Model predictive control for a data centre waste heat-based heat prosumer in Norway

Abstract

Waste heat from a data centre (DC) is a promising heat source because of the evenly distributed load profile and intensive waste heat generation. Many studies have proven the substantial financial benefits for the district heating (DH) operators by integrating DC waste heat with DH systems. However, there is a scarcity of research focusing on the optimal control of the DH system after integrating DC waste heat to further improve the system’s economic performance. Therefore, this study aimed to further improve the economic performance of a DH system with DC waste heat by utilizing a model predictive control (MPC) scheme. This MPC scheme employed an economic-related objective function and formulated technical operational constraints. The proposed MPC scheme was tested on a campus DH system in Norway by simulation. Compared to a traditional rule-based control approach, the MPC scheme reduced the monthly energy cost by 1.8% while providing more stable chilled water for the DC cooling system.