Application of Artificial Intelligence in Air Conditioning Systems

Abstract

Urbanization has led to a sharp rise in the demand for power over the past 10 years, alarmingly rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems account for nearly half of the energy used by buildings, and minimizing the energy use of the HVAC systems is essential. However, the common problems, such as hot spots and cold spots in office spaces, experienced in the building need to be addressed. Therefore, this chapter introduces the application of artificial intelligence proactive control to resolve typical office issues. A demonstration testbed was implemented on the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) campus. The experiments were conducted in baseline mode and smart mode. In the case study, two big zones were segregated into 43 micro-zones equipped with smart dampers at each diffuser, allowing a localized set point to improve thermal comfort and eliminate hot and cold spots. It has been observed that the proactive AI control reduces cooling provided to the office by 29 percent and AHU electricity usage by 50 percent, respectively, while keeping the area within thermal comfort range of 23 to 25°C and 50 to 63% relative humidity.