Adaptive Optimization of Central Chiller Plant Equipment Sequencing

Abstract

Control strategies for plant engineering systems are a contemporary research topic of great interest. Their purpose is to provide control that adapts to changes in demand and other operating conditions in order to operate the system at maximum efficiency at all times. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) supports research on control models for energy-intensive industrial processes. Likewise, the National Science Foundation (NSF) recognizes the need to develop control algorithms for plant heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. In this research paper, a control algorithm was developed to select the optimal sequence of central refrigeration equipment (chillers, cooling towers, pumps) to operate in an industrial plant. The control algorithm adapts the optimal equipment sequence to reflect changes in the plant's cooling load and outside air conditions and it insures that the central refrigeration system operates with the lowest possible energy cost at all times.