Chilled Water VAV System Optimization and Modeling Using Artificial Neural Networks

Abstract

In 2016, It was estimated that about 40% of total U.S. energy consumption was consumed by the residential and commercial sectors. According to EIA, in 2009, the energy consumption in U.S. homes was 48% which was down from 58% in 1993 (Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). The development of building energy savings methods and models becomes apparently more necessary for a sustainable future. The cooling coil is an essential component of HVAC systems. The accurate prediction of a cooling coil performance is important in many energy solution applications. This paper discusses the modeling methodologies of a chilled water cooling system using artificial neural networks. The objective of this research paper is to properly develop the model to predict the cooling coil performance accurately. This study utilized data from an existing building located in North Carolina, USA. Data such as chilled water supply temperature, airflow rate, mixture and supply air temperatures and humidity ratios, etc., are collected over the course of three months for developing and testing the model. Multiple neural network structures are tested along with multiple input and output delays to determine the one yielding the optimal results. Moreover, an optimization technique is developed to select premier model that can predict results accurately validated by the actual data. The observations from this research validates the use of artificial neural network model as an accurate tool for predicting the performance of a chilled water air handling unit.