Abstract
This paper describes an innovative adaptive fuzzy control (AFC) algorithm for regulating the domestic hot water temperature of a combi-boiler or instantaneous hot water heater when using a domestic hot water flow rate sensor. The AFC automatically learns the feedforward relationship between the domestic hot water flow rate and the gas valve position and adapts to process changes such as variations in the inlet water temperature, controller set point, gas composition, and flow sensor miscalibration without requiring additional sensors or a system identifier. Laboratory tests under typical operating conditions show that the AFC reduces the set-point error between 18% and 70% and reduces control effort between 23% and 41% when compared with a conventional proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback controller with feed-forward compensation. The AFC's memory and processing requirements are comparable to those for a PID plus feedforward algorithm, so it is a realistic replacement for a conventional PID algorithm with feedforward compensation.
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