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Title: Model-based data center cooling controls comparative co-design

Journal Article · · Science and Technology for the Built Environment
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Building Intelligence Group, Afton, MN (United States)
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This article presents a comparative simulation-based control logic design process. It uses the Control Description Language (CDL) and the ASHRAE Guideline 36 high-performing building control sequences with the Modelica Buildings Library (MBL) to demonstrate a comparative analysis of two control designs for a data center chilled water plant. Details include a description of the closed-loop plant and control design methodology, including sizing and parameterization, base and alternative (Guideline 36) control logic with software implementation structure, and outline of the simulation experimentation process. The selected control designs are paired with comparable chilled water plant configurations. The models include a chiller, a water-side economizer, and an evaporative cooling tower. The plant provides cooling at 27ºC zone supply air temperature to a data center in Sacramento, CA. The comparative simulation results examined the impacts of a selected control logic detail, and present an example model-based design application. Overall, the simulation results showed a 25% annual and a 18% summer energy use reduction for alternative controls. This shows that simulation-based control logic design performance evaluation can improve energy efficiency and resilience aspects of system controls at large.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office; California Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
2367201
Journal Information:
Science and Technology for the Built Environment, Journal Name: Science and Technology for the Built Environment Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 30; ISSN 2374-4731
Publisher:
Taylor & FrancisCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (9)

Open-source Modelica models for the control performance simulation of chiller plants with water-side economizer journal October 2021
OpenBuildingControl: Digitizing the control delivery from building energy modeling to specification, implementation and formal verification journal January 2022
Modelica-based modelling and simulation to support research and development in building energy and control systems journal May 2009
Modelica Buildings library journal March 2013
Building optimization testing framework (BOPTEST) for simulation-based benchmarking of control strategies in buildings journal September 2021
H-Infinity Loop-Shaped Model Predictive Control With HVAC Application journal September 2022
United States Data Center Energy Usage Report report June 2016
Data Center Chiller Plant: Simulation-based Comparative Control Design Case Study conference September 2022
Control Description Language
  • Wetter, Michael; Grahovac, Milica; Hu, Jianjun
  • The American Modelica Conference 2018, October 9-10, Somberg Conference Center, Cambridge MA, USA, Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.3384/ecp1815417
conference February 2019

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32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION