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Laboratory for Building Energy Technology (G 306)

Laboratory for building energy technology (G306)

The Laboratory for building energy technology is concerned with the fields of air conditioning technology, heating technology, local heating systems, building physics and storage technology. In the practical trainings of the bachelor's programme "Energy Technology and Renewable Energies" as well as the master's programme "Renewable Energy Systems", among other things, experiments are carried out on the hydraulic balancing of heating circuits or the basics for drawing up energy balances.
With a view to the intended research focus, the construction of a heat engineering test bench for heat pumps, heat transfer stations and heat storages have been built and are already used in several research projects. Heat pumps represent an interesting possibility for the intelligent linking of electricity and heat supply in residential buildings. By means of grid-controlled heat pump operation, a bridge can be built to grid-reactive buildings, which will become increasingly important in future for stabilising the electricity grid.

 

  1. Thermal model house

  2. Heat pump

  3. Drop-down menu

  4. Hydraulic balancing

  5. PhD student at the monitor in the examination room

  6. Thermal imaging camera_3

Laboratory equipment and activities

Fields of activity

  • Practical training of students in the field of building energy technology
  • Analysis of local and district heating systems
  • Energy efficiency in industry
  • Development of innovative storage technology
  • Efficiency increase of systems for room air conditioning (solar cooling)
  • Investigation and evaluation of heat pump systems

Courses

  • Solar construction / Solar power plants
  • Energy Storage
  • Building Energy Technology
  • Thermodynamics
  • CHP and heating networks
  • Introductory laboratory course

Laboratory DEC system

The innovative process of cooling indoor air by drying and evaporation (eng. "Desiccative and Evaporative Cooling", DEC) has become the focus of laboratory activities via a laboratory DEC system. With the help of this test set-up, important process parameters such as temperature, humidity, cooling capacity and energy efficiency can be determined in practice within the framework of short-term tests under precisely defined supply air and fresh air conditions. In addition, the potential for increasing the efficiency of individual components can be investigated. The equipment of the laboratory DEC system is designed for a wide range of applications, which will advance topics in teaching (in the form of practical trainigs and project work) as well as in research.

Thermal model building

The thermal model building offers a practical basis for the understanding of simple thermal processes in rooms through its vividness. Using a building model, the students will investigate the effects of heating, cooling and thermal insulation during their practical training. The influences of ventilation via fans and windows, interactions between two adjacent rooms as well as the influence of solar radiation through glass surfaces on the indoor climate can be shown. The independent preparation and evaluation of energy balances is deepened.

Heat pump test bench (shortly before commissioning)

The heat pump test bench is designed for use in teaching and can also be used for testing, research and development of highly efficient heat pumps, substations and storages. Due to its clarity and modular design, it offers a practical basis for understanding thermodynamic processes in the heat pump process. Students can learn the operating behaviour of a heat pump by measuring the stationary performance and efficiency map (COP: Coefficient of performance).

Comfort measuring device (in planning)

The compact mobile test facility will provide a comprehensive metrological insight into measured variables of the indoor climate in building energy technology, especially during practical training. The students will be able to work out how the individual measured variables (air flow, temperature, radiant heat e.g. at the PC workstation) affect the comfort at the workstation by means of experiments and measurements they carry out themselves. The system presented enables measurements to be made in accordance with the current standards for climate assessment, such as the PMV and PPD index.


Further equipment:

  • MID flow meter
  • Ultrasonic flowmeter

Further equipment

  • Flow meter according to MID principle
  • Flow meter according to the ultrasonic principle
  • Test setup comfort measurement Testo 480
  • Thermal imaging camera Testo 875
    (Overlay of thermal and real image possible)

Projects

  • Networks with lowered temperature as providers of balancing power (NATAR)
  • "Heat and housing" ERDF network project with 13 industrial partners
  • Competence Center PlusEnergy Buildings
  • Scientific support of an office and production building with innovative heating and cooling technology
  • OREWA: Enhancement of central regulation and substations in thermal networks
  • HybridWP: Construction of a hybrid Heatpump
  • LEnZ: Rural energy in sustainable future

Laboratory management and team

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