Lifetime Test Rigs
for Heat Pumps
Reference Tech Specs
Dimmensions
(in mm)
1480(L) x 5000(W) x 2070(H)
Power supply
Voltage
Frequency
Current
380-400VAC
50 HZ
18 kW
Funcional Tests
Temperature
Pressure
Oxygenation level
Automatic burst detection
Communication Interfaces
Ethernet, USB
Temperature and oxygenation profiles
Configurable temperatura profiles
Temperature range: -0°C – 90°C
Oxygen dissolved in water: 0 -100%
Overview
More and more, new polymers and new component manufacturing techniques are being developed, allowing the gradual replacement of metallic materials by plastic or composite materials in different fields of application in several industries. In particular, when it comes to air conditioning, heating and water supply, plastic components are subject to the aging process due to the temperature they are exposed to or due to the amount of oxygen in the fluids.
The Lifetime Test Rigs developed by Controlar allow the prediction, in an accelerated test, of the wear levels throughout the plastic components’ life in order to prevent eventual failures during the life cycle of the DUT.
Architecture
The main module controls and analyzes the test variables. There is a hydropressor group that uniformizes the pressure in all modules up to 10 bar. A pneumohydraulic system injects air / oxygen into the water through a diffuser until the oxygenation reaches the level preset by the user. In order to monitor these oxygen levels in the water, the equipment makes periodic measurements through a high precision sensor.
Each test module has an individual heating circuit that allows testing at different temperatures up to 90 °C. The test cabins are closed and thermally insulated in order to reduce energy losses. The size and number of test modules is configurable according to the customer’s needs.
An additional module allows the samples to be tested for rupture and, based on the information collected, calculate, the expected life of the tested components according to the Arrhenius equation.
Main Applications
The Lifetime Test Rigs are best suited for applications in the Thermotechnology industry, such as for the accelerated ageing of heat pumps (air-water or water type) through the simulation of domestic or geothermal consumption; or for the characterization of electric water heaters’ efficiency.