Fossil-free cooling and heating
Many buildings and houses still use fossil fuels for cooling and heating purposes. If we want to pave the way towards a sustainable future, we need to look for other ways to generate thermal energy.
Sustainable systems like heating pumps, hot water tanks, district heating systems, and other alternatives are gaining popularity. And all these new cooling and heating systems require technology. That’s why we must test and improve these technologies in a controlled environment.
Improve your applications in our thermo-technical lab
The thermo-technical lab is part of VITO/EnergyVille’s largest research facilities. Here, we have various options to test cooling and heating systems. It’s the perfect place for development companies and system installers, among others, to thoroughly test, monitor and optimise their applications.
- Start-ups, SMEs, and large companies with new concepts in the field of thermal energy systems
- System aggregators
- Control system suppliers
- Engineering firms
- Component manufacturers
- System users.
- Thermal storage: water tanks, PCM storage, etc.
- Thermal generation: water-to-water heat pumps, air-to-water heat pumps, micro-CHP, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), etc.
- Thermal interfaces: substations for district heating, water-to-water heat exchangers, etc.
- Thermal emission: radiators, convectors, etc.
The Thermo Technical Lab offers various possibilities for testing heating and cooling equipment and systems. In addition to evaluating the performance of thermal energy applications, field monitoring can also be conducted.
- System testing under different operational conditions
- Benchmarking of available technologies
- Expert advice and testing of available technologies for specific applications
- Expert support for simulations to assess the technical feasibility of technological concepts
- Simulation and experimental validation of prototypical energy technology systems and components
- Comprehensive solution for monitoring and data acquisition in the field
- Pre-compliance testing
- Rental of test space for customers to conduct their own tests
- Control of thermal systems: smart control of applications, optimization, IoT devices, etc.
A unique testing environment with countless possibilities
To support the research and development of new cooling and heating systems, VITO/EnergyVille has a state-of-the-art thermo-technical lab with unique possibilities.
The lab can provide a large variety of temperatures and powers, from 5°C to 290°C and from 3 kWh to 2 MWh. Both residential and industrial applications can be tested here.
Additionally, the infrastructure is quite flexible, both when it comes to testing setups and data acquisition and monitoring. There’s a climatic chamber in which the temperature and humidity can be controlled, and applications can be tested on an industrial scale in a soundproof cell.
We can test all kinds of applications in the thermo-technical lab:
- Boilers, burners, control systems, hot tap water appliances, ...
- Cogeneration units like engines and turbines
- Thermal energy storage systems
- District heating components
- And so much more
VITO/EnergyVille: the perfect partner for developing thermal systems
The thermo-technical lab is a unique testing environment for those who develop cooling and heating systems. You can carry out a broad range of tests here that meet all the requirements and questions you may have.
- The thermo-technical lab creates very dynamic environments that align closely with realistic scenarios. That’s what makes it different from standard labs.
- The support you get in the thermo-technical lab is unique. Highly educated and experienced lab technicians and researchers will help you develop, test and optimise your technologies.
- The professional approach, the systems and the opportunities to test on-site are a first in Flanders.
- The thermo-technical lab can carry out independent tests that are compliant with ISO 9001.
Test and optimise your own cooling or heating systems
Contact Erik De Schutter to find out more about the opportunities our thermo-technical lab offers.
