General Role: Technical coordination of the overall project (subcontracted)
Specific technologies in charge of: Ice storage modelling and integration and dynamic system simulations using pytrnsys/TRNSYS
Main goal of the project: The overall goal of the SolIceTES project is to develop an Advance Energy Management System based on Model Predictive Control for PV-ice systems with an anticipated energy cost reduction of 10% compared to rule-based control strategies providing grid flexibility for the cooling demands.
Extended Summary: This project aims to develop an advanced energy management system based on model predictive control (MPC) to optimize the operation of so-called “SolIceTES” systems for space cooling applications. A SolIceTES system consists of an ice-on-coil ice storage coupled with photovoltaics and a compression chiller. Such a system allows for shifting or smoothing out of cooling load peaks. However, operating SolIceTES systems is a complex task, since the chiller operates at temperatures below the supply temperature, which strongly penalizes its performance, unless the control is properly optimized. Therefore, a co-simulation framework will be set up, consisting of a mathematical optimizer, coupled to TRNSYS system simulations. In TRNSYS, the SolIceTES system is modelled and simulated in high detail. The optimizer, working with simplified component models, will act as the MPC and pass the optimal values of the control variables to TRNSYS, such as to minimize system cost or to maximize system efficiency. The economic and energetic potential of MPC in SolIceTES systems will be analysed. The developed co-simulation framework will be used in different scenarios focusing on office buildings. Moreover, the benefit of the SolIceTES system for other cooling applications including hospitals, supermarkets and manufacturing industry will be evaluated. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of ice batteries with MPC compared to electric batteries and conventional air conditioning systems will be evaluated
Duration: 2024-2026
Web: https://www.aramis.admin.ch/Grunddaten/?ProjectID=54189
Project Partners:
Funding Agency: Swiss Federal Office Of Energy (SFOE)
