Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP
Evaluation of the air quality in the complete vehicle interior. With the sampling system, air is drawn from the vehicle cabin in a defined manner via adsorber tubes.
Fraunhofer Indoor Air Test Center (IATC)
Multifunctional test facility for studying indoor climatic conditions and air quality
The Fraunhofer IBP Indoor Air Test Center (IATC) in Holzkirchen is used to carry out tests on indoor climatic conditions and air quality. The chemically inert wall surfaces of the test chamber can be thermally activated to create a range of typical indoor wall temperatures. Heating dummies are used to simulate occupancy in different room situations, e.g. in school classrooms or offices. For air quality studies, an aerosol generator emits controlled doses of particles, viruses and bacteria that are harmless to humans. Other airborne pollutants and odors can also be used. Typical tests at the IATC include evaluating the energy consumption of various air-conditioning measures, determining the efficiency of air purification systems for indoor use, or detecting airborne pollutants with the aid of sensors.
Climatic tests in and on vehicles
The IATC test chamber is also designed for studying vehicles, so it is large enough to hold such test objects. The chamber also features an artificial sun, which can be used to simulate solar radiation. In such cases, the test environment is used as a climate chamber to evaluate new vehicle air-conditioning solutions in studies either with real test persons or with the DressMAN comfort measurement system. Studies can also be conducted to assess the effect of radiation on emissions from materials in the vehicle cabin.
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Special features of the test facility
- Controlled pollution of the air with microbiological and chemical substances as well as particles, including pollen, spores, bacteria, viruses (bacteriophages as surrogates for human pathogenic viruses such as SARS-CoV-2) and aerosols.
- Volume flow rate settings up to 1800 m³ / h
- Air conditioning settings up to 40 °C and 55 % relative humidity
- Temperature controlled walls, floor and ceiling elements
- Inert interior surfaces to minimize the impact on emission measurements
- Access for vehicles up to 3.5 t in weight and 2.5 m in height
- Determination of VOC levels in vehicle interiors with and without activated ventilation systems (ISO 12219-1)
- VOC tests on material combinations on a real scale
- Verification of the efficacy of air filtration devices with regard to particles (including viruses, bacteria, spores, pollen)
- Measurement of different air outlets to assess their local effect
- High-tech airflow measurement technology such as anemometers, ultrasonic measuring devices, tracer gas and visual display of three-dimensional airflow images