Offset-free MPC with zone control for an air source floor heating system

In this study, an offset-free model predictive control (MPC) with zone control is proposed for an air source heat pump connected to a residential floor heating system. First, both the building model and the heat pump model are developed. A model transformation strategy is presented to transform the system nonlinearity into linear system with input uncertainties. Then an offset-free MPC is adopted to handle system uncertainties. Zone control target is achieved based on the proposed offset-free MPC to keep the room temperature within a specified range. This strategy enables the control system more freedom to reduce the energy consumption. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach can provide an improved air conditioning performance and energy efficiency over conventional PI controllers.