Discrete-time optimal control of electric hot water tank
Résumé
The paper exposes a discrete time model with three states to represent the dynamics of an Electric Hot Water Tank (EHWT). This models stands halfway between distributed parameters equations and totally lumped single integrators. It allows a faithful reproduction of observed behaviors, especially those induced by stratification. It is also instrumental in formulating optimal control problems aiming at maximizing performance under comfort constraints. In particular, it is shown how to recast such problems as a Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP) so that the problem can be solved with off-the-shelf software packages. Numerical results are presented.