09/09/2025

Using AVL ThermalLab™ for Industrial Heat Pump Testing According to European Standards

As the demand for efficient and sustainable heating solutions grows, industrial heat pumps are becoming central to decarbonizing thermal energy systems.

AVL thermal testing lab with a virtual vehicle — AVL ThermalLab™ Setup

To ensure performance, safety, and compliance, heat pumps must be rigorously tested under standardized conditions. AVL ThermalLab™ offers a state-of-the-art testing environment that enables real-world emulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) simulation, and modular subsystem testing, making it ideal for validating heat pump systems against European standards.

AVL ThermalLab™

AVL ThermalLab™ is a state-of-the-art testing facility designed to accelerate the development of thermal management systems. This paper outlines its technical capabilities, integration with AVL PUMA 2™ automation platform, and presents real-world case studies and device-level insights, including the use of AVL ConsysCool Dynamic and AVL ConsysActive systems.

AVL ThermalLab™ provides:

Dynamic conditioning systems for air, water, and brine.
Climatic chambers simulating ambient conditions from −40°C to +95°C.
HiL simulation for full thermal management systems or component-level testing.
Modular test setups for flexible integration of heat pump units.
No need for prototypes, reducing cost and development time

Originally designed for the automotive industry, AVL ThermalLab™ and related AVL testing technologies can also accommodate a wide range of industrial and residential heat pump types, making them highly versatile for R&D, validation, and certification. The following overview highlights the types of heat pumps that can be tested:

Air-to-Air Heat Pumps
Air-to-Water Heat Pumps
Water-to-Water (Brine-to-Water) Heat Pumps
Gas-Driven Sorption Heat Pumps
Hybrid Heat Pumps
Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Heat Pumps
Reversible Heat Pumps (Heating & Cooling)

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AVL thermal testing lab with an open climatic chamber — AVL ThermalLab™ with open climatic chamber

Key Devices in AVL ThermalLab™

AVL ConsysCool Dynamic

The AVL ConsysCool Dynamic is a high-performance coolant conditioning system designed for dynamic thermal testing. Key features include:

Ultra-fast response time of up to 6 K/s
Wide capacity ranges from 20 kW to 60 kW, peaking at 120 kW
Operating temperature range: -25°C to 120°C
HiL integration for real-time simulation of refrigerant circuits, e-motors, inverters, and batteries

This system enables precise control of cooling fluids, allowing developers to simulate rapid thermal transitions and validate component behavior under extreme conditions.

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Product image of the AVL ConsysCool Dynamic — AVL ConsysCool Dynamic

AVL ConsysActive

The AVL ConsysActive Monoblock is a compact, integrated climate control unit used for environmental conditioning in testbeds. It provides:

Advanced cooling, heating, and humidification
Streamlined installation and commissioning
Energy-efficient operation with refrigerants featuring low Global Warming Potential (GWP)
CO₂-compatible versions for sustainable testing

The ConsysActive ensures stable and reproducible environmental conditions, critical for testing batteries, fuel cells, and HVAC systems under simulated real-world scenarios

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Product image of the AVL ConsysActive Portfolio — AVL ConsysActive Portfolio Overview

Environmental Simulation

Climatic Chambers: Simulate extreme temperature and humidity conditions for thermal systems, batteries, fuel cells, and e-motors.

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Product image of the AVL Climatic Chamber for Battery Pack Testing — AVL Climatic Chamber

Integration with AVL PUMA 2™

AVL ThermalLab™ is powered by AVL PUMA 2™, which offers:

Frontloaded configuration and remote access
Real-time monitoring and machine learning-based diagnostics
Scalable automation across diverse test environments

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Standard-Specific Testing Applications

EN 14511 – Performance Testing of Electrically Driven Heat Pumps
AVL ThermalLab™ supports:

Testing under defined conditions for air-to-air, air-to-water, and brine-to-water heat pumps.
Measurement of COP, capacity, and power input at full load.
Use of conditioned media to replicate air, water, or brine environments.

EN 14825 – Seasonal Performance (SCOP) Testing

AVL’s HiL simulation enables part-load testing across climate zones (Average, Warmer, Colder).
Supports bin method for SCOP calculation using temperature distribution and heating demand curves.
Integration of degradation coefficients and bivalent temperature parameters.

EN 16147 – Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Heat Pump Testing

AVL ThermalLab™ can simulate tap profiles (S to XXL) and draw-off cycles.
Enables COP determination during heating, standby, and draw-off phases.
Supports reference temperature testing and standby power measurement.

EN 12309 – Gas-Driven Sorption Heat Pumps

AVL’s conditioning systems allow testing of gas-fired sorption appliances under seasonal performance scenarios.
Supports calculation of seasonal efficiency for heating and cooling modes.
Enables testing of hybrid systems combining gas and electric heat pump technologies.

EN 13203-5 & EN 13203-6 – DHW Performance for Hybrid and Sorption Systems

AVL ThermalLab™ can assess energy consumption of gas-fired appliances combined with electric or sorption heat pumps.
Supports daily load profiles for kitchen, shower, and bath usage.
Enables comparison of energy performance across configurations.

EN 12102-1 – Acoustic Testing

AVL’s acoustic chambers and sensors allow Class A sound power level measurements.
Complies with airborne noise testing for space heating and cooling units

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Case Studies

Battery Thermal Optimization for a European OEM

12% improvement in thermal uniformity
8% reduction in cooling energy consumption
6-week reduction in development time

Fuel Cell VTMS Calibration

Improved stack temperature stability
Enhanced cabin comfort
Avoidance of costly prototype iterations

HVAC System Validation

Early detection of condensation issues
Optimized defrosting performance
Integration of predictive control algorithms

Benefits of AVL ThermalLab™ for Heat Pump Testing

Accelerated development through frontloading and simulation.
Reduced prototype dependency, saving cost and time.
High reproducibility and precision in test conditions.
Flexible integration of various heat pump technologies and configurations.

Conclusion

AVL ThermalLab™ provides a robust and flexible platform for testing industrial heat pumps in compliance with European standards. Whether validating performance, seasonal efficiency, domestic hot water capabilities, or acoustic emissions, AVL’s technology ensures accurate, repeatable, and regulation-compliant results – accelerating innovation and market readiness.