A numerical comparison of control strategies applied to an existing ice storage system

While ice storage systems are designed according to a defined strategy for warm day loads, it is interesting to consider other conventional control strategies for mid-season day loads. Three different charging-discharging control strategies are applied to an existing cooling plant and compared in terms of operating costs and energy consumption. A cooling plant model is built. A time stage equal to 15 min is considered to simulate numerically a whole charging-discharging process and compare the different control strategies. These simulations take into account existing technical constraints and set points. EES software is used. The operating costs of the cooling plant are evaluated by taking into account both the energy and the demand cost rate. It is shown that an ice storage system can allow savings of operating costs. However, they can increase energy consumption. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.