Building Equipment Control Using Combination Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Central plants face challenges in optimally allocating energy loads across subplants due to the need to evaluate a large number of device combinations, which is computationally infeasible within the limited time available for generating control decisions.
Innovation Solution
The system categorizes similar devices into groups based on attributes and generates combination profiles to eliminate redundant device combinations, reducing the number of combinations to be evaluated by the low-level optimizer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the system evaluates all possible device combinations to find optimal energy load allocation, then the optimization accuracy is improved, but the computational time and complexity become infeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large set of all possible device combinations into smaller subsets using combination profiles. Each profile groups combinations with identical active device counts across device groups, allowing the system to evaluate only representative combinations from each profile rather than all possible combinations, thus reducing computational time while maintaining optimization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces combination profiles as a new parameter structure that characterizes device combinations by the number of active devices in each device group. This parameter transformation enables the system to identify and eliminate redundant combinations, significantly reducing the search space without sacrificing the ability to find optimal solutions.
2Reliability
If the system evaluates a comprehensive set of device combinations, then the quality of control decisions is improved, but the device complexity and computational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the comprehensive set of device combinations into segments based on combination profiles, where each profile represents a unique pattern of active device counts across device groups. This segmentation allows the optimizer to systematically evaluate only the necessary combinations within each profile, maintaining decision quality while reducing computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By transforming the representation of device combinations into combination profiles (parameter change), the patent reduces the complexity of the optimization problem. The profile-based approach maintains the essential information needed for quality control decisions while eliminating redundant computational evaluations.
3Productivity
If the system categorizes devices into groups and generates combination profiles, then the number of combinations to evaluate is reduced, but the preprocessing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments devices into distinct device groups based on their functional characteristics and operational constraints. This segmentation enables the generation of combination profiles that systematically categorize all possible combinations, allowing efficient evaluation while the preprocessing complexity is managed through automated algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-categorizing devices into groups and pre-generating combination profiles before the optimization process. This preliminary structuring reduces the computational burden during real-time optimization, as the system only needs to evaluate combinations within the pre-defined profile framework rather than generating all combinations from scratch.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling building equipment devices includes a processing circuit comprising a processor and memory storing instructions executed by the processor. The system is configured to generate a first combination profile indicating a number of active devices within each of one or more device groups according to a first combination of the building equipment devices, and generate a second combination profile indicating a number of active devices within each of the one or more device groups according to a second combination of the building equipment devices. The system is also configured to compare the first combination profile against the second combination profile to determine whether the first combination is redundant with the second combination, generate control decisions for the building equipment devices based on whether the first combination is redundant with the second combination, and operate the building equipment devices in accordance with the control decisions.