BUILDING CONTROL BASED ON UNEVEN LOAD DISTRIBUTION

• US 20190332072A1
• Filed: 04/25/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Beaty, Ryan C., Willmott, Graeme, Asmus, Matthew J., Schlagenhaft, Shawn A., Fread, Jared
• Granted Patent: US 10,948,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1338 Measuring maximum demand
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/048 using a predictor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

Systems and methods for distributing load of an energy plant are disclosed herein. A target load of at least a first device and a second device of the energy plant is obtained. A first power consumption of the first device and the second device predicted to result from operating the first device and the second device according to a first combination of set points to satisfy the target load is predicted. A second power consumption of the first device and the second device predicted to result from operating the first device and the second device according to a second combination of set points to satisfy the target load is predicted. The first power consumption and the second power consumption are compared, and a combination of set points rendering lower power consumption is selected to operate the energy plant.

Claims

1. A controller for an energy plant, the controller comprising:

a processing circuit comprising a processor and memory storing instructions executed by the processor, the processing circuit configured to;

obtain a target load of a branch of the energy plant, the branch including at least a first device and a second device coupled to each other in parallel,

predict a first power consumption of the first device and the second device, the first power consumption predicted to result from operating the first device and the second device according to a first combination of set points to satisfy the target load, the first combination of set points including first set points of the first device and second set points of the second device,

predict a second power consumption of the first device and the second device, the second power consumption predicted to result from operating the first device and the second device according to a second combination of set points to satisfy the target load, the second combination of set points including third set points of the first device and fourth set points of the second device,

compare the first power consumption and the second power consumption,

select, one of the first combination of set points and the second combination of set points according to which combination of set points is predicted to result in lower power consumption based on the comparing, and

operate the energy plant according to the selected one of the first combination of set points and the second combination of set points.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein:

a first load of the first device operating according to the first set points is different from a second load of the second device operating according to the second set points, and

a third load of the first device operating according to the third set points is different from a fourth load of the second device operating according to the fourth set points.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

enable the first device and disable the second device, according to the selected one of the first combination of set points and the second combination of set points.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

determine whether the target load is less than a maximum operating load of the first device and a maximum operating load of the second device, and

in response to determining that the target load is less than the maximum operating load of the first device and the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the first set points of the first device corresponding to a first load satisfying the target load, and

determine the second set points of the second device corresponding to a zero load.

5. The controller of claim 4, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

in response to determining that the target load is less than the maximum operating load of the first device and the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the third set points of the first device corresponding to a second load less than the first load, and

determine the fourth set points of the second device corresponding to a third load, a combination of the second load and the third load satisfying the target load, the third load being at least a minimum operating load of the second device.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein the second load is at least a minimum operating load of the first device.

7. The controller of claim 5, wherein the second load is the zero load.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

determine whether the target load is higher than a maximum operating load of the first device and a maximum operating load of the second device, and

in response to determining that the target load is higher than the maximum operating load of the first device and the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the first set points of the first device corresponding to a minimum operating load of the first device, and

determine the second set points of the second device corresponding to a first load, a combination of the minimum operating load of the first device and the first load satisfying the target load.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

in response to determining that the target load is higher than the maximum operating load of the first device and the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the third set points of the first device corresponding to a second load higher than the minimum operating load of the first device, and

determine the fourth set points of the second device corresponding to a third load, the third load less than the first load, a combination of the second load and the third load satisfying the target load, the third load being at least a minimum operating load of the second device.

10. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

determine whether the target load is less than a maximum operating load of the first device and is higher than a maximum operating load of the second device,

in response to determining that the target load is less than the maximum operating load of the first device and is higher than the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the first set points of the first device corresponding to a first load satisfying the target load, and

determine the second set points of the second device corresponding to a zero load.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

in response to determining that the target load is less than the maximum operating load of the first device and is higher than the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the third set points of the first device corresponding to a second load less than the first load, the second load being at least a minimum operating load of the first device, and

determine the fourth set points of the second device corresponding to a third load, a combination of the second load and the third load satisfying the target load, the third load being at least a minimum operating load of the second device.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to operate an energy plant, the instructions when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

obtain a target load of a branch of the energy plant, the branch including at least a first device and a second device coupled to each other in parallel,

predict a first power consumption of the first device and the second device, the first power consumption predicted to result from operating the first device and the second device according to a first combination of set points to satisfy the target load, the first combination of set points including first set points of the first device and second set points of the second device,

predict a second power consumption of the first device and the second device, the second power consumption predicted to result from operating the first device and the second device according to a second combination of set points to satisfy the target load, the second combination of set points including third set points of the first device and fourth set points of the second device,

compare the first power consumption and the second power consumption,

select, one of the first combination of set points and the second combination of set points according to which combination of set points is predicted to result in lower power consumption based on the comparing, and

operate the energy plant according to the selected one of the first combination of set points and the second combination of set points.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

a first load of the first device operating according to the first set points is different from a second load of the second device operating according to the second set points, and

a third load of the first device operating according to the third set points is different from a fourth load of the second device operating according to the fourth set points.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

enable the first device and disable the second device, according to the selected one of the first combination of set points and the second combination of set points.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the target load is less than a maximum operating load of the first device and a maximum operating load of the second device, and

in response to determining that the target load is less than the maximum operating load of the first device and the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the first set points of the first device corresponding to a first load satisfying the target load, and

determine the second set points of the second device corresponding to a zero load.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

in response to determining that the target load is less than the maximum operating load of the first device and the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the third set points of the first device corresponding to a second load less than the first load, and

determine the fourth set points of the second device corresponding to a third load, a combination of the second load and the third load satisfying the target load, the third load being at least a minimum operating load of the second device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second load is at least a minimum operating load of the first device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second load is the zero load.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the target load is higher than a maximum operating load of the first device and a maximum operating load of the second device, and

in response to determining that the target load is higher than the maximum operating load of the first device and the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the first set points of the first device corresponding to a minimum operating load of the first device,

determine the second set points of the second device corresponding to a first load, a combination of the minimum operating load of the first device and the first load satisfying the target load,

determine the third set points of the first device corresponding to a second load higher than the minimum operating load of the first device, and

determine the fourth set points of the second device corresponding to a third load, the third load less than the first load, a combination of the second load and the third load satisfying the target load, the third load being at least a minimum operating load of the second device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the target load is less than a maximum operating load of the first device and is higher than a maximum operating load of the second device,

in response to determining that the target load is less than the maximum operating load of the first device and is higher than the maximum operating load of the second device;

determine the first set points of the first device corresponding to a first load satisfying the target load,

determine the second set points of the second device corresponding to a zero load,

determine the third set points of the first device corresponding to a second load less than the first load, the second load being at least a minimum operating load of the first device, and

determine the fourth set points of the second device corresponding to a third load, a combination of the second load and the third load satisfying the target load, the third load being at least a minimum operating load of the second device.