RADIANT HEATING CONTROLS AND METHODS FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEM

摘要

Embodiments of the invention describe thermostats that use model predictive controls and related methods. A method of controlling a thermostat using a model predictive control may involve determining a parameterized model. The parameterized model may be used to predicted ambient temperature values for an enclosure. A set of radiant heating system control strategies may be selected for evaluation to determine an optimal control strategy from the set of control strategies. To determine the optimal control strategy, a predictive algorithm may be executed, in which each control strategy is applied to the parameterized model to predict an ambient temperature trajectory and each ambient temperature trajectory is processed in view of a predetermined assessment function. Processing the ambient temperature trajectory in this manner may involve minimizing a cost value associated with the ambient temperature trajectory. The radiant heating system may subsequently be controlled according to the selected optimal control strategy.

主权项

1. A thermostat comprising:
a housing; a memory; and a processing system disposed within the housing and being in operative communication with the memory and with a radiant heating system, the processing system being configured and programmed to control the radiant heating system according to the steps of:
determining a parameterized model from which a temperature response of an enclosure responsive to a candidate radiant heating control strategy may be determined, the parameterized model being based at least in part on historical temperature information stored in said memory and acquired during at least one historical period in which the enclosure was heated by the radiant heating system under the control of said thermostat;determining an optimal radiant heating control strategy from among a plurality of candidate radiant heating control strategies by using said parameterized model to compute a plurality of predicted temperature responses corresponding respectively to the plurality of candidate radiant heating control strategies and processing said predicted temperature responses according to one or more predetermined assessment criteria; andcontrolling the radiant heating system according to the determined optimal radiant heating control strategy.