Uncertainty-based robust optimal design of cleanroom air-conditioning systems considering life-cycle performance

Strict and simultaneous space temperature and humidity controls are often required in many applications, such as hospitals, laboratories, cleanrooms for pharmaceutical and semiconductor manufacturing. The energy intensity in such applications can be up to 100 times than typical office buildings, mainly due to the improper system design and control. Although some uncertainty-based design methods have been developed for air-conditioning systems, most of the existing systems are designed based on a certain ventilation mode while neglecting the life-cycle performance of the components. This study, therefore, proposes a robust optimal design method for cleanroom air-conditioning systems, considering the uncertainties in design parameters for inputs and operation strategies as well as the life-cycle performance of components. An adaptive full-range decoupled ventilation strategy, which incorporated five operation modes, was adopted in the design optimization. Two maintenance modes were adopted and compared to consider the flexibility of maintenance. The proposed design method has been implemented and validated in the design optimization of an existing air-conditioning system. The results showed that, compared with the conventional design, up to 54% reduction of life-cycle costs and superior satisfaction of services could be achieved by using the proposed method.