The VITO/EnergyVille Thermo Technical Lab is one of the major research facilities of EnergyVille. It is a multifunctional laboratory infrastructure in which static and dynamic tests on thermal systems (heating and cooling) can be performed. Equipment for industrial as well as residential applications can be tested. The laboratory is controlled and measured by an industrial PLC infrastructure, linked to a SCADA package. The devices can be connected directly to the VITO/EnergyVille Smart Grid Infrastructure Lab. The Thermo Technical Lab can perform independent tests according to the ISO 9001 standard.

Advantages

The ideal infrastructure for thermal systems developers, systems manufacturers, system installers, control system developers and consumer organisations to test and monitor their applications.

Testing possibilities:

  • Static and Dynamic tests of:
  • Boilers, burners, control systems, hot tap water appliances, ...
  • Cogeneration units: engines, turbines, μCHP’s, ORC’s, ...
  • Heat pump systems: water-water and air-water systems
  • Thermal energy storage systems: both sensible and latent heat
  • District heating components: substations, district heating pipes, control systems,…
  • Control systems of thermal applications
  • Heat delivery systems: radiators, floor heating systems, …
  • Combinations of systems: heat pumps and thermal energy storage, combined heat and power and thermal energy storage, distributed thermal energy storage, sorption systems, …
  • Including renewable energy sources, e.g. combination with photovoltaics
  • Including gas, oil, biogas and electricity
  • Highly accurate measurements of energetic performance:
    • Temperatures
    • Flows
    • (Differential) Pressure
    • Electrical consumption
  • Simulation of different temperature and humidity profiles as well as simulation of continuous (can be modulated) heat or cold losses can be applied in the Thermo Technical Lab’s climate chamber
  • Providing field measurement and monitoring of thermal applications

Applications

VITO/EnergyVille’s Thermo Technical Lab has a broad experience in testing heating and cooling equipment and systems.

  • Intelligent control of heat pumps for smart grid peak shaving
  • Intelligent distributed thermal energy storage
  • Static and dynamic tests for space heating and DHW performances of district heating substations (Heat Interface Units)
  • Lab testing as part of national and European research projects (FP7 E-hub, Linear, H2020, Rennovates,SALK, ….)
  • Efficiency testing of gas heaters
  • Energy performance testing of micro-turbines
  • Boiler characterization
  • Comparative testing of latent energy storage
  • State of Charge determination
  • Testing of  liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers

More information about the labs at EnergyVille and their testing facilities can be found on EnergyVille's website

Erik De Schutter

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