Study into optimized control for air-conditioning system with floor thermal storage

Air-conditioning systems with floor thermal storage can be used for cutting peak load and utilizing nighttime electric power. For the effective use of this system, however, thermal energy must be stored during the night in a way that does not waste energy. In this paper, an optimal heat input to such a system is investigated under prescribed external climatic conditions by making use of the optimal control theory. An optimal heat input to a plenum chamber and an air-conditioned room is determined by minimizing a criterion function which requires little deviation in room temperature from a set-point and low energy consumption.