ABSTRACT
Electrical utilities provide continuous electrical power to a nation through a system of interconnected grids. Power can be generated most economically when produced at a constant rate. However, demand for power can often vary by a factor of two between times of minimum and peak demand. Peak power is expensive to produce. Demand side management (DSM) and demand response (DR) programs can provide important savings to utility companies by shifting consumer electricity usages away from peak electricity hours. This entry details the methods to regulate demand of a thermal system by developing load models and utilizing these in advanced controllers. A prototype enclosure was first built and equipped with a heater and thermal measuring equipment. Data was collected during a standard temperature regulation experiment using a bang-bang (on/off) controller similar to those commonly used for residential heating control. First- and second-order mathematical models of a heated space were generated to identify the thermal load parameters. Using these parameters, a proportional integral (PI) controller was developed to achieve smooth temperature control. In a second experiment, the enclosure temperature was regulated by the PI controller utilizing a power electronics converter. This system showed more regulated power demand than the tradition control system and reduced temperature variability equating to improved customer comfort. Utilities and customers may benefit by using this approach to achieve significant leveling of power demand through improved thermal load regulation.
