Cold Storage Flexibility Modeling

This month, the Blue Bird technical team is working on demand response for Bad Hindelang Prinz-Luipold-Bad hotel's cold storage. Shifting electricity consumption based on real-time prices, while keeping the temperature where it needs to be.

The study goes at many levels:

• Physics experiment: We put a real fridge in the lab, loaded it with sensors, and started measuring. How does adding food change the thermal dynamics? This small experiment will help us analyse how added capacity influences the freezer's dynamics.
• Modelling: We build physics-based stochastic differential equations describing the freezer's temperature dynamics driven by ambient heat, door openings, and the compressor. Physical parameters are fitted to measurements, leading to hybrid physical and machine learning models.
• Optimisation & Control: Armed with a calibrated model and electricity price and solar production forecasts, we design an MPC controller to schedule the cooling.

From a lab fridge to a full freezer room pilot, one system studied from every angle. This is what real building flexibility looks like.