HiL - Sustainable Energy Lab

Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing Line

The Sustainable Energy Lab features a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) testing system designed for the evaluation and optimization of energy performance of buildings' HVAC systems. The system consists of a hydronic circuit, a climatic chamber, and a software-driven building model, enabling real-time replication of testing conditions. The hydronic system is powered by three heat generators (a heat pump, a gas-fired condensing boiler and a biomass boiler) and it is equipped with four-way mixing valves to emulate heating/cooling loads. Domestic hot water consumption is emulated using an external dissipator, while the climatic chamber allows recreating specific external ambient conditions, fundamental for testing heat generators like heat pumps. This allows a perfect control of both heat source and sink which leads to an accuarte testing of the analyzed thermal generators. A dense network of sensors, including temperature probes and flow meters, enables precise data acquisition and system control. These components are connected to two data acquisition boards, ensuring real-time monitoring and analysis. The entire system, including valve and circulation pump management, is controlled via LabVIEW software, which also handles testing procedures and result storage. This advanced setup allows for accurate simulation of dynamic boundary conditions, facilitating the evaluation of thermal performance and energy efficiency of complex HVAC systems in buildings.

Hardware-in-the-Loop line inside the laboratory.

HiL testing line is employed in a wide range of activities and tests capable of assessing HVAC systems performance and optimizing their use inside buildings.

Activities

Simulation of Real Operating Conditions

HiL testing provides a platform to simulate scenarios where energy availability and demand change over time, helping to optimize the operation of heat generators for heating and cooling, while maximizing energy flexibility and minimizing reliance on non-renewable energy. By integrating actual hardware, such as thermal generators, with real-time software simulations, HiL testing allows for the replication of dynamic real-world conditions, including temperature fluctuations, variations in energy demand, and the availability of renewable energy. This approach is crucial for evaluating the performance of thermal generators under realistic conditions, including coupled systems like hybrid systems (heat pumps and boilers).

The core of the testing line: the four-way mixing valves inside the Hardware-in-the-Loop line, used to emulate the thermal load for the heating system.

Development and Validation of Control & System-Regulation Strategies

Developing a laboratory testing system for the most commonly used heat generators on the market is essential for optimizing their operation and control strategies. Advanced control algorithms play a key role in enhancing the performance and flexibility of thermal generators in buildings. HiL test benches enable real-time testing and validation of these algorithms, ensuring their effectiveness in balancing heating, cooling, and energy storage, while maintaining energy efficiency and system flexibility.

Hydraulic separators installed in the heat pump and boiler circuits, allowing a perfect separation between the primary and the secondary circuits.

Tests on Heat Exchangers

The HiL bench is employed to conduct tests on heat exchangers, being a support in their design phase. In particular, it allows for simulating and analyzing their behavior under real operating conditions without the need to build multiple prototypes. This approach accelerates the development process, optimizes performance, and reduces design costs.