417 research outputs found
Buildings-to-Grid Integration Framework
This paper puts forth a mathematical framework for Buildings-to-Grid (BtG)
integration in smart cities. The framework explicitly couples power grid and
building's control actions and operational decisions, and can be utilized by
buildings and power grids operators to simultaneously optimize their
performance. Simplified dynamics of building clusters and building-integrated
power networks with algebraic equations are presented---both operating at
different time-scales. A model predictive control (MPC)-based algorithm that
formulates the BtG integration and accounts for the time-scale discrepancy is
developed. The formulation captures dynamic and algebraic power flow
constraints of power networks and is shown to be numerically advantageous. The
paper analytically establishes that the BtG integration yields a reduced total
system cost in comparison with decoupled designs where grid and building
operators determine their controls separately. The developed framework is
tested on standard power networks that include thousands of buildings modeled
using industrial data. Case studies demonstrate building energy savings and
significant frequency regulation, while these findings carry over in network
simulations with nonlinear power flows and mismatch in building model
parameters. Finally, simulations indicate that the performance does not
significantly worsen when there is uncertainty in the forecasted weather and
base load conditions.Comment: In Press, IEEE Transactions on Smart Gri
Model Predictive Control (MPC) for Enhancing Building and HVAC System Energy Efficiency: Problem Formulation, Applications and Opportunities
In the last few years, the application of Model Predictive Control (MPC) for energy management in buildings has received significant attention from the research community. MPC is becoming more and more viable because of the increase in computational power of building automation systems and the availability of a significant amount of monitored building data. MPC has found successful implementation in building thermal regulation, fully exploiting the potential of building thermal mass. Moreover, MPC has been positively applied to active energy storage systems, as well as to the optimal management of on-site renewable energy sources. MPC also opens up several opportunities for enhancing energy efficiency in the operation of Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems because of its ability to consider constraints, prediction of disturbances and multiple conflicting objectives, such as indoor thermal comfort and building energy demand. Despite the application of MPC algorithms in building control has been thoroughly investigated in various works, a unified framework that fully describes and formulates the implementation is still lacking. Firstly, this work introduces a common dictionary and taxonomy that gives a common ground to all the engineering disciplines involved in building design and control. Secondly the main scope of this paper is to define the MPC formulation framework and critically discuss the outcomes of different existing MPC algorithms for building and HVAC system management. The potential benefits of the application of MPC in improving energy efficiency in buildings were highlighted
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