Abstract
In this paper, feedback controller design for the air-conditioning system is addressed through systematic modeling and identification. Particularly, the physical model of the system reveals the key parameter that dictates energy efficiency, and the identification procedure produces a low-order, linear model suitable for controller design. The feedback controller employed is multi-input-multi-output-based and possesses a cascade structure for dealing with the fast and slow dynamics in the system. To determine appropriate control parameters, conditions that establish performance and stability of the cascade design are given. Experiments show that the controller can simultaneously achieve satisfactory transient response in the indoor temperature, and improve energy efficiency at steady state. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd and IIR.