"Performance improvement of an industrial chiller through the optimizationof the control logic"

According to the tasks agreed within the Kyoto protocol, in terms of CO2 emissions reduction, the European Community is promoting energy saving. The introduction of energetic classification for electrical household appliances, makes consumption as a parameter of choice for consumers and thus represents a relevant tool for the promotion of energy saving. Therefore the interest in the evaluation and minimization of electric consumption for industrial appliances is also evident. The aim of the present study is to investigate alternative control solutions to improve the performance and diminish the energy consumption of an industrial chiller. This was carried out through software modeling of the system and experimental validation of the best performing solutions. Simulated trends show good agreement with experimental data and allow the definition of a suitable PID controller that performs good temperature regulation while slightly reducing energy demand. Further ameliorations were considered and preliminary results are shown both for optimal control and neural modeling of the chiller. Results obtained encourage to continue in the development of better performing regulators, also through neuro–fuzzy logic control.