Temperature Control of MIMO System by Utilizing Ground Temperature and Weather Conditions

Heating/Cooling demands account for more than half of energy consumption in residential, agricultural and industrial fields. Ground Heat-Exchanger is an environmentally friendly solution used for heating/cooling purposes which is based on seasonal temperature difference between the ground and the ambient. A fuzzy-based controller is developed to utilize the ground heat and the weather conditions for maintaining the temperature in a thermally insulated greenhouse system. The greenhouse system is equipped with actuated windows, fans, sunlight collector and environmental sensors. Results showed the heat exchanger can be used for pre-cooling in summer and heating in winter in hot and imbalanced climate zones like UAE. The proposed controller was able to maintain the greenhouse temperature within the acceptable range on most days of the year with significantly less operational cost compared to the ON/OFF controller.