Engineering topics

Shi, Chengnan

Publications and source records attributed to Shi, Chengnan.

3 records

DOE OSTI2024

Development of near-optimal advanced control sequences for chiller plants with water-side economizers in U.S. Climates (ASHRAE RP-1661)

Various advanced control sequences for chiller plants with water-side economizers (WSE) have been proposed in literature, but the evaluation and optimization of those controls is limited. It is possible to maximize energy savings by selecting different sequences and related parameters based on the plant configuration, load, and climate. This paper addresses this gap by developing near-optimal advanced control sequences for chiller plants with WSEs. First, advanced control sequences for chiller plants with WSEs are categorized into condenser water, chilled water, and hybrid controls and representative sequences from each category are identified. Next, 504 different scenarios are optimized. These scenarios represent all possible combinations of two plant configurations, a constant or variable load profile, three advanced control sequences, and seven optimization parameter combinations in six climate zones. The results show the recommended near-optimal sequences can reduce energy consumption by up to 15% relative to the baseline depending on the configuration, load profile, and climate. Specifically, the CW-CHW sequence is recommended for the majority of systems because it is often the most energy efficient and/or reduces the runtime of chillers. The methodology in this paper provides practical guidance for achieving energy savings through near-optimal control of chiller plants with WSEs.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Developing Near Optimal Control Sequences for Chiller Plants with Water-side Economizers: A Case Study in a Warm and Marine Climate

Various advanced control sequences for chiller plants with water-side economizers (WSE) have been proposed in literature, but the optimization of those controls is limited. It is possible to maximize energy savings by developing near-optimal control sequences, which are dependent on several factors such as the load profile. To address these gaps, we first identify an advanced control sequence and three key control parameters for chiller plants with WSE. Next, optimizations are performed to minimize energy consumption for seven combinations of control parameters. A chiller plant with WSE system in a warm and marine climate is studied and two load profiles are considered. The system and controls are modeled using the Modelica Buildings library. The results show optimizing the selected control parameters can reduce energy consumption by up to 11% depending on the load profile. Specifically, optimizing the cooling tower efficiency threshold in the condenser water reset control can significantly reduce energy savings for the variable load profile by efficiently shifting the load from the cooling tower to the chiller. This paper provides practical guidance for developing near-optimal control sequences for chiller plant with WSE systems considering impacts such as the load profile.

chiller plant↗

DOE OSTI2022

Carbon emission responsive building control: A case study with an all-electric residential community in a cold climate

In the United States, buildings account for 35% of total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, making them important contributors to decarbonization. Carbon intensities in the power grid are time-varying and can fluctuate significantly within hours, so shifting building loads in response to the carbon intensities can reduce a building’s operational carbon emissions. This paper presents a rule-based carbon responsive control framework that controls the setpoints of thermostatically controlled loads responding to the grid’s carbon emission signals in real time. Based on this framework, four controllers are proposed with different combinations of carbon accounting methods and control rules. To evaluate their performance, we performed simulation studies using models of a 27-home, all-electric, net zero energy residential community located in Basalt, Colorado, United States. The carbon intensity data of four future years from the Cambium data set are adopted to account for the evolving resource mix in the power grid. Various performance metrics, including energy consumption, carbon emission, energy cost, and thermal discomfort, were used to evaluate the performance of the controllers. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted to determine how the control thresholds and intervals affect the controllers’ performance. Simulation results indicate that the carbon responsive controllers can reduce the homes’ annual carbon emissions by 6.0% to 20.5%. However, the energy consumption increased by 0.9% to 6.7%, except in one scenario where it decreased by 2.2%. Compared to the baseline, the change in energy cost was between –2.9% and 3.4%, and thermal discomfort was also maintained within an acceptable range. The little impact on energy cost and thermal discomfort indicates there are no potential roadblocks for customer acceptance when rolling out the controllers in utility programs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗