Technical Operations Research (TOR) - Algorithms, not Engineers, Design Optimal Energy Efficient and Resilient Cooling Systems

By considering not only single components, but also their interplay, the overall energy efficiency of a ventilation system can be considerably improved. A design method from this system point of view, the method TOR ("Technical Operations Research"), is presented in this work. With TOR, we can algorithmically search and evaluate the energy efficiency of all possible system layouts of different fans, and find the global optimal system design. Therefore, we employ mathematical methods from the field of discrete optimization. We show the possibilities of this systematic design approach, and design a ventilation system for buildings that is energy efficient and resilient.