AIT-Energy Labs

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AIT Smart Energy Systems and Technologies Laboratories

TA14 – AIT-Energy Labs 

Location

Giefinggasse 4

1210 Vienna,  Austria 

Description

The provided energy laboratory cluster at AIT offers a unique landscape for (integrated) development and validation of energy technologies enabling the transformation of global energy supply systems and related infrastructure, including photovoltaic (PV) modules and inverters, electrolysers, fuel cells, battery systems, e-charging infrastructure, heat pumps, and power electronic components with the following parts:

  • AIT SmartEST:This includes widely configurable low-voltage networks, flexible high-bandwidth grid simulators, high-performance PV simulators, and environmental chambers for testing components at rated input and output power under extreme temperature and humidity conditions. The AIT SmartEST environment additionally offers the opportunity to simulate complex electrical grids both in offline mode as well as in real-time mode and connect them to the lab networks. These configuration techniques allow for the integration of real components into a virtual grid environment and the testing of under realistic conditions, with existing interactions with the grid. Moreover, the lab infrastructure provides full functionality for the design and validation of power electronic systems and components.
  • AIT ThermStore:The thermophysics laboratory at AIT Austrian Institute of Technology offers characterisation methods for materials energy research, including thermal energy and batteries, etc.It is an accredited testing laboratory (EN ISO/IEC 17025) with measurements of thermal characteristics of materials, processes and products as well as determinations of thermophysical properties and transition parameters. The laboratory infrastructure enables solids, viscoelastic samples as well as liquids to be measured as a function of temperature and time under defined gas conditions. Evolving gases are analysed via spectroscopic methods:
    • Thermophysical properties (-180 °C to 1600 °C):
      • Thermal conductivity λ(T),
      • Specific heat capacity cp(T),
      • Thermal expansion ΔL(T)/L0,
      • Thermal diffusivity a(T), Density ρ(T),
      • Linear coefficient of thermal expansion CTE α(T)
    • Thermal analysis (-180 °C to 1600 °C):
      • Characteristic temperatures, Enthalpy determination,
      • Mass change and evolved gas analysis
    • Viscosity and density of liquids (-60 °C to 135 °C)
  • AIT H2LAB:This offers multi-purpose test fields for the development and validation of components and systems from the fields of electrolysis, fuel cells, battery storage and power electronics with the following unique selling points for RISEnergy TA users:
    • Performance and test parameters
    • Field test laboratory
    • Hydrogen demonstrator

Testing Capabilities

The following experiments can be carried out at:

  • AIT SmartEST:
    • Smart grid, energy system,DER-oriented expertise and validation and testing activities
    • Smart grid and energy system simulation and HIL-based automation application testing
    • Smart grid and energy system interoperability and communication testing
    • Smart grid and energy system data analytics activities
    • Smart grid, energy systems and technology training and education
    • Round-robin-tests, harmonisation and standardization
  • AIT ThermStore:
    • Measurement of thermal characteristics of energy materials, processes and products as well as determinations of thermophysical properties and transition parameters
    • The laboratory infrastructure enables solids, viscoelastic samples as well liquids to be measured as a function of temperature and time under defined gas conditions
    • Evolving gases are analysed via spectroscopic methods
  • AIT H2LAB:
    • Development and evaluation of novel and innovative material and device concepts
    • Energy systems, technology long-term test services and quality assessment
    • Energy systems and technology training and education
    • Round-robin-tests, harmonisation and standardisation

Technical Equipment

The following equipment is available at:

  • AIT SmartEST
    • SmartEST High-Power Lab
      • High bandwidth AC grid simulation units (3 x 400 V, 800 kVA), dynamic DC sources and PV array simulators (1500 V, 1500 A, 960 kW)
      • 3 independent laboratory grids (grounded/isolated mode)
      • Freely adjustable RLC load banks (1 MW, 1 MVAr) and LVRT test setup (1 MVA)
      • Adjustable lime impedances
      • Data acquisition system and laboratory SCADA system
    • SmartEST Inverter Lab
      • High bandwidth AC grid simulation units (3 x 400 V, 30 kVA)
      • Anti-islanding test setup (30 kVA)
      • High bandwidth, linear PV-array simulation system (3 x 12 kW)
    • SmartEST Storage & Electric Vehicle Lab
      • Battery simulator (DC source)
      • Data acquisition system, measurement instruments
      • Electric vehicle (EV) and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) simulator
    • SmartEST Digital Simulation Lab
      • Multicore Opal-RT real-time simulators (including software licenses)
      • Typhoon HIL and PLECS real-time simulators (HIL)
      • Server hardware for power system simulation and co-simulation
      • PC-based simulation terminals
      • Licenses for power system simulation (DigSilent Power Factory, Sincal) and for dynamic system simulation (Dymola)
      • Licenses for MATLAB Simulink, Simscape
    • SmartEST Power Electronic Lab
      • High bandwidth AC grid simulation units (3 x 400 V, 50 kVA) and high bandwidth DC sources (1000 V, 50 kW)
      • Licenses for power electronic systems design (OrCAD, PSpice, PLECS, Gecko Circuits)
      • LabView Development System
      • Typhoon HIL and PLECS real-time simulators (HIL)
    • SmartEST Micro-Grid lab
      • Various DER devices
      • Micro-grid automation and control equipment
    • AIT ThermStore
      • Differential Scanning Calorimetry; -180 °C to 1650 °C
      • Push Rod Dilatometry – DIL; -180 °C to 1650 °C
      • Laser Flash – LFA; -120 °C to 1600 °C
      • Thermogravimetric and Simultaneous Thermal Analysis – TGA/STA; -120 °C to 1650 °C
      • Evolved Gas Analysis – EGA with FTIR and MS
      • Heat Flow Meter – HFM; -20 °C to 90 °C
      • Viscometry – SVM; -60 °C to 135 °C
    • AIT H2LAB
      • Performance and test parameters: Medium-sized or large systems up to the size of a 40-foot standard container and an electrical power consumption of up to 500kW (stacks) or up to 1,5 MW (systems)
      • Field test laboratory: Medium-voltage connection, digital grid simulation as well as direct coupling with PV roof systems enable unique (scientific) opportunities.
      • Hydrogen demonstrator: This enables the development and validation of the complete conversion chain from electricity tohydrogen to electricity and essentially consists of two different electrolyser technologies -10 kW proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEMEL), and 10 kW anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEMEL)- a 5 kW fuel cell, a hydrogen buffer storage, and an AIT Smart Grid Converter (ASGC) including electrical battery storage. This can be operated via the domestic grid as well as via direct feed-in with 35 kW PV electricity.

Additional information

Technology Readiness Level: 4-6

Special considerations: N/A 

Technology clusters: Energy Storage, Hydrogen, Information and Communication Technologies, Integrated Grids, Materials for Energy, Others, PV

Website: https://www.ait.ac.at/en/laboratories?center=energy&cid=22

Availability: AIT H2LAB will be available from January 2025

Provision of tools to prepare data sets in a FAIR way:  No 

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