Development of a Monte Carlo based aggregate model for residential electric water heater loads

Development of a Monte Carlo based aggregate model for residential electric water heater loads

ELSEVIER Electric Power Research 36 (1996) Systems 29-35 Development of a Monte Carlo based aggregate model for residential electric water heate...

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ELSEVIER

Electric

Power

Research 36 (1996)

Systems

29-35

Development of a Monte Carlo based aggregate model for residential electric water heater loads P.S. Dolan’, De,~arruwt~r

of’ Elecrrictrl

M.H. Nehrir,

Engineering, Received

Montana

16 May

Slate

1995: accepted

V. Gerez

Chiversiry, 3 August

Bownan,

XI T 59 71 7, l’SA

1995

Abstract A model for a residential electric water heater load is developed using an energy flow analysis of the water heater tank. An aggregate model for residential electric water heater loads is then developed using a rejection type Monte Carlo simulation technique. The resultant aggregate model is then used to assess the effectiveness of several demand-side management strategies using the water heater load profile presented in a previous analysis. Kqxmds:

Water

heater

modeling:

Monte Carlo simulation; Demand-side management

1. Introduction Due to the increased interest of utilities in load management strategies for such things as load peak shaving, valley filling, and cold load pickup prediction, there has been an increased emphasis on residential load (appliance) modeling. One of the appliances which has been of particular interest to utilities and researchers alike is the residential electric water heater. Utilities have historically relied upon pilot testing programs to assess the impacts of water heater demandside management (DSM) strategies. While the pilot testing programs have provided invaluable data on the aggregate response of water heater loads, performing such testing is expensive and time consuming. Pilot testing could be avoided by using an aggregate water heater load model to assess the load response to DSM strategies which manipulate water heater operation. In the literature. what is typically referred to as an aggregate electric water heater load mode1 is an attempt to mathematically describe the operation of the water heater loads in a particular system by statistical curve fitting techniques [I -41. Another approach for developing an aggregate load mode1 for water heater operation would be to mode1 individual water heaters and add all ’ Presently with SSR Engineers. Bismarck, ND 58501, USA.

Inc..

037%7796~96~S15.00

Science

SSDI

037%7796(95)OlOl

P 1996 Elsevier I-B

4205

State

Street.

S.A. All rights

reserved

of their power demand profiles to obtain the overall system water heater load profile. This approach is similar to that used by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in its WATSIM program which allows the user to aggregate up to 300 water heaters using 300 stored water demand profiles. Using this kind of approach, the control of the heating elements of the individual water heaters being modeled may be manipulated in any manner desired to simulate various DSM strategies. In this paper we propose using a discontinuous random process for the hot water use of each of the modeled water heaters instead of predetermined water use profiles. This approach results in an aggregate water heater response that closely matches the overall system water heater load profile. While the approach does not correctly represent the actual load profile of each water heater on the system. it does provide a close representation of the system’s water heater load profile. In order to obtain the aggregate water heater load for a power system, it is not necessary to accurately model every single water heater in a particular system as the individual water heater characteristics tend to be canceled out when applied in an aggregate manner. All that is required is that the genera1 characteristics of the water heaters in the system be modeled. It is possible to statistically represent the overall mode1 parameters of the water heaters in the system as being normally

distributed with associated means and standard deviations. Once the means and standard deviations of the various water heater parameters such as size, element rating, and insulation level are known for a particular system, a rejection type Monte Carlo method [5] may be used to generate the model parameters for any number of water heaters. With this information and an acceptable water heater model, it is easy to develop a computer model to simulate the aggregate load profile of a large number of water heaters. This paper discusses the development of a single electric water heater model as well as an aggregate model for water heater loads.

Ci;,(t)

= - SA(lIR)[T,(t)

- T,,,]

- 8.3 ~n(~K’,[T,(f) where C is the equivalent the tank given by

C= 8.3 x (no. of gallons) x CP Letting G= SA(l/R) and B(t) = lVD(t) x 8.3C,, differential equation becomes C’fdt)

= - G[T,(t)

- Tc,“J - B(t)[TH(t)

WliRU’df)

- r,,,l

(1)

where SA ii R

T”(I) T ““t

tank surface area, SA = 2r(r+h) (ft’) tank radius (ft) tank height (ft) thermal resistance of tank insulation (h ft2 “F/Btu) mean tank water temperature at time (“F) outside ambient temperature (“F) t

The water demand losses (in Btu/h) as given by Ref. [7] are 8.3 WDif)Cp[TH(f)

-

Tin]

(2)

where 8.3 is the weight, in lb, of 1 USgal. of water, and PVD(t) water demand (USgal/h) specific heat of water, 1 Btu/(‘F lb) CP temperature of incoming make-up water (“F) T,, The power input to the tank (in Btu/h) is Q(t) = 3.4121 x 10” x (element kW rating) The general differential model is

(3)

equation of the water heater

th.:

- TiJ + Q(f) (51

It can be shown that a solution of Eq. (5) is

+ [GR’T,,,, + B(r)R’T,,

By summing the energy sources and losses in the water heater, one can develop a general differential equation describing the mean or average thermal response of the water in the tank. As indicated in Ref. [6], water heaters have two sources of energy losses: (i) thermal convection or ‘standby losses’ where heat is lost through the tank’s exterior walls to the surrounding environment; (ii) ‘water demand energy losses’ associated with the use of the hot water stored in the tank. The energy supplied to the tank comes from the heating elements. The convection losses (in Btuih) as given by Ref. [6] are

(4)

thermal mass (in Btu/“F) OF

T,,(t) = T,(s) exp[ - (l/R’C)(r 2. Water heater model development

- T,l + Q(t)

x (1 -exp[-(l/R’C)(t-t)]}

- r)] + Q(t)R’]

(6 ’

where R’ = l/[G+ B(t)]. At this point it should be noted that the terms Q(t) and B(t) in Eq. (6) are piecewise continuous [8,9]. Recall that Q(t) is controlled by the water heate,, thermostat and only becomes nonzero when the tern. perature falls below the lower thermostat setpoint. Af. ter the temperature of the water surrounding the thermostat reaches the thermostat’s upper temperature: setpoint, the heating element is shut off and Q(t) gee:; to zero. The B(t) term, which is associated with the water demand at any time t, is only nonzero when there is a demand for hot water. Because of the piecewisc! continuous nature of Q(t) and B(t), every time either one changes from one state to another, the initial condition term TH(r) in Eq. (6) must be modified fol. the new condition. Also, r must be set to the time t a. which the change of state occurred. In order to simulate the load profile of a large number of water heaters, it is necessary to obtain thts parameters describing each of the water heaters to be simulated. As previously stated, it is not necessary tcl know the actual parameters for each of the water heaters on the system to simulate the system. All that i:. needed are the mean and standard deviations associatec with a few of the key parameters presented in the single water heater model to describe the operational charac teristics of the aggregate water heater system. Once the means and standard deviations are known, a Monte Carlo rejection type method may be used to genera& the parameters needed in order to run the aggregate water heater simulation. The means and standard devi. ations are needed for the following parameters associ ated with the water heaters on the system to be simulated: Tank capacity (USgal) Thermostat setpoint (“F) Thermostat deadband (“F) Hot water usage rate (USgallh)

P.S.

Dolun

et al. : Ektric

Po~vrr

Thermal resistance R of tank insulation (h ft’ “F/Btu) Heating element rating (kW) Temperature of incoming make-up water (“F) Ambient temperature of tank location (“F) The lower thermostat setpoint is obtained by subtracting the thermostat deadband from the upper setpoint. The initial water temperature in the water heater tanks is generated as a uniformly distributed random variable between the thermostat’s upper and lower temperature setpoints. If we assumethe water heater tanks on the system are cylindrical in shape and that the radius of the tank is one fifth of the tank height (which is a good assumption), we can write the following: h = (0.13368/0.04)“’ SA = 0.48/z’

(ft)

(7)

(ft’)

(8)

3. The Monte Carlo rejection method

Slsrtws

Reseuwll

36 (1996)

29-35

31

water demand profile in USgal/h for each water heater being modeled. The random process developed will result in an aggregate water heater load that closely matches that of the system. For an accurate match of the system water heater load profile, a good knowledge of the aggregate water heater load profile in kW is needed. In general, knowledge of the system water heater load profile will not be available. Obtaining accurate information about the system water heater load profile is only possible through monitoring the power demand of each water heater. However, the random process may be generated using an approximation or best guess as to what the water heater load profile is. It should be noted that the more accurate the information on the system water heater load profile, the better the random process generated will allow the simulation to mimic the system water heater load profile. Once the system water heater steady-state load profile is known, the steps used to develop the random process describing the hot water demand profile are straightforward and can be summarized as follows.

The steps required for using the Monte Carlo rejection method for generating water heater model parameters with a normal distribution function with a mean .? and a standard deviation cr are given below. The reader is referred to Ref. [5] for a formal mathematical definition of the process. Step 1. Generate a random number x which is uniformly distributed in the interval .f - 3a < x < R + 3a. Step 2. Form f(x) = (l,!a&)exp[

-(x

- X-)2/2cr’]

(9)

Step 3. Generate a second random number which is uniformly distributed in the interval 0 y, then keep x becausex lies under the normal distribution curve with mean .? and standard deviation cr. If f(x)
I

4. Developing the hot water use random process Here we develop a random process describing the hot

Fig.

I. Flowchart

describing

End

the Monte

Carlo

rejection

method.

Fig. 2. Water heater experiment [IO].

operation

curve

from

Athens

load

control

Step 1. Make a plot of the percentage of water heaters on versus time of day by dividing the system water heater load by the product of the mean water heater element kW rating and the number of water heaters on the system (Fig. 2). Step 2. Fit simple geometric shapes such as parabolas, ramps, and straight lines to the percentage of water heaters on versus time of day (water heater operation curve of Fig. 2) to create an approximate ‘smooth’ representation of the curve as shown in Fig. 3. Note that we are only concerned with the portions of the geometric-shape curves that fit the water heater operation curve; there could be more than one set of geometric curves that fit the operation curve. Statistical curve fitting techniques can also be used to obtain equations describing different portions of the operation curve. However, considering the random nature of hot water usage, the approximate geometric-shape curve fitting is used here.

Step 3. Obtain the portion of the geometric share over each of the various time intervals which best fils the curve. Note the time intervals associated with each portion of geometric shape obtained above along with the peak percentage of water heaters on for each tim’e interval. Step 4. Normalize the equation for each of the geometric shapes to the peak percentage of water heaters on during their respective time intervals. The equations for each of the dominant geometric shapes should be written to be active for the time of day that they are valid. During the simulation process for a particular water heater, a uniform random number is generated in the interval between zero and one. The random number is then compared with the peak percentage of water heaters on during the time interval in question. If th\: random number is less than or equal to the percentagof water heaters on during that time interval, then th.: hot water usage rate for that particular water heater is multiplied by the value obtained from the active gee.metric equation to obtain the instantaneous water demand rate. If the random number is greater than th.: percentage of water heaters on for that time interval, then no hot water is being drawn. While this method OI determining the water demand rate would in no wa:: accurately model the hot water use by any given household, it is extremely effective in giving a close represen., tation of the aggregate water heater load on the system To further clarify the steps associated in developing the random hot water demand process, we will follov., through with an example. Fig. 2 shows the percentage of water heaters on versus time of day for the Athen load control experiment [lo]. We will now proceed tc develop the random hot water demand process for thL figure.

I---

ST

ea?!3

1a-

P ?II-

1

23

4

Rs-1

Fig. 3. Simple

geometric

shapes fitted

to the curve

of Fig. 2

Fig. 4. Dominant geometric for the curve of Fig. 2.

curves

over their respective

time intervalr

P.S. Dolan Table 1 Normalized Curve

equations

for the curves

no.

Equation

I 2 3 4 5

y(t) y(r)

y(t) y(t) y(t)=

= = = =

et al. 1 Electric,

Power

Table Water

2 heaters

of curve

Curve

no.

1 1 -(1:2)(r-7)” 1 -(l/30)(/-9)’ 1.7107-0.06607t 1 -(1:36)(r-20)’

IF 6.00