Robust control of HVAC plant I: Modelling

Underwood, Chris (2000) Robust control of HVAC plant I: Modelling. Building Services Engineering Research and Technology, 21 (1). pp. 53-61. ISSN 0143 6244

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Abstract

A simulation model of a discharge air temperature plant is developed using SIMULINK within the MATLAB environment. Step response results from an open-loop form of this model are correlated with experimental data with good agreement. Settings for a fixed-parameter PID controller are `benchmarked' from manufacturers' recommendations and optimized at local plant operating conditions using cost-function minimization. A closed-loop form of the plant model is simulated using these controller specifications, revealing significant lack of robustness due to plant nonlinearity when the manufacturers' recommendations were applied. The locally optimized PID controller performed well, but this would require extensive understanding of plant characteristics to be achieved in practice. In a second part of this paper, a method is developed that achieves robust control for a wide variety of plant operating conditions based on simple a priori data about the plant.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	H300 Mechanical Engineering H700 Production and Manufacturing Engineering
Department:	Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mechanical and Construction Engineering
Depositing User:	Becky Skoyles
Date Deposited:	16 Feb 2015 10:07
Last Modified:	13 Oct 2019 00:22
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/19156

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