Adaptive PID Control Based on Laplace Distribution for Multi-Environment Temperature Regulation in Smart Refrigeration Systems

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Authors: Mooyoung Yoo
Cited by: 4
References: 16

Abstract

This study presents an Adaptive PID controller designed to enhance temperature stability and energy performance in household refrigerator systems subject to non-stationary disturbances. Classical PID control is limited by fixed gains and the assumption of linear time-invariant dynamics, which is frequently violated by door opening, load variation, and compressor cycling. To address this issue, the proposed approach introduces a Laplace-distribution-based adaptive gain function L(t) that adjusts controller sensitivity according to the statistical rarity of the composite temperature error. The method preserves the conventional PID control structure while introducing a lightweight gain-scaling mechanism suitable for embedded implementation. Experimental validation using a commercial two-compartment refrigerator demonstrated substantial improvements in performance compared with a classical PID controller. The Adaptive PID achieved reduced temperature deviations in both compartments, significantly smoother compressor and fan actuation, and a 4.6% reduction in total energy consumption under an identical disturbance schedule. These results confirm that the proposed controller provides a practical, embedded-friendly solution that improves thermal regulation, actuator longevity, and energy efficiency under the tested disturbance schedule representative of typical household usage.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technologies Building Energy and Comfort Optimization Smart Grid Energy Management

Publication details

Journal / source
Energies
Publisher
MDPI AG
Volume
19
Issue
2
Pages
477–477
Publication date
18 January 2026
Language
EN