Optimal Operation Strategies for a Large Multi-Chiller System Based on Cooling Load Forecast

In semiconductor and electronics factories, large multi-chiller systems are needed to satisfy strict cooling load requirements. In order to save energy, it is worthwhile to design the chilled water system operation. In this paper, an optimal flexible operation scheme is developed based on a two-dimensional time-series model to forecast the cooling load of multi-chiller systems with chiller units of different cooling capacities running in parallel. The optimal integrity scheme can be obtained using the Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming method, which minimizes the energy consumption of the system within a future time period. In order to better adapt the change of cooling load, the operation strategy of regulating the chilled water flowrates is employed. The chilled water flowrates are set as a design variable. When the chillers are running, their chilled water flowrates can vary within limits, whereas the flowrates are zero when the chillers are unloaded. This forecasting method provides integral optimization within a future time period and offers the operating reference for operators. The power and advantages of the proposed method are presented using an industrial case to help readers delve into this matter.