Dynamical modeling for electric hot water tanks

To quantify the potential of electric hot water tanks (EHWT) in general demand response programs, there is a need for models with prediction capabilities at a reasonable computational cost. As can be experimentally observed, the input-output response of EHWT is relatively complex. This paper presents two models of EHWT, one in the form of two simple one-dimensional partial differential equations and the other as a hybrid system decoupling the phenomena acting on the EHWT, in sequences. An experimental validation compares the performance of these models. The conclusion is that the hybrid model is more accurate and less computationally intensive.