We test complex heating systems

CTU UCEEB is working with Regulus on advanced control of heat pumps based on the predicted cost and emission intensity of grid electricity. The joint research project has succeeded in extending the testing capabilities for renewable heat sources by "hardware in the loop" method.

In the heat pump laboratory of the CTU UCEEB, we have set up a test circuit that allows us to test the entire system including the heat pump with storage tank and controller under conditions corresponding to real operation. The conditions of system operation in a theoretically defined building, such as hot water consumption and heating system load for space heating, are physically emulated by the laboratory based on a concurrently running simulation of the building behaviour under different climatic conditions varying during the day. In contrast to the standard testing of individual devices under defined steady-state conditions, this advanced testing allows the overall efficiency of a system operating under dynamically changing traffic to be analysed in relation to the implementation of advanced control algorithms.

The project TK04020326 Advanced control of heat pump according to quality of energy mix was supported by the Czech Technology Agency.