Adaptive supply temperature control for domestic heat generators

Domestic heating systems often work with too high supply temperatures. This means that heat genera-tors and especially heat pumps work with a lower effi-ciency than possible.
The influence of the supply temperature on the effi-ciency of an air-to-water heat pump is discussed. An adaptive supply temperature control is presented that operates according to the heat load of the building whereas information of electronic thermostatic valve heads are used.
The control algorithm is studied through parameter study with annual simulations of an air-to-water heat pump system. A building model with four zones, each equipped with a radiator and a thermostatic valve, the hydraulic system and the heat generator are imple-mented. The acausal modeling with Modelica consid-ers interaction of the different components. The simu-lations are carried out using the software Dymola. The results show that the efficiency of the heat pump can be increased through the usage of adaptive control.