Improved Solar Operation Control for a Solar Cooling System of an IT Center

In this contribution, a model predictive control algorithm is developed, which allows an increase of the solar operating hours of a solar cooling system without a negative impact on the auxiliary electricity demand, e.g., for heat rejection in a dry cooler. An improved method of the characteristic e...

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Main Author: Jan Albers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/10/3354
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author Jan Albers
author_facet Jan Albers
author_sort Jan Albers
collection DOAJ
description In this contribution, a model predictive control algorithm is developed, which allows an increase of the solar operating hours of a solar cooling system without a negative impact on the auxiliary electricity demand, e.g., for heat rejection in a dry cooler. An improved method of the characteristic equations for single-effect <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi mathvariant="normal">H</mi> <mn>2</mn> </msub> <mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi> <mo>/</mo> <mi>LiBr</mi> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> absorption chillers is used in combination with a simple dry-cooler model to describe the part load behavior of both components. The aim of the control strategy is to find a cut-in and a cut-off condition for the solar heat operation (SHO) of an absorption chiller cooling assembly (i.e., including all the supply pumps and the dry cooler) under the constraint that the specific electricity demand during SHO is lower than the electricity demand of a reference cooling technology (e.g., a compression chiller cooling assembly). Especially for the cut-in condition, the model predictive control algorithm calculates a minimum driving temperature, which has to be reached by the solar collector and storage in order to cover the cooling load with a low cooling water temperature but restricted auxiliary electricity demand. Measurements at a solar cooling system for an IT center were used for the testing and a first evaluation of the control algorithm.
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spelling doaj.art-3a670299a00d490bbd7979d4241b78d22023-11-20T00:10:21ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-05-011010335410.3390/app10103354Improved Solar Operation Control for a Solar Cooling System of an IT CenterJan Albers0Institut für Energietechnik, Technische Universität Berlin, Marchstraße 18, 10587 Berlin, GermanyIn this contribution, a model predictive control algorithm is developed, which allows an increase of the solar operating hours of a solar cooling system without a negative impact on the auxiliary electricity demand, e.g., for heat rejection in a dry cooler. An improved method of the characteristic equations for single-effect <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi mathvariant="normal">H</mi> <mn>2</mn> </msub> <mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi> <mo>/</mo> <mi>LiBr</mi> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> absorption chillers is used in combination with a simple dry-cooler model to describe the part load behavior of both components. The aim of the control strategy is to find a cut-in and a cut-off condition for the solar heat operation (SHO) of an absorption chiller cooling assembly (i.e., including all the supply pumps and the dry cooler) under the constraint that the specific electricity demand during SHO is lower than the electricity demand of a reference cooling technology (e.g., a compression chiller cooling assembly). Especially for the cut-in condition, the model predictive control algorithm calculates a minimum driving temperature, which has to be reached by the solar collector and storage in order to cover the cooling load with a low cooling water temperature but restricted auxiliary electricity demand. Measurements at a solar cooling system for an IT center were used for the testing and a first evaluation of the control algorithm.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/10/3354solar fractionminimum driving temperaturemodel predictive controlabsorption chillerdry coolercharacteristic equation method
spellingShingle Jan Albers
Improved Solar Operation Control for a Solar Cooling System of an IT Center
Applied Sciences
solar fraction
minimum driving temperature
model predictive control
absorption chiller
dry cooler
characteristic equation method
title Improved Solar Operation Control for a Solar Cooling System of an IT Center
title_full Improved Solar Operation Control for a Solar Cooling System of an IT Center
title_fullStr Improved Solar Operation Control for a Solar Cooling System of an IT Center
title_full_unstemmed Improved Solar Operation Control for a Solar Cooling System of an IT Center
title_short Improved Solar Operation Control for a Solar Cooling System of an IT Center
title_sort improved solar operation control for a solar cooling system of an it center
topic solar fraction
minimum driving temperature
model predictive control
absorption chiller
dry cooler
characteristic equation method
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/10/3354
work_keys_str_mv AT janalbers improvedsolaroperationcontrolforasolarcoolingsystemofanitcenter