The Real Time Lab is an integrated system that includes a water rig part and a supervision/monitoring and control system with the ability to elaborate mathematical models.
The purpose of the rig is to simulate the behavior of a virtual component whose model is running and to build a physical interface able to interact with another real component or system. In this way it is possible to test the behavior of the real component or a regulation logic as if the whole system were real. This technology is named HiL (Hardware in the Loop).
The laboratory is functionally able to simulate both components in generation (boilers, heat pumps, solar thermal panels) and user systems (Building, Storage systems, Air Handling Units) for which a real time model is available.
In heating mode it is possible to simulate components operating in the temperature range between 13°C and 60°C, in cooling mode it is possible to work up to 7°C. The maximum power is 30kW.
To date, the RT Laboratory has developed thermal storage models with internal and external heat exchanger and solar thermal panels.
Contact person: Federico Pedranzini