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ABSTRACT

Control of complex energy systems requires knowledge of multi-physics system dynamics and integration of this knowledge into controller design. Model-based control techniques provide a viable solution to reduce the development time and improve the performance and robustness of controllers for energy systems. In this talk, innovative model-based control techniques are illustrated for various complex energy systems including building heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) systems, building to power grid operating systems, and hybrid electric vehicles.

A majority of the existing controllers for energy systems are based on the First Law of Thermodynamics (FLT). These FLT energy-based controllers cannot provide maximum efficiency for energy systems due to the limited knowledge that can be derived from FLT. Alternatively, exergy is the available energy to do work; it is defined based on the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics and determines the sources of deficiency in a system. Exergy-wise controllers can provide ultimate energy conversion efficiency by minimizing exergy destruction and reducing irreversible entropy generation in a system. In this talk, a novel exergy-wise control framework is introduced. The exergy-wise control framework is generic and applicable to all energy systems. The benefit of the proposed framework will be demonstrated for energy systems in the transportation and building sectors, which combined consume 59% of the total energy in the world.

BIOGRAPHY

Mahdi Shahbakhti is an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University, where he conducts research in the area of controls and energy systems. Prior to joining Michigan Tech in 2012, he was a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California-Berkeley for two years. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta in Canada in 2009. An ASME and SAE member, Shahbakhti has been doing research in the area of controls, powertrains, and energy systems for the past 17 years. His research centers on developing dynamical models and novel control techniques with applications in vehicles and building energy systems. He is the author of over 120 refereed publications in the field of powertrain, energy systems and controls.

www.me.mtu.edu/~mahdish/