3752 -- Design Sensitivity Analysis for Optimal Temperature Control of a Radiant Electric Slab PDF

The problem of temperature control in radiant slabs where the heating element is installed a predetermined distance below the concrete slab is addressed. The adjoint variable method is used to determine its suitability for calculating sensitivity coefficients for optimal control of a radiant slab with an electric heating system. Values of the sensitivity of an objective function and a set of constraints were determined using the adjoint method. These values were then compared with the values obtained using the finite-difference approach. The results given by the adjoint method are, in general, in good agreement with the results of the finite-difference method. However, the finite-difference approach fails to give accurate results when the magnitude of the difference is small. Values of sensitivity coefficients for various heating strategies are also presented.

KEYWORDS: temperature, optimisers, electric heating, radiant heating, concrete, slabs, energy storage, floor heating, calculating, sensitivity, accuracy