The RenewX project (www.renewx.eu) is funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme for Research for SME Associations.
The 3-year project, started in Februari 2013, is about the development and demonstration of compact, multi-source heat exchanger technologies for renewable energy applications.
The project aims to develop new heat exchanger platform technologies that are relevant to Europe's refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industry. This will provide manufacturers with alternative designs and manufacturing routes that will assist them expand their product range and to effectively compete with non-European manufacturers. This will be achieved through the development and demonstration of a novel heat exchanger technology and manufacturing process that will enable increased market penetration of European-made air source type heat pump systems. The new platform technology will improve the efficiency and reduce the size of the evaporator, whilst enabling the integration of secondary or even tertiary energy sources.
The main task of Re/genT within this project is in the validation of the prototype heat exchangers. For this, a specific heat exchnager test rig, consisting out of a windtunnel a fluid conditing rack and a data aquisition and control system has been designed and constructed.