IEA HPT Annex: Digital Services for Heat Pumps

Digital services such as advanced modelling, big data methods and augmented reality are not yet widespread in the heat pump industry, although they can be essential for market penetration and decarbonisation. In the project it will be analysed how such services can be used over the life cycle, especially for product design/testing, integration, and operation/maintenance. Expertise from R&D and practice will be collected in an international database and disseminated in the industry.

Short Description

Project objectives

The project aims to identify and demonstrate the potential of using digital methods and services for heat pumps (HP). The aim is to answer the question of how digital services for heat pumps can be used in various areas of application during the life cycle of the devices - from product design to testing, integration, operation, and maintenance. The dissemination of knowledge is intended to promote the use of digital services in the heat pump industry in order to increase the market penetration of heat pumps and thus advance the decarbonisation of the heating/cooling sector.

Activities

The planned national project activities include:

1. Design of the international database for the documentation and broad dissemination of already implemented digital methods and services for heat pumps and their components.

2. Collection of current scientific literature and preparation of the results for the knowledge database, primarily in the following subject areas:

Product design: Semantic modelling for generic heat pump description, modelling/simulation with a focus on modular heat pumps
Heat pump testing/certification: HIL-tests for dynamic test conditions
Heat pump integration: AR-supported HP placement, data-based error detection during installation
Heat pump operation: data-supported operational optimisation through fault detection, AR-supported maintenance, model-based HP control

3. Expansion of the national knowledge base:

Survey of digital services of national HP and component manufacturers
For heat pump testing/certification: review of a new testing method with dynamic operating conditions
Heat pump integration: Validation of the AR app developed by AIT for acoustically optimised heat pump positioning (HVAC Positioner)

4. Analysis of information on digital services compared to the other participating countries, evaluation of barriers and development needs with a focus on scientific/technical issues still to be solved.

5. Various dissemination and communication measures to disseminate the know-how gained in the national project as well as the results and findings from the international annex project in the heat pump sector.

Expected results

The planned national results include contributions to the international knowledge database regarding digital services for heat pumps. In addition to the findings from R&D projects, this includes in particular the results of a manufacturer surveys and the activities in the context of the HVAC Positioner App and the test method for dynamic operating conditions. Furthermore, the collected and newly generated information will be analysed including a comparison with other participating countries of the HPT project. Barriers and development needs for the use of digital services will be explained.

Participants

Austria (Operating Agent), Sweden

Contact Address

Project leader

DI Bernd Windholz
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
Giefinggasse 2, 1210 Wien
E-Mail: bernd.windholz@ait.ac.at

Project partners

Severin Kaineder
Wärmepumpe Austria
Bockgasse 2a, 4020 Linz
E-Mail: kaineder@waermepumpe-austria.at