Apparatus and method for the control of the indoor thermal environment having feed forward and feedback control using adaptive reference models

• US 7,966,104 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University, Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Srivastava, Viraj, Sastry, Chellury R., Archer, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ramesh B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp; Chad
• Application Number:
  US12/055,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278, 700/299, 700/300
• US Class Current: 700/299
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/044 not using a perturbation signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller

Abstract

A controller for controlling thermal sources affecting an air temperature in a space subjected to thermal variables, including a sensor network measuring the thermal variables; a feed forward controller generating a feed forward control signal based on an adaptive model including a model of the space and a model of the thermal sources, wherein the models are formed utilizing data from the sensor network; a feedback controller generating a feedback control signal based on a difference between an output of the feed forward controller and output from the space; and a combiner combining the feed forward and feedback control signals to produce a control signal for controlling the thermal sources to control the air temperatures of the space.

Claims

1. A controller for controlling thermal sources affecting an air temperature in a space subjected to thermal variables, comprising:

a sensor network measuring the thermal variables;

a feed forward controller generating a feed forward control signal based on an adaptive model including a model of the space and a model of the thermal sources, wherein the models are formed utilizing data from the sensor network;

a feedback controller generating a feedback control signal based on a difference between an output of the feed forward controller and output from the space; and

a combiner averaging the feed forward and feedback control signals to produce a combined control signal for controlling the thermal sources to control the air temperatures of the space.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the models are updated using past system performance.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein the thermal variables measured by the sensor network include outdoor air temperature, indoor air temperature, humidity, and radiant surface temperature.

4. The controller of claim 3, wherein the adaptive model of the feed forward controller uses the outdoor air temperature, indoor air temperature, humidity, and radiant surface temperature to calculate a comfort air temperature setpoint.

5. The controller of claim 4, wherein the feed forward controller includes as an input the calculated comfort air temperature setpoint.

6. The controller of claim 4, wherein the model of the space outputs a calculated quantity of thermal energy required using the calculated comfort air temperature setpoint and the thermal variables measured by the sensor network, and the calculated quantity of thermal energy required is output to the model of the thermal sources.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein the thermal sources include fan coil units, radiant systems, and air handlers.

8. The controller of claim 7, wherein the thermal sources are activated in a sequence based on their respective energy consumptions and response times.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the feed forward controller includes as air input the thermal variables measured by the sensor network.

10. The controller of claim 1, wherein one of the models include a model of equipment within the space, and wherein the model of the equipment is formed using performance data of the equipment.

11. The controller of claim 1, wherein the model of the space includes mode switching.

12. A method for controlling thermal sources affecting an air temperature in a space subjected to thermal variables, comprising:

measuring the thermal variables;

generating a feed forward control signal based on an adaptive model including a model of the space and a model of the thermal sources, wherein the models are formed utilizing the measured thermal variables;

generating a feedback control signal based on a difference between the feedback control signal and an output from the space; and

averaging the feed forward and feedback control signals to produce a combined control signal for controlling the thermal sources to control the air temperature of the space.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the models are updated using past system performance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the thermal variables include outdoor air temperature, indoor air temperature, humidity, and radiant surface temperature.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the adaptive model uses the outdoor air temperature, indoor air temperature, humidity, and radiant surface temperature to calculate a comfort air temperature setpoint.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the model of the space outputs a calculated quantity of thermal energy required using the calculated comfort air temperature setpoint and the measured thermal variables, and the calculated quantity of thermal energy required is input to the model of the thermal sources.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the thermal sources include fan coil units, radiant systems, and air handlers.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the models include a model of equipment within the space, and wherein the model of the equipment is formed using performance data of the equipment.

19. An apparatus for controlling thermal sources affecting an air temperature in a space subjected to thermal variables, comprising:

a sensor network measuring the thermal variables;

a feed forward controller generating a feed forward control signal based on an adaptive model formed utilizing data from the sensor network;

a feedback controller generating a feedback control signal based on a difference between an output of the feed forward controller and a thermal output from the space; and

a combiner averaging the feed forward and feedback control signals to produce a combined control signal for controlling the thermal sources to control the air temperatures of the space.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the adaptive model includes a model of the space and a model of the thermal sources.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the adaptive model is updated using historical data measured by the sensor network.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the adaptive model uses a lookup table.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the space is a building and includes a plurality of rooms.