DFAN: Distributed Fractal Awareness Network — A Biomimetic Control Architecture for Intelligent Energy Transfer Systems

Abstract

This paper formally defines the Distributed Fractal Awareness Network (DFAN) paradigm as a biomimetic control architecture for energy transfer systems. DFAN treats source-plus-distribution-plus-zones as a living organism, with explicit mappings from biological components (heart, arteries, skin, nervous system, homeostasis, metabolic states, proprioception) to architectural concepts and production code. The architecture is demonstrated through a residential heat pump deployment (Quantum Swarm Heating) across three UK installations with over 200,000 combined control cycles. The paper positions DFAN as the conceptual foundation unifying three prior data-driven publications: fleet simulation evidence (Hunt, 2026a), governance methodology (Hunt, 2026b), and the domain-expert collaboration model (Hunt, 2026c). A novelty assessment found no prior published work integrating distributed sensing, fractal self-similarity, biological awareness-homeostasis, and continuous self-identification into a named, implemented, and field-validated control architecture for energy transfer systems. Version 2 — 7 August 2026 This version corrects the reference list of version 1. No claim, result, figure or argument has been altered. [7] Chen & Shi, “Particle Swarm Optimization for Multi-Agent HVAC Control”, Applied Energy 84(11), 2007 — this paper does not exist. Replaced with Kusiak, A., Xu, G. & Tang, F. (2011), Optimization of an HVAC system with a strength multi-objective particle-swarm algorithm, Energy 36(10), doi:10.1016/j.energy.2011.08.024. [5] Pearce, M. et al. (1996), Arup Journal 31(1) — could not be verified. Replaced with Hawkes, D. & Forster, W. (2003), Eastgate Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe, doi:10.4324/9780203362488-18. [17] Added: Wang, Z. et al. (2022), A general multi agent-based distributed framework for optimal control of building HVAC systems, doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104498. Neither corrected entry was cited by number in the body text, and no argument in this paper depended on either. A full revision note, including the mechanism by which the errors arose, is included in the document. Every reference in this version has been resolved to a primary source: each DOI resolved and its returned title and authors compared against the citation as written, and each standard retrieved and its title and issuing body confirmed. Version 1 remains available and citable at doi:10.5281/zenodo.19443159.