Building hvac system with model calibration

Abstract

A controller for HVAC equipment uses a predictive model for the HVAC equipment to calculate a plurality of values of a model-predicted heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment at a plurality of time steps within a time period, obtains a plurality of values of an actual heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment at the plurality of time steps within the time period, generates a calibration model that relates the model-predicted heating or cooling load to the actual heating or cooling load using the plurality of values of the model-predicted heating or cooling load and the plurality of values of the actual heating or cooling load, uses the calibration model to calculate calibrated values of the model-predicted heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment, and operates the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the model-predicted heating or cooling load.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A controller for heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment using a plurality of values of a predicted heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment at a plurality of time steps within a time period, the controller comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations;
 generating a calibration model that relates the predicted heating or cooling load to actual heating or cooling load using the plurality of values of the predicted heating or cooling load and the plurality of values of the actual heating or cooling load;   using the calibration model to calculate calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment; and   operating the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load.   
     
     
         2 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein using the calibration model to calculate the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises performing an equation-based calibration process comprising:
 providing the plurality of values of the predicted heating or cooling load as inputs to the calibration model; and   calculating adjusted values of the predicted heating or cooling load as outputs of the calibration model.   
     
     
         3 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein using the calibration model to calculate the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises performing a based calibration process comprising:
 obtaining adjusted model parameters by modifying parameters of a predictive model based on parameters of the calibration model;   replacing the parameters of the predictive model with the adjusted model parameters to generate a calibrated predictive model; and   using the calibrated predictive model to directly output the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load.   
     
     
         4 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein generating the calibration model comprises performing a regression process using the plurality of values of the predicted heating or cooling load at the plurality of time steps and the plurality of values of the actual heating or cooling load at the plurality of time steps to generate values of parameters of the calibration model. 
     
     
         5 . The controller of  claim 4 , wherein generating the calibration model comprises further comprises:
 determining whether the parameters of the calibration model are practical in representing physics of building thermal dynamics; and   adjusting the values of the parameters of the calibration model in response to determining that the values of the parameters of the calibration model are not practical in representing the physics of the building thermal dynamics.   
     
     
         6 . The controller of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising obtaining initial states of a predictive model by running the predictive model for a previous time period prior to the time period comprising the plurality of time steps. 
     
     
         7 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein using a predictive model to calculate the plurality of values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises:
 determining whether the HVAC equipment are on or off at each time step of the time period;   setting a value of the predicted heating or cooling load to zero for each time step during which the HVAC equipment are off during the time period; and   using the predictive model to calculate a value of the predicted heating or cooling load for each time step during which the HVAC equipment are on during the time period.   
     
     
         8 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein operating the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises:
 using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load to plan a sequence of control actions for the HVAC equipment over a future time period; and   operating the HVAC equipment over the future time period using the sequence of control actions.   
     
     
         9 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein operating the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises performing an optimization-based control process using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load to generate control actions for the HVAC equipment over a future time period. 
     
     
         10 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein operating the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises:
 estimating a cost savings resulting from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load; and   using the cost savings to perform a measurement and verification process for the HVAC equipment.   
     
     
         11 . A method for operating heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment using a predictive model for the HVAC equipment to calculate a plurality of values of a predicted heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment at a plurality of time steps within a time period, the method comprising:
 obtaining a plurality of values of an actual heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment at the plurality of time steps within the time period;   generating a calibration model that relates the predicted heating or cooling load to the actual heating or cooling load using the plurality of values of the predicted heating or cooling load and the plurality of values of the actual heating or cooling load;   using the calibration model to calculate calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment; and   operating the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein using the calibration model to calculate the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises performing an equation-based calibration process comprising:
 providing the plurality of values of the predicted heating or cooling load as inputs to the calibration model; and   calculating adjusted values of the predicted heating or cooling load as outputs of the calibration model.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein using the calibration model to calculate the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises performing a based calibration process comprising:
 obtaining adjusted model parameters by modifying parameters of the predictive model based on parameters of the calibration model;   replacing the parameters of the predictive model with the adjusted model parameters to generate a calibrated predictive model; and   using the calibrated predictive model to directly output the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein generating the calibration model comprises performing a regression process using the plurality of values of the predicted heating or cooling load at the plurality of time steps and the plurality of values of the actual heating or cooling load at the plurality of time steps to generate values of parameters of the calibration model. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein generating the calibration model comprises further comprises:
 determining whether the parameters of the calibration model are practical in representing physics of building thermal dynamics; and   adjusting the values of the parameters of the calibration model in response to determining that the values of the parameters of the calibration model are not practical in representing the physics of the building thermal dynamics.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising obtaining initial states of the predictive model by running the predictive model for a previous time period prior to the time period comprising the plurality of time steps. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein using the predictive model to calculate the plurality of values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises:
 determining whether the HVAC equipment are on or off at each time step of the time period;   setting a value of the predicted heating or cooling load to zero for each time step during which the HVAC equipment are off during the time period; and   using the predictive model to calculate a value of the predicted heating or cooling load for each time step during which the HVAC equipment are on during the time period.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein operating the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises:
 using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load to plan a sequence of control actions for the HVAC equipment over a future time period; and   operating the HVAC equipment over the future time period using the sequence of control actions.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein operating the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load comprises performing an optimization-based control process using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load to generate control actions for the HVAC equipment over a future time period. 
     
     
         20 . A controller for heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment using a predicted heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment, the controller comprising:
 a calibration model configured to relate the predicted heating or cooling load to an actual heating or cooling load using values of the predicted heating or cooling load and values of the actual heating or cooling load;   a processor configured to use the calibration model to calculate calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load of the HVAC equipment and   to operate the HVAC equipment using the calibrated values of the predicted heating or cooling load.