Development and experimental validation of a linear state-space model for absorption heat pumping systems for model-based control strategies

Control strategies of absorption heat pumping systems (AHPS, comprising heat pumps and chillers) often performinsufficiently well, since they usually do not explicitly consider the systems’ dynamics and cross-coupling effects.One promising approach to improve their performance is to apply model-based control strategies since they wouldallow for an explicit consideration of these system characteristics. Therefore, mathematically simple models of thesystem to be controlled are required. This contribution proposes a new approach for such a model for a H2O-LiBrAHPS. The model results from the linearization of a more complex, nonlinear simulation model, leading to asimple, but physically still meaningful linear state-space model structure. The experimental validation shows thatthe developed model describes the system’s dynamics and cross-coupling effects sufficiently well and indicates thatit is suitable to serve as a basis for the development of a model-based control strategy for AHPS.