on design high-temperature schedules and centralized control, without considering the actual thermal loads of consumers. Under conditions of physical deterioration of heating networks, hydraulic imbalance, and operational constraints, the actual parameters of the heat transfer medium supplied to buildings often deviate from design values, resulting in deviations of thermal conditions at the level of end consumers and disruptions of thermal comfort. This study proposes the concept of an intelligent active individual heating point (IAIHP), designed to provide adaptive qualitative–quantitative regulation of heat transfer medium parameters at the level of individual buildings. Unlike approaches focused on demand-side management, the use of thermal energy storage, or the integration of renewable energy sources, the proposed solution is based on the application of a local thermal energy source. The IAIHP compensates for deviations in heat transfer medium parameters and acts as a local thermal energy source within the building heat supply system (BHSS). Control of the IAIHP operation is performed by a developed automation system that provides combined qualitative and quantitative regulation of the heat transfer medium supplied to the BHSS. The study assesses the potential scale of IAIHP implementation in third-generation centralized heating systems, develops a methodology for selecting the capacity of a local heat source, and presents the operating algorithm of the automatic control system of the IAIHP. At present, the reconstruction of an individual heating point of a kindergarten connected via a dependent scheme is being carried out based on the developed project documentation. Modeling and calculations show that the application of the IAIHP makes it possible to ensure indoor thermal comfort by reducing the risk of temperature deviations, which are otherwise typically compensated for by electric heaters. The proposed concept provides a methodological basis for a gradual transition from third-generation to fourth-generation centralized heating systems, while equipping the IAIHP with an intelligent control system opens opportunities for improving the energy efficiency of urban heating networks. The proposed integrated solution and the developed automatic control algorithms exhibit scientific novelty and practical relevance for Russia and other countries operating third-generation centralized heating systems, including Northern and Eastern European states, where large-scale infrastructure modernization and the implementation of fourth-generation technologies are technically or economically constrained.