Aalborg University's project partners include Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore and Aarhus University (AU) in Denmark. The Grundfos Foundation funds the initiative with 60 mio. DKK.
These researchers from Aalborg University participate and all have central roles in the SWiM-project in collaboration with researchers from the other universities:
At TECH, four groups are contributing with their expertise:
Prof. Rafael Wisniewski (Department of Electronic Systems, Learning and Decisions Lab) coordinates the SWIM-project, and his group focuses on:
- Self-learning control algorithms and optimization.
- Real-time fault detection and isolation, control and optimization of buildings hydronics.
- Smart grids control, and cybersecure control in Operation Technology (OT).
Prof. Kim Guldstrand Larsen' (Department of Computer Science, Distributed, Embedded and Intelligent Systems (DEIS)) focuses on:
- Leader of Workpackage 3: Operation: Control, Optimization and Interoperability.
- Focus on Hierarchical Multi-Agent Safe Reinforcement Learning for Control. Expected 20 pct. savings in cost and CO2, while guaranteeing regulatory safety constraints.
- Focus on installation and commissioning: number and placement of sensors needed. Automatic design of test sequences that will enable self-commissioning.
Prof. Torben Bach Pedersen (Department og Computer Science, Data Engineering, Science and Systems (DESS)), focuses on:
- Leader of Task 3.2 - Sector Coupling of the Electricity and Cooling Systems which will minimize both CO2 emissions and cost.
- Extend the award-winning FlexOffer technology to model, estimate, and aggregate the flexibilities in cooling assets.
- Develop FlexOffer-based techniques to co-optimize with electricity production, storage, and grids and trade in markets.
Assoc. prof. Peter Sorknæs's group (Department of Sustainability and Planning, Sustainable Energy Planning) focuses on:
- Integration of cooling systems in (renewable) electrical and thermal energy systems.
- Robustness, resilience and sustainability of the entire energy system.
At ENGINEERING two research groups are contributing with their expertise:
Prof. Amjad Anvari-Moghaddam's group (AAU Energy, Intelligent Energy Systems and Flexible Markets – iGRIDS) focuses on:
- Optimizing grid-responsive cooling for renewable availability.
- Co-optimizing power and cooling network interactions.
- Enabling cooling systems as active flexibility resources.
- Developing strategies for multi-energy market-driven dispatch of building-integrated energy systems.
Assoc. Prof. Michal Pomianowski’s group (BUILD - Department of the Built Environment, Energy in Buildings) focuses on:
- Detection of design and control faults in building cooling systems.
- Identification of heating, cooling, ventilation, and air conditioning systems that are robust and holistic for energy efficiency and indoor climate.
- Identification of building and cooling systems topologies accounting for user/operator perspectives.
The SWiM-project is organised in six Work Packages (WP), AAU-reseachers are participating in four of them:
- WP1 Policy and economics: a Cold Economy framework: This WP will be led by professor Alessandro Romagnoli, NTU with assoc. professor Peter Sorknæs, AAU as the WP co-lead. This WP will provide research to assist policymakers and decision-makers in crafting and implementing sustainable cooling and refrigeration strategies tailored for the unique needs of megacities in hot and humid climates.
- WP2 Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance: This WP will be led by assoc. professor Michal Pomianowski, AAU with Chau Yuen, NTU as the WP co-lead. This WP will provide evidence and support in the design, installation, commissioning and efficient operation of affordable cooling solutions in hot and humid climates.
- WP3 Operation: Control, Optimization and Interoperability: This WP will be led by professor Kim Guldstrand Larsen, AAU with Dr. Sivanand Somasundaram, NTU as the WP co-lead. This WP will develop methods and algorithms that will ensure real-time management of energy consumption and production using intelligent control strategies, while adapting to occupant behavioral, environmental as well as regulatory conditions for optimal performance in hot and humid climates. This work package will also include a scope to optimally design and operate brownfield district cooling systems from existing individual chiller systems.
- WP6 Management: This WP will be led by professor Rafael Wisniewski, AAU with Alex Chong, NTU as the WP co-lead. This WP is responsible for the organization of the project, the steering group, the advisory board, the organisation of plenary meetings every six months (in hybrid form so it will be possible to save on travel cost), alternating between Denmark and Singapore.
The steering commitee for the SWiM-project:
- Ebbe Kruse Vestergaard, Head of Programme, Research/Grundfos Foundation
- Henrik Ørskov Pedersen, Vice President, Technology Liaison/Grundfos
- Madhavi Srinivasan, Executive Director, Energy Research Institute/NTU
- Brian Vinter, Vice Dean at the Faculty of Technical Sciences/AU
- Mikael B. Skov, Vice Dean for Research, Technical Faculty of IT and Design/AAU
