Cascaded systems and methods for controlling energy use during a demand limiting period

• US 10,254,721 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Wenzel, Michael J., Drees, Kirk H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnes-Bullock, Crystal J
• Application Number:
  US15/068,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20160195888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/021 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/845 : Inventory and reporting systems for greenhouse gases [GHG]

Abstract

A cascaded control system is configured to control power consumption of a building during a demand limiting period. The cascaded control system includes an energy use setpoint generator and a feedback controller. The energy use setpoint generator is configured to use energy pricing data and measurements of a variable condition within the building to generate an energy use setpoint during the demand limiting period. The feedback controller is configured to use a difference between the energy use setpoint and a measured energy use to generate a control signal for building equipment that operate to affect the variable condition within the building during the demand limiting period.

Claims

1. A cascaded control system for controlling power consumption of a building during a demand limiting period, the system comprising:

an energy use setpoint generator configured to use energy pricing data and measurements of a variable condition within the building to generate an energy use setpoint during the demand limiting period; and

a feedback controller configured to use a difference between the energy use setpoint and a measured energy use to generate a control signal for building equipment that operate to affect the variable condition within the building during the demand limiting period.

2. The cascaded control system of claim 1, wherein the energy use setpoint generator is configured to use a demand limiting technique to generate the energy use setpoint subject to a constraint defining a threshold value for the variable condition within the building.

3. The cascaded control system of claim 2, wherein:

the constraint defines a comfort threshold; and

the energy use setpoint generator is configured to estimate a value for the energy use setpoint that will result in the variable condition reaching the comfort threshold at an end of the demand limiting period.

4. The cascaded control system of claim 3, wherein the demand limiting period is a current demand limiting period;

and

the energy use setpoint generator is configured to use a history of values for the energy use setpoint from a previous demand limiting period and a history of measurements of the variable condition from the previous demand limiting period to estimate the value of the variable condition at the end of the current demand limiting period.

5. The cascaded control system of claim 1, wherein the energy use setpoint generator is configured to:

determine a probability that the energy use setpoint is successful in maintaining the variable condition within an acceptable range of values during the demand limiting period; and

generate the energy use setpoint subject to a constraint defining a probability threshold such that the determined probability is greater than or equal to the probability threshold.

6. The cascaded control system of claim 1, wherein the energy use setpoint generator is configured to:

calculate an expected cost resulting from the energy use setpoint; and

generate the energy use setpoint subject to a constraint defining a cost threshold such that the expected cost is less than or equal to the cost threshold at an end of the demand limiting period.

7. The cascaded control system of claim 1, wherein the energy use setpoint generator is configured to:

generate an objective function using a difference between an expected gain resulting from the energy use setpoint and an expected loss resulting from the energy use setpoint; and

calculate the energy use setpoint by optimizing the objective function.

8. The cascaded control system of claim 7, wherein:

the expected gain is a savings realized if the energy use setpoint is successful in maintaining the variable condition within an acceptable range of values during the demand limiting period multiplied by a probability of success; and

the expected loss is a cost incurred if the energy use setpoint fails to maintain the variable condition within the acceptable range of values during the demand limiting period multiplied by a probability of failure.

9. The cascaded control system of claim 1, wherein:

the energy use setpoint generator is configured to generate the energy use setpoint by minimizing a cost function that defines a financial cost of electrical power resulting from the energy use setpoint;

wherein the cost function comprises a probability that the energy use setpoint is successful in maintaining the variable condition within an acceptable range of values during the demand limiting period.

10. A cascaded control system for controlling power consumption of a building during a demand limiting period, the system comprising:

an energy use setpoint generator configured to use energy pricing data and measurements of a variable condition within the building to generate an energy use setpoint during the demand limiting period;

a feedback controller configured to use a difference between the energy use setpoint and a measured energy use to generate a device setpoint; and

a device controller configured to receive the device setpoint as an input and to operate building equipment to achieve the device setpoint, the building equipment being configured to affect the variable condition within the building during the demand limiting period.

11. The cascaded control system of claim 10, wherein the energy use setpoint generator is configured to use a demand limiting technique to generate the energy use setpoint subject to a constraint defining a threshold value for the variable condition within the building.

12. The cascaded control system of claim 11, wherein:

the constraint defines a comfort threshold; and

the energy use setpoint generator is configured to estimate a value for the energy use setpoint that will result in the variable condition reaching the comfort threshold at an end of the demand limiting period.

13. The cascaded control system of claim 10, wherein the energy use setpoint generator is configured to:

calculate an expected cost resulting from the energy use setpoint; and

generate the energy use setpoint subject to a constraint defining a cost threshold such that the expected cost is less than or equal to the cost threshold at an end of the demand limiting period.

14. The cascaded control system of claim 10, wherein the energy use setpoint generator is configured to:

determine a probability that the energy use setpoint is successful in maintaining the variable condition within an acceptable range of values during the demand limiting period; and

generate the energy use setpoint subject to a constraint defining a probability threshold such that the determined probability is greater than or equal to the probability threshold.

15. The cascaded control system of claim 10, wherein the energy use setpoint generator is configured to:

generate an objective function using a difference between an expected gain resulting from the energy use setpoint and an expected loss resulting from the energy use setpoint; and

calculate the energy use setpoint by optimizing the objective function.

16. A method for controlling power consumption of a building during a demand limiting period using a cascaded control strategy, the method comprising:

generating an energy use setpoint during the demand limiting period based on energy pricing data and measurements of a variable condition within the building; and

generating a control signal for building equipment based on a difference between the energy use setpoint and a measured energy use; and

providing the control signal to the building equipment, wherein the building equipment operate to affect the variable condition within the building during the demand limiting period.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the energy use setpoint comprises using a demand limiting technique subject to a constraint defining a threshold value for the variable condition within the building.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the constraint defines a comfort threshold; and

generating the energy use setpoint comprises estimating a value for the energy use setpoint that will result in the variable condition reaching the comfort threshold at an end of the demand limiting period.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising calculating an expected cost resulting from the energy use setpoint;

wherein the energy use setpoint is generated subject to a constraint defining a cost threshold such that the expected cost is less than or equal to the cost threshold at an end of the demand limiting period.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a probability that the energy use setpoint is successful in maintaining the variable condition within an acceptable range of values during the demand limiting period;

wherein the energy use setpoint is generated subject to a constraint defining a probability threshold such that the determined probability is greater than or equal to the probability threshold.