Central Plant Dispatch GUI for Hierarchical Load Balancing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Monitoring and controlling a central plant with multiple subplants serving thermal energy loads is challenging due to the complexity of coordinating heating and cooling loads across various subplants, including heaters, chillers, and thermal energy storage systems.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a high-level optimizer, user interface, dispatch GUI generator, and building automation system that determines recommended subplant loads and equipment setpoints, allowing for automatic or manual operation modes, and provides control signals to optimize thermal energy distribution across subplants, including thermal energy storage management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a central plant includes multiple subplants for heating and cooling loads, then the system can serve diverse thermal energy demands, but the complexity of monitoring and controlling the operation increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to serve heating and cooling loadsVSAvoidcomplexity of monitoring and controlling

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The central plant control system is segmented into hierarchical levels: a high-level optimizer that determines recommended subplant loads, a dispatch GUI generator that presents options to operators, and a low-level optimizer that calculates equipment setpoints. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific aspects of control, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatility across multiple subplants

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The dispatch GUI acts as an intermediary between the optimization algorithms and operators. It receives recommended subplant loads from the high-level optimizer, allows manual override by operators, and transmits final dispatch instructions to the low-level optimizer. This intermediary layer simplifies the interface between complex control logic and human operators

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If manual subplant loads are specified by users, then operational flexibility is improved, but overproduction or underproduction of thermal energy may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanual control flexibilityVSAvoidoverproduction or underproduction

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by comparing manual subplant load specifications against actual campus thermal energy loads. The high-level optimizer calculates recommended loads based on real-time conditions, and the dispatch GUI presents these recommendations to operators. This feedback loop enables operators to make informed manual adjustments while avoiding significant overproduction or underproduction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The high-level optimizer performs preliminary calculations to determine recommended subplant loads before dispatch decisions are made. By pre-calculating optimal load distributions based on predicted thermal energy demands, the system prepares guidance information that helps operators avoid energy inefficiencies while maintaining manual control flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If the system operates in automatic mode with optimized setpoints, then energy efficiency is improved, but operational adaptability to manual adjustments is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidmanual adjustment capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The dispatch GUI dynamically adapts its behavior based on operational mode selections. In automatic mode, it implements optimized setpoints from the low-level optimizer to maximize energy efficiency. In manual mode, it allows operators to override these setpoints and specify custom subplant loads. The system seamlessly transitions between these dynamic states, maintaining both energy efficiency and operational adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11181875B2Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling a central plant

Publication Date: 2021.11.23 TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH

AI summary

A system for monitoring and controlling a central plant includes a high level optimizer, a subplant monitor, a user interface, and a dispatch graphical user interface (GUI) generator. The central plant includes a plurality of subplants configured to serve a thermal energy load. The high level optimizer is configured to determine recommended subplant loads for each of the plurality of subplants. The subplant monitor is configured to monitor the central plant and identify actual subplant loads for each of the plurality of subplants. The user interface is configured to receive manual subplant loads specified by a user. The dispatch GUI generator is configured to generate a dispatch GUI and present the dispatch GUI via the user interface. The dispatch GUI includes the recommended subplant loads, the actual subplant loads, and the manual subplant loads.