Real-time global optimization of building setpoints and sequence of operation

• US 20070005191A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Sloup, Daniel Karnes, Gregor Henze
• Original Assignee: Charles Sloup, Daniel Karnes, Gregor Henze
• Inventors: Karnes, Daniel, Henze, Gregor, Sloup, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,894,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/041 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric

Abstract

A building heating/cooling system energy optimization method for a building having a heating/cooling system includes the steps of providing a mathematical model of the heating/cooling system, obtaining real-time weather information, reading the input water temperature (IWT), the output water temperature (OWT) and the supply air temperature (SA) output to the building, periodically transferring the IWT, the OWT and the SA to an optimization system which is operative to analyze the real-time data in coordination with the mathematical model by assigning at least three selected values in a range surrounding and including the current values of each of the IWT, the OWT and the SA and calculating the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system for each of the selected values, then cooperatively optimizing and selecting those values calculated to provide the highest efficiency profile, then periodically resetting the system values to those selected by the optimization system.

Claims

1. A building heating/cooling system energy optimization method for a building having at least one air handling unit (AHU), and a heating/cooling system including at least a condenser unit, a heating unit and a cooling unit, said method comprising the steps:

providing a mathematical model of the heating/cooling system including at least the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system;

obtaining real-time weather information including at least outside temperature and outside humidity;

reading the input water temperature (IWT) of said heating/cooling system prior to adjustment of the water temperature, the output water temperature (OWT) after adjustment of the water temperature by said heating/cooling system, the supply air temperature (SA) output to the building via the at least one air handling unit and the ambient air temperature (AA) within the building;

periodically transferring said real-time weather information, said IWT, said OWT, said SA and said AA, collectively the real-time data, to an optimization system, said optimization system operative to analyze said real-time data in coordination with said mathematical model by assigning at least three selected values in a range surrounding and including the current values of each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA and calculating the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system for each of said at least three selected values for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA, then selecting those values calculated to provide the highest efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system by cooperatively optimizing each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA; and

periodically resetting each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA to said values selected by said optimization system to generally maximize the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system.

2. The building heating/cooling system energy optimization method of claim 1 wherein said mathematical model of the heating/cooling system includes detailed energy consumption ratings for components of the heating/cooling system.

3. The building heating/cooling system energy optimization method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of obtaining the ambient air temperature of a selected zone of the building, obtaining the air terminal unit discharge temperature within the selected zone within the building and comparing said ambient air temperature with said air terminal unit discharge temperature to determine the selected zone'"'"'s sensible heat load for use by the method of the present invention.

4. The building heating/cooling system energy optimization method of claim 1 wherein said step of analyzing said real-time data in coordination with said mathematical model by assigning at least three selected values in a range surrounding and including the current values of each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA and calculating the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system for each of said at least three selected values for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA further comprises selecting three values for comparison, the first value corresponding to the current value of each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA, the second value corresponding to the current value plus one degree Fahrenheit (1°

F.) for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA and the third value corresponding to the current value minus one degree Fahrenheit (1°

F.) for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA.

5. The building heating/cooling system energy optimization method of claim 1 wherein the step of periodically resetting each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA to said values selected by said optimization system further comprises resetting said values hourly.

6. The building heating/cooling system energy optimization method of claim 1 wherein said real-time weather information is exchanged for predicted weather information for obtaining mid to long term operational efficiency forecasts for operational planning purposes.

7. The building heating/cooling system energy optimization method of claim 1 wherein said optimization system is further operative to function to coordinate multiple heating/cooling systems, analyze said real-time data in coordination with mathematical models of the multiple heating/cooling systems by assigning at least three selected values in a range surrounding and including the current values of each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA of each of the multiple heating/cooling systems for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA and calculating the efficiency profile of the components of each of the multiple heating/cooling systems for each of said at least three selected values for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA, then selecting those values calculated to provide the highest efficiency profile of the components of the multiple heating/cooling systems by cooperatively optimizing each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA in the multiple heating/cooling systems jointly to coordinate operation of the multiple heating/cooling systems for maximum joint efficiency.

8. In combination:

a building having at least one air handling unit (AHU) and a heating/cooling system including at least a condenser unit, a heating unit and a cooling unit; and

a building heating/cooling system energy optimization system comprising;

a mathematical model of said heating/cooling system including at least the efficiency profile of said condenser unit, said heat transfer unit, said cooling unit and said heat exchanger unit of said heating/cooling system;

means for obtaining real-time weather information including at least outside temperature and outside humidity;

means for reading the input water temperature (IWT) of said heating/cooling system prior to adjustment of the water temperature, the output water temperature (OWT) after adjustment of the water temperature by said heating/cooling system, the supply air temperature (SA) output to the building via the at least one air handling unit and the ambient air temperature (AA) within the building; and

an optimization system operative to periodically obtain said real-time weather information, said IWT, said OWT, said SA and said AA, collectively the real-time data, analyze said real-time data in coordination with said mathematical model by assigning at least three selected values in a range surrounding and including the current values of each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA and calculating the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system for each of said at least three selected values for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA, and then selecting those values calculated to provide the highest efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system by cooperatively optimizing each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA;

control means operative to engage said heating/cooling system to periodically reset each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA to said values selected by said optimization system to generally maximize the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system.

9. The combination of claim 8 further comprising means for the ambient air temperature of a selected zone of said building, means for obtaining the air terminal unit discharge temperature within said selected zone within said building and said optimization system further operative to compare said ambient air temperature with said air terminal unit discharge temperature to determine the selected zone'"'"'s sensible heat load for use in maximizing the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system.

10. The combination of claim 8 wherein said optimization system is further operative to select three values for comparison, the first value corresponding to the current value of each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA, the second value corresponding to the current value plus one degree Fahrenheit (1°

F.) for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA and the third value corresponding to the current value minus one degree Fahrenheit (1°

F.) for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA.

11. A building heating/cooling system energy optimization system for a building having at least one air handling unit (AHU) and a heating/cooling system including at least a condenser unit, a heating unit and a cooling unit, said system comprising:

a mathematical model of said heating/cooling system including at least the efficiency profile of said condenser unit, said heat transfer unit, said cooling unit and said heat exchanger unit of said heating/cooling system;

weather information reading means for obtaining real-time weather information including at least outside temperature and outside humidity;

temperature obtaining means operative to read the input water temperature (IWT) of said heating/cooling system prior to adjustment of the water temperature, the output water temperature (OWT) after adjustment of the water temperature by said heating/cooling system, the supply air temperature (SA) output to the building via the at least one air handling unit and the ambient air temperature (AA) within the building; and

an optimization system operative to periodically obtain said real-time weather information, said IWT, said OWT, said SA and said AA, collectively the real-time data, analyze said real-time data in coordination with said mathematical model by assigning at least three selected values in a range surrounding and including the current values of each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA and calculating the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system for each of said at least three selected values for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA, and then selecting those values calculated to provide the highest efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system by cooperatively optimizing each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA;

control means operative to engage said heating/cooling system to periodically reset each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA to said values selected by said optimization system to generally maximize the efficiency profile of the components of the heating/cooling system.

12. The building heating/cooling system energy optimization system of claim 11 wherein said optimization system is further operative to select three values for comparison, the first value corresponding to the current value of each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA, the second value corresponding to the current value plus one degree Fahrenheit (1°

F.) for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA and the third value corresponding to the current value minus one degree Fahrenheit (1°

F.) for each of said IWT, said OWT and said SA.