Central Plant Modeling Interface for Validated Load Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is challenging to optimally allocate energy loads across the assets of a central plant and design such facilities efficiently, particularly in managing real-time pricing and resource distribution effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system with a user interface and set of rules that allows users to model and simulate central plant operations, enabling the optimization of resource distribution and storage by connecting symbols representing resource suppliers, subplants, and energy loads, while preventing invalid connections and displaying valid relationships and missing connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a central plant includes multiple subplants and energy storage to serve different energy loads, then the system can optimize resource allocation and reduce costs through manipulation of resource consumption timing, but the complexity of determining optimal load distribution and design becomes difficult and challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a graphical user interface that creates a visual model (copy) of the central plant system, allowing users to interact with symbolic representations of subplants, energy loads, and storage devices. This virtual model simplifies the complex design and optimization process by providing an intuitive interface without changing the actual physical system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computerized planning tool as an intermediary between the user and the complex central plant optimization problem. This tool automatically determines optimal load distribution across subplants and manages energy storage timing, shielding users from the underlying complexity while achieving optimal resource allocation.
2Ease of operation
If the system provides comprehensive modeling capabilities with drag-and-drop interface and rule validation, then ease of operation improves, but the system requires sophisticated algorithms and rule sets that increase underlying complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs validation of user-created models against predefined rules, identifies missing connections, and determines optimal operations without requiring user expertise in the underlying algorithms. The complexity is handled autonomously by the system while maintaining simple user interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the complex system into distinct functional modules: a graphical user interface layer for user interaction, a validation layer with rule sets, and an optimization layer with algorithms. This segmentation allows each layer to handle specific tasks independently, simplifying the user interface while managing complexity internally.
Data Source
AI summary
A planning tool used to facilitate more efficient design of a central plant is configured to provide an advanced user interface. The user interface includes a symbol palette with selectable symbols that represent resource suppliers, subplants, energy loads, and resource storage devices associated with a central plant. The user interface allows users to drag these symbols onto a workspace and form various connections between the symbols. The user interface provides feedback to the user and prevents improper connections by evaluating user inputs according to a set of rules. The rules define valid relationships between the resource suppliers, subplants, energy loads, and resource storage devices. The user interface also allows users to specify equipment contained within the subplants. After a central plant model is created via the user interface, users can simulate operation of a central plant according to the model for planning, budgeting, and/or design considerations.