Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBPPhotos: Energy Efficiency and Indoor Climate
At its branch in Holzkirchen, Fraunhofer IBP has a test facility which is unique in the world, the “Flight Test Facility”. A low-pressure chamber houses an original segment of an A310 aircraft that is about 15 meters long and can accommodate up to 80 test persons.
In Fraunhofer IBP’s Flight Test Facility, researchers investigate not only climatic conditions in the cabin but also the aircraft as an entire system. For example, they study the energy and usage requirements of the cockpit, passenger cabin, avionics and cargo hold.
The climate measurement system developed by Fraunhofer IBP allows different climate scenarios to be comparatively evaluated.
With the Thermal Test Bench (TTB) in front of the low-pressure tube, the scientists at Fraunhofer IBP can explore new research opportunities for the aviation industry.
Tests on and in VERU (test facility for energy and indoor climate investigations) focus on the holistic consideration of the façade, interior and equipment technology in order to obtain practical information about energy consumption and visual and thermal comfort.
Façade panels on VERU (test facility for energy and indoor climate investigations) at the Fraunhofer IBP branch in Holzkirchen.
Made from reinforced concrete, the three-story VERU experimental building has six square measuring cells on each floor. These can be studied individually or in combination, for example to investigate concepts for open-plan offices or conference rooms.
The south-facing side of the second floor of the VERU test facility for energy and room climate investigations contains two identical test rooms (twin rooms), which have been specially designed for making comparative energy measurements.
Testing a vehicle in the Indoor Air Test Center (IATC).
For many years, DressMAN has been in use at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP to measure the indoor climate in buildings, vehicles and airplanes.
Developed by Fraunhofer IBP, the module platform for energy-efficient building equipment, MEGA for short, is used to build and test complete systems.
Test chamber with exterior modular heating/cooling elements.
As part of the research and development initiative “High Performance Indoor Environment” (HiPIE), a test environment has been built which enables environmental conditions to be varied quickly and easily. For example, in the HiPIE laboratory at Fraunhofer IBP, scientists study human reactions, such as perception, sensation and behavior.
The “Ulbricht Sphere” (named after the engineer Richard Ulbricht) is a multifunctional system for measuring the reflection and transmission properties of façade elements and urban surfaces, as well as the luminous flux, light yield and the operating efficiency of lamps and lighting systems.
The goniophotometer is used evaluate façade systems photometrically.