OPTIMAL DESIGN AND OPERATION OF COLD STORES USING SUSTAINABLE COOLING

摘要

Designing a cold store utilizing sustainable cooling is, in mathematical terms, a combined Optimal Control and Design Problem (OCDP). This paper outlines a new algorithm for efficiently solving large OCDPs. The algorithm is successfully applied to the combined control and design problem of a simple cold store with three possible cold sources: mechanical refrigeration, ventilation and evaporative cooling. It is concluded that for this cold store in The Netherlands evaporative cooling is too expensive. Ambient ventilation is economically viable if the cold store is to be used in January only. In case the cold store is to be operated all-year then it is cheapest to rely on mechanical refrigeration only.