Energy Efficient Predictive Control for Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle Systems

Abstract--Vapor compression refrigeration cycle （VCC） system is a high dimensional coupling thermodynamic system for which the controller design is a great challenge. In this paper, a model predictive control based energy efficient control strategy which aims at maximizing the system efficiency is proposed. Firstly, according to the mass and energy conservation law, an analysis on the nonlinear relationship between superheat and cooling load is carried out, which can produce the maximal effect on the system performance. Then a model predictive control （MPC） based controller is developed for tracking the calculated setting curve of superheat degree and pressure difference based on model identified from data which can be obtained from an experimental rig. The proposed control strategy maximizes the coefficient of performance （COP） which depends on operating conditions, in the meantime, it meets the changing demands of cooling capacity. The effectiveness of the control performance is validated on the experimental rig. Index Terms--Cooling load, model predictive control （MPC）, superheat, vapor compression refrigeration cycle （VCC）.

Cooling High Power Dissipating Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chips Using Refrigerant

High power dissipating artificial intelligence (AI) chips require significant cooling to operate at maximum performance. Current trends regarding the integration of AI, as well as the power/cooling demands of high-performing server systems pose an immense thermal challenge for cooling. The use of refrigerants as a direct-to-chip cooling method is investigated as a potential cooling solution for cooling AI chips. Using a vapor compression refrigeration system (VCRS), the coolant temperature will be sub-ambient thereby increasing the total cooling capacity. Coupled with the implementation of a direct-to-chip boiler, using refrigerants to cool AI server systems can materialize as a potential solution for current AI server cooling demands. In this study, a comparison of 8 different refrigerants: R-134a, R-153a, R-717, R-508B, R-22, R-12, R-410a, and R-1234yf is analyzed for optimal performance. A control theoretical VCRS model is created to assess variable refrigerants under the same operational conditions. From this model, the coefficient of performance (COP), required mass flow rate of refrigerant, work required by the compressor, and overall heat transfer coefficient is determined for all 8 refrigerants. Lastly, a comprehensive analysis is provided to determine the most optimal refrigerants for cooling applications. R-717, commonly known as Ammonia, was found to have the highest COP value thus proving to be the optimal refrigerant for cooling AI chips and high-performing server applications.

Model Predictive Control for Vapor Compression Cycle of Refrigeration Process

A model predictive controller based on a novel structure selection criterion for the vapor compression cycle （VCC） of refrigeration process is proposed in this paper. Firstly, those system variables are analyzed which exert significant influences on the system performance. Then the structure selection criterion, a trade-off between computation complexity and model performance, is applied to different model structures, and the results are utilized to determine the optimized model structure for controller design. The controller based on multivariable model predictive control （MPC） strategy is designed, and the optimization problem for the reduced order models is formulated as a constrained minimization problem. The effectiveness of the proposed MPC controller is verified on the experimental rig.

Performance comparison and analysis of a combined power and cooling system based on organic Rankine cycle

A novel power and cooling system combined system which coupled organic Rankine cycle(ORC) with vapor compression refrigeration cycle(VCRC) was proposed. R245 fa and butane were selected as the working fluid for the power and refrigeration cycle, respectively. A performance comparison and analysis for the combined system was presented. The results show that dual-pressure ORC-VCRC system can achieve an increase of 7.1% in thermal efficiency and 6.7% in exergy efficiency than that of basic ORC-VCRC. Intermediate pressure is a key parameter to both net power and exergy efficiency of dual-pressure ORC-VCRC system. Combined system can produce maximum net power and exergy efficiency at 0.85 MPa for intermediate pressure and 2.4 MPa for high pressure, respectively. However, superheated temperature at expander inlet has little impact on the two indicators. It can achieve higher overall COP, net power and exergy efficiency at smaller difference between condensation temperature and evaporation temperature of VCRC.