Hot Water Load Control on Campus

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem areas associated with hot water load control in communal living environments where the demand for hot water could already outstrip the supply. This paper will explain the models that have been developed for the design of control algorithms for the control of the hot water consumption of the student residential hostels at the University of Pretoria. Many factors make this type of environment unique and these factors, when brought into account with the models, ensure that dynamic and financially viable control algorithms can be designed. The largest factors that influence this type of control are the hot water consumption pattern of the hostel occupants and the ratio of consumers per cylinder being higher than expected with entire floors or sections being supplied with hot water from a single large cylinder. Consequently, factors that should be considered during the design of dynamic control algorithms are highlighted and these applied to preliminary model results obtained at the University of Pretoria.