SIMULATION OF A CONTROL FOR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM OPERATED BY SOLAR ENERGY

Among different strategies available technologically to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact in buildings, there is the use of new thermal-operated air conditioning systems. An available alternative is absorption refrigeration systems, which can operate with renewable energy sources such as solar energy, and use environmentally friendly refrigerant substances. In Colombia, this type of systems have not been investigated thoroughly nor have carried out developments, because the field of solar energy is emphasized in the use of thermal energy, to be used on a refrigeration cycle that allows to condition an environment of a determined compound, and besides that, this air conditioning going to achieve through intelligent control, it has not been subject of considerable advances, neither in the part of applied research, nor its implementation. According to this, the idea is to use developments of these systems that have been simulated and implemented in other countries, including Spain, for the start in the UPB with research, development and implementation of those after making a literature review about the systems. To develop the aforementioned system, a comprehensive literature review of the technologies has been made to be implemented in terms of automation and control. A simulation in the TRNSYS (R) software of the system to be implemented in a building on the campus of the UPB, which requires air conditioning for the comfort of the people who inhabit, is developed. The system will be regulated by a control system that receives information from various parts of the plant with temperature and flow sensors. To carry out the control of this system, classical control techniques are going to be use for some water systems that constitute the demonstrative installation, but for the part of chilled water and air conditioning, intelligent control techniques will be handled, which allows to meet the needs of the air conditioning system that is intended to implement, as this part is quite complex for the management of different variables. This system will operate automatically acting on valves, pumps, fans, Fan-coil and/or mats of water (they act as radiant walls) for correct operation by previously established set points.