Experimental validation and design of nonlinear predictive control and moving horizon estimation for district heating

District Heating Networks (DHN) are one of the main infrastructure allowing for the decarbonization of the space heating sector. However, their efficiency is influenced by the control strategy adopted for such networks. This paper presents the design of a model Model Predictive Control (MPC) regulator together with its experimental validation on a real DHN plant. A Moving Horizon Estimation (MHE) algorithm is also designed to estimate, from few output measurements, the full state necessary for the implementation of model-based optimal control strategies. The experimental results show the accuracy of the control-oriented model in predicting the system output, as well as the controller’s ability to exploit District Heating Network dynamics to improve performances from the energetic perspective.